The writer is a graduate of UCLA, and is currently studying Japanese at Waseda University.
Are you afraid of going to the theatre in Japan because you think you won’t understand “theatre Japanese?” You’re not alone. I used to go the theatre at least once, sometimes two or three times a week in Los Angeles, writing reviews for stagehappenings.com, bitter-lemons.com, or the Daily Bruin school newspaper. I socialized with the cast, drank Gatorade with all the press agents, took flash photos with the starlets, ate caviar and Brazilian seabass at all the opening night receptions, and generally had a grand, Broadway-opening, fantastic time.
That’s until I came to Japan.
The language barrier is one thing, but the cultural difference is the really big deal. There’s seniority here. A school newspaper theatre junkie just can’t flirt with the big time established press. You can’t take casual pictures without permission. People don’t even cheer the same way: the Japanese can clap for 30 minutes until we drop, but you won’t hear cat calls, yells, anything outlandish from an appreciation point of view. They just express themselves in different ways. Meanwhile, I am low in the totem pole.
Then I saw “Wicked” in Japanese, and while the differences between LA and Tokyo are still beneath the surface, the performance itself has reinvigorated me, showing that the musical is not bound by language or culture, and that it is as emotionally engaging, lively, and creative in the East as in the West. May be it will do the same for you too, whether you’re a theatre nut, or someone who’s never been to a musical.
Photo courtesy of Shiki Theatre Company.
“Wicked” is based on a retelling of the “Wizard of Oz” story from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West written by Gregory Maguire. The musical begins with the Good Witch of the North, Glinda (Numao Miyuki) narrating story of her college roommate, Elphaba (Ebata Masae), from her birth under ignominious circumstances (in the song “No One Mourns the Wicked”) to her problems fitting in in Shiz University. You see there’s one problem, Elphaba is green. Soon, Glinda hooks up with the dashing prince Fiyero (Kitazawa Yusuke) as they plan to go to a party (“Dancing Through Life”). From this premise the story takes off, as two underlying themes emerge. First the animals of Oz appear to be losing their powers of speech. Second Elphaba is selected to go see the Wizard of Oz (Ilno Osami) at the Emerald City, where she has a fateful encounter (“One Short Day”).
For American audiences, the way the musical explains various elements of the “Wizard of Oz” story, from the emergence of the cowardly lion to how the scarecrow came to be, are “ah ha!” moments of insight. I suspect the casual Japanese theatre goers may not be as familiar with the Oz story, but they seem to have a good idea of what’s going on. On the other hand, if you had to pick one work of theatre to see in Japan with minimum Japanese comprehension, it might as well be a musical, and it might as well be “Wicked.” The pronunciations are clear and free from accent. The musical interludes are not filled with lyrics that define the plot. What’s more the actions taken by the character are well demonstrated on stage, allowing us to follow what happens easily as long as we pay attention.
One of the key elements of “Wicked” is the idea that public perception can be the opposite of the true self; what appears “wicked” may actually be fighting for the good, and what appears “good” may be cowardice in standing up to oppression. Ebata and Miyuki do a great job of contrasting the wicked and good witch persona, both the perceived element, and more importantly, the deeper true element. Ebata, in particular, has a deep voice which when singing, brightens up, as in the song “Defying Gravity,” sung when she first casts a levitation spell. Miyuki, meanwhile, does a good Japanese version of Kristin Chenoweth, showing both the nice popular girl attitude (as in the song “Popular”) and the underlying conformity. They balance each other quite well, especially in the last sections of the play, when they sing “For Good” with heart-felt sincerity. The image in the musical’s poster describes their relationship quite well, with each other, as well as with Kitazawa, who does an understated job serving as their love interest. Perhaps Kitazawa’s most memorable scene is as a sexy sun-glasses-wearing prince who rides a carriage to school, nonchalantly. His cool exterior is also balanced with a deep desire that fills his inner personality, which we begin to learn over time as the musical progresses. The triangle of main characters is memorable precisely because they each have their own scenes of uncovered personality.
Photo courtesy of Shiki Theatre Company.
The animals of “Wicked” are given an extreme makeover, particularly the flying monkeys, whose wings are remarkably well concealed. Both the Tin Man and the Professor are given sudden transformations, and them, along with Kitazawa, do a great job of changing their gestures and voices before and after the respective changes. Stage design is reminiscent of other productions, such as the Pantages version in Los Angeles in 2009, with the dragon and the map of Oz standing out to impress first time visitors. Even the uninitiated, however, will be impressed with the depth of the story, the music, and the performances. The dances at the ball, and at the first visit to the Emerald City, stand out as epic shows. The designers also did a great job using a darkened atmosphere and light cast upon the ground people to evoke the incredulity of levitation in “Defying Gravity.”
If you haven’t seen in musical in Japan, it’s time to give it a go. It might change your idea of what a Broadway musical has to require. It might cause you to have a much more than expected fantastic time. It might even change your view about Japanese entertainment. Plus, it’s so much fun to listen to some of your favourite hummable tunes, in a cool Japanese translation.
The all-Japanese version of “Wicked” runs at the Shiki theatre in Shinbashi, Tokyo, until August 31, 2014. Tickets are available starting at 3000 yen.