Kei’un-kai INI Gala Recital 2016 Celebrating Udaka Michishige’s 70th birthday

Place: Kongō Noh Theatre

Date: 21 August 2016 Time: from 09:00 until 17:00

Entrance Free of Charge

This year’s Kei’un-kai INI Gala Recital (21 August 2016 from 09:00) celebrates the 70th birthday of our teacher and leader, Kongō School Master-Actor Udaka Michishige. In the Sino-Japanese tradition, the 70th birthday is considered a special event, to be celebrated in style. Its name (古稀 koki), derives from a poem by Chinese literate Tufu (Toho, 杜甫, in Japanese): jinsei nanaju korai mare nari (人生七十古来稀なり), meaning that in those days it was rare to reach the age of seventy.

The event features various performances, including two full plays, Hagoromo and Sesshōseki, nyotai variant; two maibayashi dance and chant excerpts with musical accompaniment,  Tomoe and Yamanba; as well as numerous chant and solo dance pieces. See the program below.

This year the INI will be represented by Senior Director Rebecca Teele Ogamo, singing in a rengin excerpt from the noh Hanjo, and Junior Director Diego Pellecchia, performing the shimai solo dance excerpt from the play Kurama Tengu. Pellecchia will also sing in various choruses for other performances. INI Summer Intensive Program 2016 participants Monica Alcantar, Regina Toon, and Lisa Swinbanks will also perform shimai dances.

Monique Arnaud. Maibayashi: Tsurukame

Rebecca Teele. Noh: Nonomiya

Diego Pellecchia. Noh: Kiyotsune

Cristina Picelli Shimai: Kiyotsune – kuse.

Noh: Funa Benkei – Shiranami no den. Shite: Higaki Toshifumi

Elaine Czech

Maibayashi: Toru. Shite: Diego Pellecchia

Kei’un-kai INI Gala Recital 21st August 2016
Kongo Noh Theatre, Kyoto
PROGRAM

09:00
Kami-uta (recitation of the ritual performance Okina)
Su-utai (solo chant of a full play): Shunkan
10:00
Rengin (chant excerpt): Hashi-Benkei
10:25
Shimai (dance excerpt with chant): Oimatsu; Yuya; Shōjō (performed by the INI 2016 Summer Program Participants)
10:40
Shimai: Atsumori (kuse); Kokaji (kiri); Tsurukame; Tsunemasa; Chikubushima; Yuki; Ashikari; Koma no Dan; Makura-jidō.
11:25
Maibayashi (dance excerpt with chant and music): Tomoe (Itō Yūki)
Bangai shimai (performed by professional actors): Tama no dan (Udaka Norishige); Tanikō (Udaka Tatsushige)
12:00
Noh: Hagoromo (Hirasawa Yumiko)
13:20
Maibayashi: Yamamba (Chiba Mariko)
13:50
Rengin: Hanjō

Bangai shimai: Kumasaka (Udaka Michishige)
14:20
Noh: Sesshōseki – Nyotai (Kurochiku Tokindo)
15:50
Shimai: Kurama Tengu; Izutsu; Yorobōshi; Uta-ura (kuse); Himuro; Hanagatami; Kayoi Komachi; Uta-ura (kiri); Aoinoue; Shokun.

Ending time: 17:00