Kabuki Performance: Kanjinchō
14-minute video featuring 35-year old Kabuki Super Star, Ebizo……………………. Kanjinchō Last week, I saw an outstanding Kabuki performance by ICHIKAWA Ebizo, a 35-year old, 11th generation super star Kabuki actor. The same performance was earlier captured on Youtube, which I include here. The story, which is a modified version of a Noh play, takes place in the late 1100’s, and is taken...
Noh Performance
FUNABENKEI….. 7-minute video of a performance of Funabenkei, one of the most well-known pieces in the Noh Theather. Taken from the life of Yoshitsune, an actual historic figure who lived in the late 1100's, the scene takes place on a small boat that is stuck by a heavy storm. The boat is attacked by ghosts of the sea, among them a member of a rival clan. They fight the spirits, but are unsuccessful, until Yoshitsune's...
Japanese Lullaby
Japanese Lullaby……….. 4-minute audio—This haunting Japanese lullaby from the Edo period (1603~1868) features a 6-piece ensemble of Shakuhachi flute, two 13-string Koto (zither), 3-string shamisen, biwa (Japanese short-neck lute) and...
Nakamura Kanzaburo
Kabuki Tap Dance The late Kabuki actor, 18th generation Nakamura Kanzaburo, performs the role of a drunk in a highly demanding dance in wooden clogs.
Japanese Magic
8-minute video–A truly magical performance of Tezuna, a traditional form of Japanese Magic.