Volume 04, Number 13

Diversions
By Owen Schaefer

He Who Laughs Last...

Odd how some performances can come full circle. Funny even. And if you're not sure what is and isn't funny, perhaps The Last Laugh is the perfect place to start.

The play, which enjoyed a solid run in London's West End, is the story of a playwright attempting to gain the seal of approval for his new comedy from a government censor—a man utterly without a sense of humor. The playwright must take it upon himself to explain why his play is funny.

It's easy to see why The Last Laugh is funny. The touring show is bringing along two fantastic and possibly familiar actors: Martin Freeman, best known for his portrayal of Tim from the BBC's The Office, and Roger Lloyd Pack of Only Fools and Horses fame. But despite its British cast, the play is actually not far from home. The Last Laugh is an adaptation by Richard Harris of a play originally written by Japanese playwright Koki Mitani in 1961 (Warau no Daigaku). And if you think Japanese comedy just doesn't translate, the last laugh is definitely going to be on you.

The Last Laugh (Jul. 11–Jul. 22) Parco Gekijo. Shibuya Station (JR, Metro). ¥8,400. Various times. Tel. 05-7002- 9992.
eplus.jp/lastlaugh

Art of the Urban

Barry McGee likes graffiti. He likes it a lot. At an artist's talk in Tokyo he spent a gleeful hour showing slides of spray-painted walls and explaining the subtle nuances, various forms, and subdividing movements in the insular world of tagging. He spoke about throw-ups and acid-etching, and how to break into bus-shelter advertising (literally).

What McGee did not discuss—not even one word—was his own studio work. His repetitive pattern paintings and bold caricatures have won him fame, but McGee doesn't like art to be pretty or easy. The main gallery hall, almost empty but for his trademark polygon patterns which cover every inch of wall-space, seems something of a wasteland. The other floors are dominated by a jumble of televisions and painted VCRs, multimedia works, wall paintings, humorous robotic sculptures, paintings, and photographs, all of which, together, become something of an indoor urban landscape.

McGee seems determined to bring a little chaos off of the street into the gallery, which is a challenging thing to reach for. Yet at the same time, he is sensitive— even over-sensitive—to the idea of street culture selling out and takes every opportunity to undermine himself and his work, lest he appear too serious. Is graffiti writing as art a challenging idea? Certainly. But I entered this show excited and came away...underwhelmed.

Barry McGee (to Sep. 30) Watarium Museum. Gaienmae Metro Station. ¥1,000. 11am–7pm (Tue. to 9pm) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-3402-3001.
www.watarium.co.jp

The Voice of Cuba

Around the same time that protest songs were gaining popularity among tie-dyed hippies in the United States, a grassroots musical movement called Nueva Trova also began to evolve in Cuba. Combining traditional songs and sounds with politicized lyrics supporting the revolution, Nueva Trova gained the support of the Cuban government, and went on to establish the careers of a number of singers and guitar players who are now cultural icons of Cuban identity.

One of these trovadors is Vicente Feliu, now bringing his guitar and legendary voice to Tokyo as part of the Tokyo Summer Festival. Feliu has composed for television and film, works as president of the Nueva Trova Movement, and promotes cultural exchange between Latin American countries. But most of all, he has a sound that is pure Cuba, and not to be forgotten.

Cuban's Pride Vicente Feliu (Jul. 24) Musashino Civic Cultural Hall. Mitaka JR Station. ¥5,000 (Students
¥3,000). 7pm. Tel. 03-5301-0950. www.arion-edo.org

Listings:

Architecture of Alvaro Siza (to Jul. 28). Exhibition featuring seven of the Portuguese architect's designs, examining them in terms of context and material. Gallery-Ma. Nogizaka Metro Station. Admission free. 11am–6pm (to 7pm Fri.) Closed Sun. and Mon. Tel. 03-3402-1010. www.toto.co.jp/gallerma
“De qui s'agit-il ?” Henri Cartier-Bresson Retrospective (to Aug. 12) Retrospective of work from the Magnum photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo. Takebashi Metro Station. ¥800. 10am–5pm (Fri. to 8pm) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-5777-8600. www.momat.go.jp/english
Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture (to Aug. 13) Work by 40 fashion designers and architects brought together to explore relationships between the two arts. National Art Center Tokyo. Nogizaka Metro Station. ¥1,000. 10am–6pm (to 8pm Fri., closed Tue.) Tel. 03-6812-9900. www.nact.jp
Beauty and Glamor: Ukiyo-e Paintings of Japanese Women from the Otani Collection (to Aug. 19) Colorful Japanese prints of women from the collection. New Otani Art Museum. Nagatacho Metro Station. ¥700. 10am–6pm. Closed Mon. Tel. 03-3221-4111. www.newotani.co.jp/group/museum
Le Corbusier (to Sep. 24) The furniture, paintings, sculptures, and architecture of the renowned Swiss architect, in honor of what would have been his 120th birthday. Mori Art Museum. Roppongi Metro Station. ¥1,200. 10am–10pm. (Fri.–Sun. until midnight, Tue. until 5pm) Tel. 03-6406-6100. www.mori.art.museum
Melting Point (Jul. 21–Oct. 14) Installations from three fantastic artists—Jim Lambie, Ernest Neto, and Kiyomichi Shibuya. Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. Hatsudai Station (Keio Line). ¥1,000. Noon–8pm (to 9pm Fri. and Sat.) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-5353-0756. www.operacity.jp
Patterns of Plants (Jul. 27) Music composed by Mamou Fujieda, generated using bio-electric fluctuations in plants, then played on clavichord by Satoru Sunahara. Jiyugakuen Myunichi-kan. Ikebukuro Station (JR, Metro). ¥3,500. 7pm. Tel. 090-3295-6912. www.milestone-art.com
Dance and Ancient Chants from Ogasawara Islands and Palau (Jul. 31–Aug. 1) Interesting performance shows the crossover of Micronesian and Japanese culture in the Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo Kioi Hall. Yotsuya Station (Metro, JR). ¥4,000–¥5,000. Various times. Tel. 03-5301-0950. www.arion-edo.org