Kabuki is highly stylised classical Japanese dance-drama. The word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary." So. kabuki can be interpreted to mean "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre.
A few friends and I ventured to the historic Kabuki-za theater in the Ginza district of Tokyo to see the short act of February's afternoon performance. Now that I've experienced it, I'd have to agree it is a tad bizarre. But I knew it would be different going into it. And I really enjoyed it. (Thanks to the English headsets, I could actually understand it.) Kabuki-za theater opened in 1889, and sadly, the plan is to demolish it after this year and rebuild a new theater that can withstand earthquakes and provide more accessibility. I guess those are valid reasons at least.
I feel lucky to have procrastinated enough to enjoy seeing a "sayonara" performance during this historic year. And in case you were wondering, it's purely coincidental that 2009 happens to also be the year we Norwoods say "Farewell" to Japan. But I'd say it's historic nonetheless. And maybe you think we can be a little bizarre in a dramatic sort of way, too.
1 comment:
Oh, I am so sad they are going to knock it down. And I'm glad you, Mimi, and your other friends had a chance to see a performance in the historic theater.
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