Weekly Column Kanda This and That 321
Column
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I went to see a musical. The program was “Les Misérables,” which I wanted to see for a long time (at the Imperial Theater). It was amazing! I heard the cry of the soul in the singing voice of the actors and felt life force in their dancing. I hadn’t felt that kind of direct sensation for a long time. I was surprised all the time by the stage sets which continued to expand even on the small stage. I really felt that musicals are composite art. It was the first time for me to see a musical in 12 years. I didn’t have a chance to see a musical for a while after getting married because I was hesitant to so since my mother-in-law who was living with us, and after that, when I started to take care of her, I didn’t feel like going to see a musical. The time went by…. This time I finally had an opportunity to go see a musical for celebrating my husband’s birthday. Thus, I have seen all the four greatest world musicals (the others are “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats,” and “Miss Saigon”). I remember that around 1993 I spent a whole day to see “Miss Saigon,” starring Minako Honda (she was great), at the Imperial Theater, coming from Takasaki, my hometown, by train. This time I just rode a bike to the theater…. I may go see Miss Saigon again, which is scheduled to come back to the theater next year. This time, by bicycle.
*The information herein is as of June 2019.
