sensationalism, and a social activist (played by Niiro Shinya), who took advantage of people’s anxieties. It was a gritty drama that also reflected the dangerous world that we live in today. It opened with a vivid scene with colourful confetti falling almost excessively. The drama evolved smoothly through well-paced staging (by Mori Shintaro) using a revolving stage, but it seemed to be lacking something. Nevertheless, on the whole, the musical was not bad and the fact that this controversial musical was presented in Japan was gratifying.
The Contrasting Results of Translation and Adaptation Other translated Broadway musicals that premiered in 2017 included Big Fish, Legally Blonde, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Young Frankenstein and 059
The Pajama Game. Big Fish (book by John August, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa) is a musical adaptation of the Tim Burton film based on the novel of the same title. It is an out-of-the-world fantasy celebrating life, evolving around the bond between a big-mouthed father (played by Kabira Jay) and his son (Urai Kenji). The cast were well suited for the parts and the direction (by Shirai Akira) was steady, so it became a warm musical. Legally Blonde is also a musical adaptation based on a successful movie. The cute charm of Kanda Sayaka in the lead role was appealing. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is based on a novel that was also turned into a film which won a Tony Award. It was fun to watch the comical performance of Ichimura Masachika, who played eight different characters including men and woman of all ages. Beautiful is Carol King’s critical biography pieced together with
Theatre in Japan
Theatre Yearbook 2018