Norton Simon Museum to present two Kabuki plays, May 11, 7:00 pm
Dreams of the Floating Life: Kabuki Dramas
Date : Friday, May 11
Time : 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Host : Nakamura Gankyo of the U.S. Kabuki Ken Kyu Kai
Type : Dance Performance
In commemoration of the centennial of the gift of over 3,000 cherry trees from Japan to the United States, and in conjunction with the exhibition Lessons of the Cherry Blossom: Japanese Woodblock Prints, the Norton Simon Museum presents Dreams of the Floating Life: Kabuki Dramas.
Nakamura Gankyo of the U.S. Kabuki Ken Kyu Kai performs two Edo-period (1615–1868) Kabuki dance dramas: Onatsu kyoran and Echigo Jishi.
Onatsu kyoran (Plight of Onatsu) is based on a 17th-century story about the forbidden romance between Seijuro, a lowly store clerk, and Onatsu, the storekeeper’s daughter.
Echigo Jishi (Lion of Echigo) is an upbeat dance drama showcasing shishi mai (lion dances) and the Japanese version of tap dance, in which performers wear ippon-geta (wooden-riser clogs).
The performances are accompanied by a nagauta music ensemble, featuring Kineya Yasoyo II and Katada Kikusa.
Presented in the Norton Simon Museum’s theater. Stickers for ensured seating will be distributed starting at 6:00 p.m.
