Shake Your Kabuki

Kabuki seems to be a little bit like opera in the US. There are people who are devotees and people who feel it’s a waste because they can nap at home for free. I had two free tickets to the Saturday night show at Kabuki-za, one of the most famous theaters in Japan and I actually had trouble finding someone to go with me. Yuki felt bad for me, and once I told her that the ticket included free dinner, she agreed to come along.

I didn’t know anything about Kabuki before I went to the show. So it was a big surprise that all the actors were men. It was one big drag show. And those girls were fierce.

It took me a few minutes to realize they were all men. If our seats hadn’t been so good, I might never have noticed. We were so close to the stage that I could almost see the female character’s beard growing.

The play was called “Hokaibo” and was performed in three acts. The theater provided an audio guide that wasn’t exactly a translation, more of an explanation of what was happening. One of the things that people enjoy about Kabuki is that the actors often ad-lib the dialogue and bits of stage business. Even though I couldn’t understand the jokes, the actors were great fun to watch.

Act I was all comedy: mistaken identity, misunderstandings, pratfalls, lustful priests, royals in disguise. Act II turned dark. There was still mistaken identity, misunderstandings, pratfalls, lustful priests, and royals in disguise but it sort of turned into Kabuki Psycho. After all the kidnappings and grisly murders, most of the cast had been killed off by the second intermission. But that’s the genius of Act III. They all come back as really pissed off spirits and do the pissed off spirit dance. Like any great Vegas finale, the costumes got bigger, the wigs taller, and there hire wire stunt right out of Kung Fu Hustle.

When we left the show, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. But the more I think about it, the more I like it. It was one of the most theatrical experiences I’ve ever had. The Kabuki actors are like rock stars. When actor who played the lead role, made his entrance, the place went wild. There are some pictures attached that I had scanned from the program. He’s the one standing, looking deranged.