Japan never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think they've done all they can do, something else crops up.
In this case, it's the Japanese rendition of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, with the cast dressed all in kabuki makeup. You can see a short trailer for an older production of the show above, or if you're in Tokyo, go ahead and see the new production that will be running shortly. A quick little quote from the founder of the acting troupe doing this version:
"There was a New York version, and I thought I should do a kabuki version," Asari said recently, surrounded by cast members after the musical's final dress rehearsal in Tokyo.
The play was actually originally adapted back in 1973, The Reuters article details more about the history of the play, namely some of the things that get lost in translation, and how Asari got to this point, retooling the play after several different versions. It's worth checking out -- I just wish I knew more about Jesus Christ Superstar. Maybe we should just send John Martone over there to check out the play...
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Just saw the movie Tokyo! done by Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-Ho. Its opening at Landmark's Lagoon Cinema on 4/24/09. Pass the word on and go check it out.
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