Calendar of screenings:
TORONTO:
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
259 Richmond Street West
February 22 (Wednesday), 2012
6:00 pm The Zen Substitute
a
8:00 pm Murder in a Hell of Oil
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February 23 (Thursday), 2012
6:00 pm Heron Maiden
7:00 pm Hokaibo
VANCOUVER:
Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas
88 West Pender Street
February 26 (Sunday), 2012
1:00 pm Murder in a Hell of Oil
3:30 pm Heron Maiden
Kabuki Theatre, with origins dating back to the 1600s, has remained steeped in tradition while constantly innovating. Live productions, featuring some of today’s greatest Kabuki stars, are now being filmed with the highest resolution cameras for screening in cinemas around the world on state-of-the-art digital projection systems and 6 channel sound.
Tickets on sale online at www.cineplex.com and at the theatre box offices.
$15 + tax: Heron Maiden
$20 + tax: Murder in a Hell of Oil, The Zen Substitute, Hokaibo
Inquiries:
416.966.1600 ex.229 Toronto
604.607.5978 Vancouver
The Heron Maiden (Sagi Musume): a dance performance
Premiered in 1762
Directed for Cinema Kabuki by Hiroyuki Nakatani
Recorded live at the Kabuki-za Theatre, Tokyo, 2005
32 minutes
Subtitled in English
The Heron Maiden is one of the most challenging dance roles in Kabuki. Featuring
fifteen musicians on stage and dramatic costume changes amid swirling snow,
the popular Heron Maiden is performed by star onnagata Tamasaburo (a male actor
who specializes in female roles). Transforming himself gracefully from a white
heron to a coquettish girl, then into a woman who is brutally agonized by her
lover's betrayal, the Heron Maiden is Tamasaburo’s signature piece. With his
extraordinarily expressive hands - from the opening birdlike steps through
to the dance’s finale - Tamasaburo is unforgettable.
Murder in a Hell of Oil (Onna Goroshi Aburano Jigoku): a murder story
Premiered as a Bunraku puppet play in 1721
Written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu
Premiered as a Kabuki play in 1909
Directed for Cinema Kabuki by Hiroyuki Nakatani
Recorded live at Kabuki-za Theatre, Tokyo, 2009
110 minutes
Subtitled in English
Set in Osaka, the centre
of commerce in 18th century Japan, Yohei, played by Nizaemon, a specialist
of Kyoto/Osaka style Kabuki, is the prodigal son of an oil merchant who consumes
the family fortune pursuing ‘pleasures of the night’. In spite of the heartfelt
concern of his mother and stepfather, Yohei will not give up. Finally cornered
by loan sharks, Yohei begs Okichi, the wife of a fellow oil merchant, for
money. Upon her refusal, Yohei turns into a cruel murderer. Blood and oil
gush in Kabuki’s most spectacular
murder scene.
The Zen Substitute (Migawari Zazen
): a dance comedy
Premiered in 1910
Written by Shiko Okamura
Directed for Cinema Kabuki by Kiyoshi Sekine
Recorded live at Kabuki-za Theatre, Tokyo, 2009
62 minutes
Subtitled in English
Lord Ukyo announces to his wife that he intends to isolate himself in Zen meditation by locking himself in a remote pavilion overnight. The truth, however, is that he is planning to sneak out to see a woman he had met on a recent trip. As a decoy, a hapless servant is forced to stay in the prayer pavilion in place of the lord. Although the lord’s wife is supposed to refrain from visiting her husband out of respect for his religious isolation, she is so monstrously affectionate that she breaks her vow and goes looking for him. This simple domestic farce is elevated to an expression of the joyful energy of life by two of the best dancers of the Kabuki world, Kanzaburo and Mitsugoro.
Hokaibo (a ghostly black comedy)
Premiered in 1784
Written by Shimesuke Nagawa
Directed by Kazuyoshi Kushida
Directed for Cinema Kabuki by Hiroyuki Nakatani
Recorded live at Heisei Nakamura-za Theatre, Asakusa, Tokyo, 2008
150 minutes + 15 minutes intermission
Subtitled in English
Hokaibo is the haunting story of a depraved monk living amidst the din and bustle of the great city of Edo (Tokyo). Pretending to raise funds to rebuild a temple bell, Hokaibo actually spends what money he can collect pursuing women. His mind is turned not to the pious thoughts suitable to a monk, but to fantasies of a life of luxury indulging in his favourite food, drink and pleasures of the flesh. Uncontrollable desire and greed lead him to spying, deceit, theft, and even murder. Hokaibo’s adventures end with his own death; his soul merges with the ghost of a long-suffering princess, creating a powerful and dangerous creature who terrorizes the people of Edo living along the Sumida River under the cherry blossoms.
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