Volume 04, Number 19

Diversions
By Owen Schaefer

Homoki's Figaro returns

Among overtures, few can match the gambolling, building energy of Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro (otherwise known as The Marriage of Figaro.) It is a masterwork, which has, over the years, become sewn into the pop-consciousness of nearly everyone—even those who have never attended an opera. Between the comedy and wonderful madness of Lorenzo Da Ponte's libretto and Mozart's incredible score, it's a perfect show for opera lovers and the uninitiated alike.

This autumn production from the New National Theatre Tokyo (NNTT) is the Andreas Homoki production.

Homoki is the general director of Berlin's Komische Oper, and a general eyebrow-raiser in the opera world. Homoki produced the initial run of the New National Theatre's production of Le Nozze Di Figaro in 2003, and earned plenty of praise for his bold, if somewhat unorthodox, approach. He puts a strong emphasis on the various personalities of the show and their relationships to one another, as well as what he considers the “collapse of order” inherent in the libretto tale.

The new NNTT production features Lorenzo Regazzo as Figaro and Laura Giordano as Susanna, along with Maija Kovalevska and the very talented young baritone, Detlef Roth, all under the baton of Numajiri Ryusuke. The cast is at least equal to the last, and likely to be better. The overture, after all, is only the beginning.

The Marriage of Figaro (Oct. 18–27) New National Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai Station (Keio Line). ¥1,500–¥21,000. Various times. Tel. 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac.go.jp

An Elephant on the Stage

In true Victorian manner, more superstition than science, Joseph Merrick believed the disorder which terribly disfigured him from the age of five, had been caused when his mother was frightened by an elephant while pregnant. Despite the fact that elephants most certainly had nothing to do with it, Merrick would go on to be better known as the Elephant Man—a man who worked the circus freak circuit before going on to charm some of the highest levels of the British aristocracy, including Queen Victoria herself. The whimsical, almost totemic, nature of his belief about his origins exposes the layers of medical misunderstanding that were floating around in the Victorian era, adding to the fear and curiosity that his appearance inspired in people.

Merrick's story touches on some deep-rooted human instincts: the tendency to fear that which is different, and the need to be accepted. Merrick passed away in 1890 at the age of 23, after a lifetime of being paraded on and off stages for circus patrons, medical students and the well-to-do of Victorian socialites. But in 1979, Bernard Pomerance put the Elephant Man on a different sort of stage.

He wrote a Broadway musical, which looked at the man's life with humanity, humor and respect.

On the weekend of October 12 to 14, Tokyo International Players open their 111th season with Pomerance's renowned play. Calling it a production ‘in sepia tones,' the performance will use costumes and lighting to draw attention to the time period that is so crucial to the story—a time period in which the sight of a deformed man could cause panic. Local talent Bob Werley from Spinshell. TV plays the sensitive and challenging lead, and Noel Adams and Rachel Walzer, two TIP veterans (or as veteran as the frequently changing members get) perform as Dr. Frederick Treves and Mrs. Madge Kendal.

Whether or not the action appears in sepia, this is a story with a blood-red heart, and an opportunity to see something very different in Tokyo.

The Elephant Man (Oct. 12–14) Shinjuku Sunmall Theatre. Shinjuku-Gyoenmae Metro Station. ¥4,000. 7:30pm. (Sat. and Sun. matinees at 2pm.) Tel. 090- 6009-4171. Email: boxoffice@tokyoplayers.org www.tokyoplayers.org

Cézanne divided by four

Cézanne once wrote in a letter, “I want to make of impressionism something solid and lasting like the art in the museums,” and, good to his word, he did. Throughout his life, Cézanne moved through a number of attempts to recreate the perceived world on canvas in a way that would be new and lasting, moving from impressionism toward post-impressionism, and taking all of art history with him.

The Bridgestone Museum of Art is presenting 29 works from their impressive collection, entitled Cézanne Four Attractions. The “attractions” refer to the subjects which appear in a great number of Cézanne paintings—landscapes, human figures and portraits, still-lifes, and classical-style bathing scenes.

Nineteen works by Cézanne will compare the differing styles that he worked through during the various phases of his career, by juxtaposing paintings on similar topics from different time periods.

And for breadth, the exhibition includes several paintings by artists who were influenced by Cézanne, including Picasso, who is credited with having called Cézanne “the father of us all.”

Cézanne Four Attractions (Oct. 6–Nov. 25) Bridgestone Museum of Art. Tokyo Station (JR, Metro). ¥800. 10am–8pm. (Sun. to 6pm.) Tel. 03-3563-0241. www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp

Listings:

Barry McGee (to Sep. 30) Graffiti and sculptural works by San Francisco artist also known as “Twist.” Watarium Museum. Gaienmae Metro Station. ¥1,000. 11am–7pm. (Tue. to 9pm.) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-3402-3001. www.watarium.co.jp
Cubism in Asia: Unbounded Dialogues (to Oct. 2) Exhibition of 120 Asian works influenced by cubism, traveling through Paris, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo. National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo. Takebashi Metro Station. ¥650. 10am–5pm. (Fri. to 8pm.) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-5777-8600. www.momat.go.jp
Melting Point (to Oct. 14) Installations from three artists, Jim Lambie, Ernest Neto and Kiyomichi Shibuya. Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. Hatsudai Station (Keio Line). ¥900. 11am– 7pm. (to 8pm. Fri. and Sat.) Closed Mon. Tel. 09-5353-0756. www.operacity.jp
Ikuo Hirayama: A Retrospective Pilgrimage for Peace (to Oct. 21) Retrospective of works by the celebrated painter and activist. National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo. Takebashi Metro Station. ¥1,300. 10am–5pm. (Fri. to 8pm.) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-5777-8600. www.momat.go.jp
Zen Treasures from the Kyoto Gozan Temples (to Nov. 9) Some of the most important Zen works collected under one roof. Tokyo National Museum. Ueno Station (JR, Metro). ¥1,500. 9:30am–5pm. (Fri. to 8pm. Closed Mon.) Tel. 03-3822-1111. www.tnm.jp
A World of Stage: Russian designs for theater, opera and dance (to Nov. 17) Paintings, costumes and photographs from the glory period of the Ballets Russes. Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. Meguro Station. ¥1,000. 10am–6pm. Closed Wed. Tel. 03-3443-8500. www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp
Gifts from the World of Dreams : Georges Rouault, Odilon Redon, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Tetsuro Komai (to Dec. 2) Paintings of the strange and dreamlike, from four masters of the mood. Setagaya Art Museum. Yoga Station (Tokyu Denentoshi Line). 10am–6pm. Closed Mon. Tel. 03-3415-6011. www.setagayaartmuseum.or.jp
MOT-Bloomberg: Public ‘Space’ Project (to Jan. 20) Single large-scale installment by Kengo Kito outside of the museum. Museum of Contemporary Art. Kiba Metro Station. Free. 10am–6pm. Closed Monday Tel. 03-5245-4111. www.mot-art-museum.jp
Uzbekistan Film Festival 2007 (Sep. 27–Oct. 7) Ten films from the surprisingly vibrant Uzbek film industry. National Film Center. Kyobashi Metro Station. ¥500 per film. Various times. Tel. 03-3561-0823. www.momat.go.jp
The Marriage of Figaro (Oct. 18–27) Mozart’s comic masterpiece of opera. New National Theatre. Hatsudai Station (Keio Line). ¥3,150–¥21,000. Various times. Tel. 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac.go.jp