{"id":605,"date":"2017-10-30T20:58:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T02:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/?p=605"},"modified":"2021-01-09T22:39:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-10T05:39:59","slug":"azure-moment-roundtable-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/2017\/10\/30\/azure-moment-roundtable-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"Azure Moment roundtable talk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is a discussion with the scriptwriter\/director of Azure Moment, Harada Ryou, and the three stars of the show: Miya Rurika, Tsukishiro Kanato, and Umino Mitsuki. It took place during rehearsals, shortly before the opening of the production, and was published in the May 2017 Kageki<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note: due to the nature of this feature there are some spoilers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Azure Moment roundtable talk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants: Harada Ryou, Miya Rurika, Tsukishiro Kanato, Umino Mitsuki<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0When I was informed I would be writing a show to star Miya Rurika-san, I thought right away that the Count of St.-Germaine would make a good subject. I already had a great deal of personal interest in the Count, and he\u2019s a mysterious figure who appeared at many events in European history. On the one hand, he\u2019s called an immortal magician or an alchemist, but he\u2019s also known as a fraudulent imposter so there\u2019s a lot of mystery there. Miya-chan is a very unique presence in Takarazuka, and she\u2019s used her own unique charm, beauty, and allure in a wide variety of roles; each character seems completely new. I saw a link between Miya-chan\u2019s allure and the St.-Germaine I had been imagining. In this show, she\u2019ll play a fictitious character, Simon, who poses as St.-Germaine in the setting of the French Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miya:<\/em>\u00a0Thank you very much. When I first heard I would have a solo lead show I was delighted, and I also thought it was excellent timing since I\u2019d had so many different experiences and thus would be able to challenge myself to show everyone a new side of myself that hadn\u2019t been seen before. When watching Director Harada\u2019s shows, no matter what I\u2019m really pulled into the world of the story, and I could tell he is a really strong storyteller, so I\u2019m very happy to be in one of his shows for the first time. And with new Moon Troupe member Reiko (Tsukishiro). (Taps Tsukishiro on the shoulder)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsukishiro:<\/em>\u00a0\u2026Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0Still a brand new \u2018transfer student\u2019, I see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miya:<\/em>\u00a0But even when you were in Snow Troupe, we\u2019d talk a lot when you came to shows and such – because of your classmate Aasa (Asami). She\u2019d act all nervous even then (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsukishiro:<\/em>\u00a0I was nervous (laughs). I really like Miya-san\u2019s performances. I\u2019d never dreamed I would end up in the same troupe with someone I held a one-sided admiration for and tried to start conversations with, or that I\u2019d have a chance to perform with her like this. I\u2019m really happy, but also like, ‘get it together, girl!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All:<\/em>\u00a0(laugh)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miya:<\/em>\u00a0I felt a lot of depth from Reiko\u2019s performances, and so I thought ‘she muse love acting a lot\u2026\u2019 You\u2019re a very mature and reliable otokoyaku, and of course great aesthetically as well. I was really looking forward to acting together in this show. In Grand Hotel, Umichan (Umino) went all-out with the acting, and since she\u2019s had a wide variety of experiences, I think her appeal might be blossoming most right now. And considering the other members of the cast, I think I\u2019m really blessed to perform together with all these people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0Today in rehearsal we tried going through the full first act, and it was really interesting to see all the various characters becoming more defined, wasn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsukishiro:<\/em>\u00a0In the rehearsals, everyone was really quick to get a grasp on the characters, and right now we\u2019re all working hard to complete that process. This is my first time participating in one of Director Harada\u2019s shows since\u00a0All Capone<\/em>; that was a show that made me re-examine myself and I really loved it. at the time I thought ‘sometime when I get better I\u2019d like to be on another of his shows\u2019 so right now I\u2019m like ‘to think my dream would come true this soon!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umino:<\/em>\u00a0I have a close relationship with Ruri-san (Miya), so I\u2019m really happe to perform with her in her lead show. I\u2019ve had several chances to speak with Tsukishiro-san due to my classmate Towaki, so since I\u2019m pretty shy she\u2019s one of the few non-Moon Troupe people I would talk to. And when seeing Director Harada\u2019s other shows\u00a0Spring Thunder<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Al Capone<\/em>\u00a0I thought ‘he really makes wonderful shows\u2026\u2019 I\u2019m honored to work together with so many people I like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0Thank you. Now, why don\u2019t you all say a bit about the direction your character creation is taking currently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miya:<\/em>\u00a0Simon is a travelling entertainer who gets tired of that life and runs away from the troupe with Jacques, Reiko\u2019s character. Through chance, he begins posing as ‘St.-Germaine\u2019, and as things go on he is half motivated by the fun of it and half by a desire for riches, but gradually the distance between himself and ‘St.-Germaine\u2019 decreases, until ‘St.-Germaine\u2019 takes over Simon entirely. I\u2019ve discovered for myself how difficult it is to layer another act on top of the first performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0Takarasiennes take on a performance identity under a stage name to become an otokoyaku or musumeyaku, so though they have 2 or 3 layers of identity it is always the same allure. But I feel there must be certain situations where the stage identity goes further than one would personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miya:<\/em>\u00a0Definitely, there are a lot of times where I think I have to conform to ‘the public image of Miya Rurika\u2019 or ‘the Miyaruri the fans want to see\u2019, or juse make unconscious adjustments along those lines. I hope to create a character that utilizes those concepts skilfully. Also, I feel like I have to produce a lot of ‘energy\u2019 for this role. I want to really create Simon\u2019s ‘energy\u2019 as he keeps moving forward, caught between his connection to Jacques and Umi-chan\u2019s character Ademar on the one side, and people\u2019s belief in ‘St.-Germaine\u2019 on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsukishiro:<\/em>\u00a0As Simon keeps progressing on his own path, Jacques begins to think something is wrong and joins Robespierre as a participant in the National Assembly. I want to properly convey that change of heart to the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0Their feeling aren\u2019t completely opposite, but with that said it\u2019s not as if they\u2019re of one mind. My hope is that they will continue to grow as people through the twists and turns of the story until it reaches its final climax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsukishiro:<\/em>\u00a0Yes. I want to convincingly show the process by which travelling entertainer Jacques becomes part of the French Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0While Jacques participates in the National Assembly, it doesn\u2019t follow that he\u2019s completely comfortable. Though he said very harsh things to Simon, his friendship for him hasn\u2019t been completely discarded; he still has some feelings for him, right? And what about Ademar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umino:<\/em>\u00a0Ademar\u2019s parents both lost their lives because of the nobility, so she fosters a strong hatred for the aristocrats. After Simon and Jacques, who she was as close with as family, suddenly vanish, she\u2019s terribly sad, but right then she\u2019s given a change to join the palace ballet troupe and is shockingly reunited with them. As she comes to know the changed Simon, now posing as ‘St.-Germaine\u2019, as well as the truth about Marie Antoinette, her feelings change there as do her feelings for Simon. I want to emphasize her strong bonds with Simon and Jacques as I work on the character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:<\/em>\u00a0In this story, I didn\u2019t want to write a stereotypical romance play, but rather explore the personal bonds between the three main characters. After beginning to pose as ‘St.-Germaine\u2019, Simon gradually goes beyond his original intentions, becoming monstrous Count of St.-Germaine. And what, in the end, did he have left? I want this play to really convey that idea. I asked Art Director Matsui Rumi to incorporate the spiral stairs of the Chateau de Chambord, a French castle where St.-Germaine was said to have lived, into the design of the production. The music was all composed for us by Tama Shouichi. As for the choreography, the play\u2019s choreography was done by Masaki Rino, and the finale portion by Rachi Shinji1<\/sup>, who also works as an actor himself. Finally, why don\u2019t you each say a little about your feelings leading up to the opening to the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umino:<\/em>\u00a0I\u2019ve really gotten a feeling for the atmosphere of the show through the design of the set and those steep stairs. I want to put my imagination to work as I build my character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsukishiro:<\/em>\u00a0I\u2019m looking forward to being in my first Moon Troupe show, and I\u2019ll do my best so that everyone will acept me. Miya-san really has a perfect grasp on the show\u2019s worldview, so in order to promote and not harm that atmosphere, I\u2019m going to take on my own responsibilities – I\u2019m eager to show what I can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miya:\u00a0<\/em>(laughs) I\u2019m a little nervous, but with everyone\u2019s support and through focusing on my role of Simon, I\u2019m putting in tons of rehearsal time and working hard so that I can make a good showing on opening night and that hopefully something will remain with the audience after the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harada:\u00a0<\/em>Though I\u2019ve borrowed the setting of the French revolution, I feel this show dramatically explores all the characters\u2019 attitudes towards life: It\u2019s the job of a theatre\u2019s resident director to best display the performers\u2019 unique aspects, so I hope to make everyone\u2019s roles in this show very special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 – Rachi Shinji was in the third\u00a0Black Butler<\/em>\u00a0musical (The Most Beautiful Death in the World<\/em>) and is currently playing Itachi in the\u00a0Naruto<\/em>\u00a0stage plays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a discussion with the scriptwriter\/director of Azure Moment, Harada Ryou, and the three stars of the show: Miya Rurika, Tsukishiro Kanato, and Umino Mitsuki. It took place during rehearsals, shortly before the opening of the production, and was … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[13,360,162,42,164,165,166,163],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=605"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":606,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605\/revisions\/606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}