New theatre play opening in Japan inspired by Queen's A Night At The KabukiQ - A Night At The KabukiNODA MAP, Sony Music Publishing (Japan) and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. announce Q - A Night At The KabukiA theatrical interpretation of Queen’s A Night At The Opera To open in Japan from October 8, 2019OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASENEWS PROVIDED BY Queen “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."
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.
“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.”
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 a 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.
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 the official website, below, on August 23rd, 2019. Website: http://
Tokyo Performance: Dates: October 8th, 2019 (Tue) – October 15th, 2019 (Tue) - Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Pricing: ‘S’ tickets: ¥12,000; ‘A’ tickets: ¥8,500; ‘Side Seating’: ¥5,700* 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: http://
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* Promoters: NODA•MAP; Sony Music Entertainment Inc.; Sony Music Publishing Inc. Co-Event Promoter: Kyodo Osaka Inquiries: www.nodamap.com
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* Promoter: Kitakyushu City Foundation for Promoting Arts and Culture
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 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.
Source Queen
June 14, 2019 5:42am ET by Pressparty |