Internationally acclaimed Japanese musical inspired by Threepenny Opera returns to NYC.
January 21 - 26 at HERE
"Mordant humor, catchy, poppy songs… Performed with full-tilt commitment and unusual discipline by the Ryuzanji Company, the show, directed by Saori Aoki with little flourishes of the grotesque, has rowdy, propulsive energy." -- The New York Times
4 Stars. "Its bold concept provides ingredients for a well-balanced Brechtfast. Performed excitingly with a neo-Kabuki flair… the climax will haunt you on your way out." -- Time Out
Critic's score: A-. "A madcap mixture of Japanese ghost stories and Weimar cabaret… The players perform a seemingly impossible balancing act, remaining completely committed while winking at the audience, bringing them in on the fun." -- Backstage
"Delightfully overwhelming from start to finish, this spectacle-driven production is an hour and change well spent… Spooky and aesthetically delicious." -- Theater is Easy
"Brilliantly reflects the original Brecht-based classic for our times, complete with lively singing and colorful kimonos." -- TheaterMania
Japan's Ryuzanji Company brings its internationally acclaimed avant-garde musical HANAFUDI DENKI - THE DANCE OF DEATH back to New York for a limited engagement. After an early January run in Montreal, performances begin January 21 at HERE in SoHo.
HANAFUDI DENKI - THE DANCE OF DEATH is high-voltage Japanese underground musical based on Threepenny Opera, set in a funeral parlor in Tokyo during World War I. In it, a dead girl who loves a living boy adventures between two worlds - the dead and the living. The play's creator, Shuji Terayama once said, “Humans are incomplete cadavers”, and this work is heavily tinged with this sentiment. It's a thought-provoking meditation on how we view death and life.
Ryuzanji Company originally toured Hanafuda Denki in 2012, receiving an Overall Excellence Award at the New York International Fringe Festival and a Pick of the Fringe Award at the Victoria Fringe Festival. Ryuzanji Company is a world famous Tokyo underground theatre company that has performed in 33 cities worldwide, including Cairo, Seoul, Taipei, Moscow, and Toronto.
HANAFUDI DENKI - THE DANCE OF DEATH was written by avant garde master Shuji Terayama (1935-1983). Under Artistic Director Show Ryuzanji, the production features direction, sets, costumes and makeup by Saori Aoki, music by Makoto Honda, choreography by Daiko Ishimaru, English translation by Claire Tanaka, lighting by ROMI and Etsuo Yamagami, and sound by Nanaho Unebe. It stars Hiroko Ito, IWAO, Munekazu Tani, Kazuhiko Satomi, Naomi Hirano, Takuya Kigure, Kanami Sakai, Naoya Yamashita, Rina Yamamaru, Sanshiro Goto, Makoto Honda, and Show Ryuzanji.
This production is a part of the Sublet Series@HERE, HERE's curated rental program, which provides artist with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support. It is also supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan and cosponsored by Crossing Jamaica Avenue.
HANAFUDI DENKI - THE DANCE OF DEATH runs January 21 - 26, Tuesday - Friday at 8:30pm, Saturday at 4pm & 8:30pm and Sunday at 4pm. HERE Arts Center is located at 145 Avenue of Americas at Dominick Street, one block south of Spring Street (accessible from the C,E trains at Spring Street). The box office is open after 5pm on show days or 2 hours before any performance. Tickets are $25 / $20 for students & seniors, available at 212-352-3101 or www.here.org.
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