Review: Ernest in Love - Tsukigumi 2005
May. 10th, 2009 08:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
masahiOriginally written 12/07/07
Summary: An adaptation of the 1960s off-broadway musical, which is itself based on The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
Really, what stunned me most when watching this show was the fact that Sena Jun (Asako) went from playing Elisabeth to Jack Worthing in the matter of two months. And she not only did it, but she did it with flawless brilliance. As Elisabeth, she's one of the few strong versions of Elisabeth played in Japanese theatre, and in this, she was the somewhat bumbling, melodramatic drama-Prince that is Jack Worthing and she had me nearly crying with laughter.
The first scene with Jack and Gwendolyn trying to discreetly sidle up to each other while Algie distracts Lady Bracknell while they both giggle was adorable, and it only got worse with the proposal sequence, when Jack chases Gwendolyn across the stage on one knee. I absolutely adored it :)
The double-act between her and Kiriya Hiromu as Algie was brilliant, and they simply have a chemistry that can't be forced, so natural and so willing and able to play off their co-star. Plus, the fact that both of them said that their favourite characters to play are those two says a lot about it, really.
And to be honest, the little moments, when they weren't even doing or saying anything particular were great. Random swats, nudges, thumbs ups, eyerolls and the like were hilarious, and I'll admit I was shaking with laughter in the final scene when Jack finds out who he is and ends up chasing the shrieking Miss Prism around the stage :D And the hug! When both of them are suspiciously looking each other over, then suddenly go "OMG MY BROTHER!" and glomp each other! :D
And yet, they gave the musumeyakus almost equal stage-time as well, which is rare, and they matched the Otokoyakus for sheer comedy timing. Ayano Kaname was a lovely Gwendolyn with Shirosaki Ai as her younger counterpart, Cecily.
They played well against not only each other, but against their opposing Otokoyakus as well, and their first encounter and discovery that they are both engaged to Ernest was hilarious :) The resulting cat-fight by ladies in full Victorian dress was priceless.
Izumo Aya played a Lady Bracknell to rival Judi Dench in the recent film, with attitude and presence enough to make Asako flail and back away.
On the whole, the cast was as brilliant as is to be expected.
Admittedly, despite being the Importance of Being Ernest in musical form and with the typical European look, there were the moments of pure, Japanese silliness, like the Handbag song featuring Jack dressed up as an oversized baby, complete with bib, bonnet and rattle. Cute, but ever so silly. Plus, as with almost every Zuka show, the two musumeyakus ended up in submissive-female pose in front of the otokoyakus.
Still, its so much wacky fun. You don't need to understand what they're saying to get the gist and the acting is so very much worth it :) And I really, really, really need icons of Algie and Jack, because best. double. act. ever. (in a brotherly-sense. In a sizzling-chemistry sense, I would have Osa and Asa for that)
Summary: An adaptation of the 1960s off-broadway musical, which is itself based on The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
Really, what stunned me most when watching this show was the fact that Sena Jun (Asako) went from playing Elisabeth to Jack Worthing in the matter of two months. And she not only did it, but she did it with flawless brilliance. As Elisabeth, she's one of the few strong versions of Elisabeth played in Japanese theatre, and in this, she was the somewhat bumbling, melodramatic drama-Prince that is Jack Worthing and she had me nearly crying with laughter.
The first scene with Jack and Gwendolyn trying to discreetly sidle up to each other while Algie distracts Lady Bracknell while they both giggle was adorable, and it only got worse with the proposal sequence, when Jack chases Gwendolyn across the stage on one knee. I absolutely adored it :)
The double-act between her and Kiriya Hiromu as Algie was brilliant, and they simply have a chemistry that can't be forced, so natural and so willing and able to play off their co-star. Plus, the fact that both of them said that their favourite characters to play are those two says a lot about it, really.
And to be honest, the little moments, when they weren't even doing or saying anything particular were great. Random swats, nudges, thumbs ups, eyerolls and the like were hilarious, and I'll admit I was shaking with laughter in the final scene when Jack finds out who he is and ends up chasing the shrieking Miss Prism around the stage :D And the hug! When both of them are suspiciously looking each other over, then suddenly go "OMG MY BROTHER!" and glomp each other! :D
And yet, they gave the musumeyakus almost equal stage-time as well, which is rare, and they matched the Otokoyakus for sheer comedy timing. Ayano Kaname was a lovely Gwendolyn with Shirosaki Ai as her younger counterpart, Cecily.
They played well against not only each other, but against their opposing Otokoyakus as well, and their first encounter and discovery that they are both engaged to Ernest was hilarious :) The resulting cat-fight by ladies in full Victorian dress was priceless.
Izumo Aya played a Lady Bracknell to rival Judi Dench in the recent film, with attitude and presence enough to make Asako flail and back away.
On the whole, the cast was as brilliant as is to be expected.
Admittedly, despite being the Importance of Being Ernest in musical form and with the typical European look, there were the moments of pure, Japanese silliness, like the Handbag song featuring Jack dressed up as an oversized baby, complete with bib, bonnet and rattle. Cute, but ever so silly. Plus, as with almost every Zuka show, the two musumeyakus ended up in submissive-female pose in front of the otokoyakus.
Still, its so much wacky fun. You don't need to understand what they're saying to get the gist and the acting is so very much worth it :) And I really, really, really need icons of Algie and Jack, because best. double. act. ever. (in a brotherly-sense. In a sizzling-chemistry sense, I would have Osa and Asa for that)
