At the Kabuki performance held this month at the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo, 92-year-old Juen Ichikawa, who is the oldest active kabuki actor, performed a gondola ride and became a hot topic. calling.
Juen Ichikawa first stepped on the stage in 1934 and received direct instruction from Ennosuke Ichikawa, the great-grandfather of the current Ennosuke Ichikawa. becomes.
This month, at the performance of "Nuryo Kabuki" being held at the Kabukiza Theater, Juen will appear as the manager of a store along the highway in "Tokaido Naka Hizakurige", and from Ennosuke Ichikawa, who plays Kitahachi, will be 92 years old. When he was introduced as the famous store manager of the age, he was greeted with a big round of applause from the audience.
After that, he turned into a "dove spirit" and turned to the actors and said, "I've seen your grandfathers and great-grandfathers up close, and they were even more amazing. Please pass on this Kabuki to future generations."
Then, he performed “Sora-no-ri,” in which he was lifted into the air on a gondola.
Jusaru-san said that it was his first time to fly in the air, and said, "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't scary. When I glanced at the stage, Ennosuke Wakadanna, Koshiro Wakadanna, and the people in the audience were waving at me. And then my fear was blown away.I will do my best until the end of the year without becoming a corona, not a star."
Ennosuke Ichikawa: "The person seems happy, so that's the best."
Kabuki actor Ennosuke Ichikawa is in charge of the screenplay and production of "Tokaido Naka Hizakurige Yaji Kita Ryu Ritan", in which Juen Ichikawa performs mid-air riding.
In the past, Jusaru-san was in charge of assisting Ennosuke-san's uncle Ichikawa Saruo II in mid-air riding. I think the audience who knew him were surprised. He seemed happy, so I think that was the best thing," he explained about the production this time.
Ennosuke said about Juen, who is 92 years old and rides a gondola, "You can't do business as an actor if you're not healthy, but fortunately, Juen is healthy, active on stage, and still has the desire to take on any challenge. I asked for it.I think that nothing would make me happier than to see someone who is 92 years old and still able to perform on stage, and if I could help the audience even just a little."
Audience "As expected of an actor" "I was impressed"
We interviewed the audience who saw Juen Ichikawa's midair at the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo.
A woman in her 60s said, "I was very surprised because I flew away in a basket. I think it's hard to go to high places if you don't have a strong heart, so I thought you were an actor." .
A 16-year-old female high school student who often watches Kabuki said, "I was moved by the weight of the line, 'Be more diligent,' because Jusaru-san said it. So, I want you to live longer and stand on the Kabukiza stage."
A woman in her 50s who saw this performance for the first time said, "The voice was very strong and I could hear it clearly. I was surprised to see the gondola fly away, but it was an interesting production and it was very good." I was.