Press Release: ANATO/Kabuki/Timeline

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NODA MAP, Sony Music Publishing and Sony Music Entertainment Inc. 
announce 

Q – A Night At The Kabuki 
A theatrical interpretation of Queen’s A Night At The Opera
To open in Japan from October 8, 2019.

“It is the end of the 12th century in medieval Japan, and the Age of the Samurai
is about to begin…”
And that Queen song starts to play.

Sony Music Entertainment Inc. and Sony Music Publishing Inc. in partnership with NODA•MAP, an independent theater production company led by writer/director Hideki Noda, has for its 23rd new theatrical work announced a new play Q – A Night At The Kabuki, inspired by legendary rock band Queen’s album A Night At The Opera. The production is scheduled for performances in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kitakyushu, starting October 8th, 2019.

Initially conceived almost 2 years ago, the production was born out of the desire to explore and bring the dramatic world of A Night at the Opera, which includes Bohemian Rhapsody, to life on stage in a theatrical setting. With permission and support from Queen, who have a fond relationship with Japan, this production will feature all of the songs in A Night At the Opera, and is officially endorsed by Queen. 

The origins of the production start with Sony Music Publishing Inc., which in its role of managing Queen’s already significant reach and presence in Japan came up with the idea for a theatrical adaptation of the 1975 rock masterpiece A Night at the Opera and to create a play that explores and expands on the world presented in the album.

Titled A Night At The Kabuki in a nod to its conception, development, and setting in Japan, and inspired not by individual songs but by the worldview presented in the album as a whole, the idea was pitched to Queen and began to be developed in earnest when Queen indicated interest. Once achieved, acclaimed writer, director, and actor Hideki Noda was approached to develop and produce the project, and after extensive discussions about the creative ideas and direction with Queen, it was confirmed that it would be presented by NODA•MAP as its 23rd new work.

Says Queen’s Brian May

“We are thrilled and honoured that legendary playwright and director Hideki Noda has chosen to expand on the theatrical aspect of Queen’s album A Night at The Opera and actually make it into a real live play.

“How wonderful to be a part of Japanese culture after all these years with what promises to be a new chapter in theatre history in this first year of the new Reiwa era.”

Q – A Night At The Kabuki has its beginnings in the original “Romeo and Juliet” story set in 14th century Verona Italy. In that story, despite their two families being sworn enemies, Romeo, the only son of the Montage family and Juliet, the only daughter of the Capulet family, falls in love and secretly ties the knot. In order to be together against all odds, Juliet fakes her death by taking a drug that will put her into a deathlike coma. Having not been informed properly, Romeo believes Juliet has actually died and drinks real poison in front of the Capulet crypt where Juliet lies. Juliet then awakens and, discovering that Romeo is dead, stabs herself with his dagger and joins him in death. 

But…, what if Romeo and Juliet, the two young star-crossed lovers, were actually alive??

In fact, two “Romeo’s” and two “Juliet’s” will appear in “Q” telling both the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet with the story of Romeo and Juliet that lived on.In the past, writer, director Noda has pushed the boundaries of theatre by attempting fearless remixes on classics such as Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” and Ango Sakaguchi’s “In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom” and “Yonaga-home to Mimi-otoko (Princess Long Night and Ear Man)”. With “Q” he has taken that same approach even further. The story is so unpredictable; it might come as a shock to even William Shakespeare himself.

The casting of Takako Matsu, Takaya Kamikawa, Suzu Hirose, Jun Shison as the “four” Romeo’s and Juliet’s is a dream team of cast that nobody thought would be possible to bring together. The play will also feature Satoshi Hashimoto, Kazushige Komatsu, Kayo Ise, Aki Hano, Naoto Takenaka, and Hideki Noda himself. A total of 10 thespians from different generations and career paths will come together.

SCHEDULE DETAILS 

Q – A Night At The Kabuki 
Development and Production: NODA•MAP, Sony Music Entertainment Inc., Sony Music Publishing Inc. 

Tickets on sale from September 7th (Saturday) nationwide.

*’Day of’ tickets will be available for all performances. Please check the venues for more information.

*Highshool Student Discount: ¥1,000 (All assigned seating, tax included; discount tickets must be purchased in advance; Student ID required). 

Details regarding ticket sales to be posted on official website, below, on August 23rd, 2019. 

Website: https://www.nodamap.com

Performances:

Tokyo Performance: 
Dates: 
October 8th 2019 (Tue) – October 15th 2019 (Tue) Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
November 9th 2019 (Sat) – December 11th 2019 (Wed) Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
Pricing: ‘S’ tickets: ¥12,000; ‘A’ tickets: ¥8,500; ‘Side Seating’: ¥5,700*
*’Side Seating’ available for people 25 years of age or under for ¥3,000
Promoters: NODA•MAP; Sony Music Entertainment Inc.; Sony Music Publishing Inc.
Co-Promoters: Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) [featured in the Tokyo Festival 2019 in Toshima City, ‘Cultural City of East Asia 2019’]

Inquiries: https://www.nodamap.com

Osaka Performance: 
Dates:
October 19th 2019 (Sat) – October 27th 2019 (Sun) Shin Kabuki-za
Pricing: 
‘S’ tickets: ¥12,000; ‘A’ tickets: ¥8,500; ‘Side Seating’: ¥5,700* *’Side Seating’ available for people 25 years of age or under for ¥3,000 
Promoters: NODA•MAP; Sony Music Entertainment Inc.; Sony Music Publishing Inc.
Co-Event Promoter: Kyodo Osaka 
Inquiries: https://www.nodamap.com
Kyodo Information: http://www.kyodo-osaka.co.jp

Kitakyushu Performance: 
Dates: 
October 31st 2019 (Thu) – November 4th 2019 (Mon) Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center 
Pricing:
‘S’ tickets: ¥12,000; ‘A’ tickets: ¥8,500; ‘Side Seating’: ¥5,700* *’Side Seating’ available for people 25 years of age or under for ¥3,000 at theater box office.
Promoter: Kitakyushu City Foundation for Promoting Arts and Culture
Co-Promoter: City of Kitakyushu
Inquiries: Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center TEL: 093-562-2655 http://q-geki.jp/

* * * * 

QUEEN 
QUEEN was formed by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon and made their debut in the UK in 1973. With their innovating songwriting and arrangements and groundbreaking live shows they went on to achieve global success. Since the untimely passing of Freddie Mercury in 1991, Brian May and Roger Taylor have been carrying on the QUEEN legacy. 

NODA•MAP 
NODA•MAP is an independent theater production company founded in 1993 by acclaimed writer, director, and actor Hideki Noda, who currently serves as the artistic director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (appointed in 2009), and is a professor in the Department of Moving Images and Performing Arts at the Tama Art University. Previous productions include Kill, Pandora’s Bell, Oil, The Bee, Piper, The Character, South, Egg, Gekirin, Masterpiece – In the Forrest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom, and many more. Noda also collaborated with the esteemed Kabuki actor Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII, adapting, directing and producing modern takes on Kabuki classics including Noda Ban Togitatsu No Utare (Togitatsu’s Revenge, Noda Version), Noda Ban Nezumi Kozo (Nezumi Kozo, Noda Version), as well as a modern Kabuki adaptation of Verdi’s Aida, Noda Ban Aidahime (Princess Aida, Noda Version), set in the Sengoku period Japan. Noda has also worked with many foreign actors and artists, and as the internationally renowned standard-bearer of Japanese theater, continues to create ground-breaking works, appreciated by domestic and international audiences alike.