{"id":695,"date":"2018-02-28T03:06:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T10:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/?p=695"},"modified":"2021-01-09T21:15:43","modified_gmt":"2021-01-10T04:15:43","slug":"angels-ladder-roundtable-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/28\/angels-ladder-roundtable-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"Angel\u2019s Ladder roundtable talk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This interview with Director Suzuki Kei and Angel\u2019s Ladder<\/em> leads Suzumi Shio and Otoha Minori was published in the March 2012 issue of\u00a0Kageki<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Angel\u2019s Ladder<\/em> roundtable talk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants: Suzuki Kei (director), Suzumi Shio, Otoha Minori<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> This story is set in the English Lake Country of the 17- and 1800s, and concerns a romance between a man from the upper class and a woman from the middle class. The original work, Pride and Prejudice<\/em>, is called one of the foundational romance novels. Both of them pass each other by due to their own prejudices, but in the climax all the misunderstandings are resolved and they realize their love for each other – it\u2019s an archetypical romantic drama. The titular \u2018Angel\u2019s Ladder\u2019 is not referenced in the book, but I wrote it to reporesent Toyoko\u2019s (Suzumi\u2019s) character of Darcy. The Lake Country is apparently very cloudy, so I thought of using the clouds to signify his ‘pride\u2019. And then the light filtering through the clouds makes one think ‘oh, that\u2019s what he\u2019s really like\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> This is the first time I learned that when the light is filtering through the clouds it\u2019s called ‘Angel\u2019s Ladder\u2019. Apparently it is also referred to as ‘the path of angels\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:<\/em> How lovely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> In the story, there\u2019s something like an Angel\u2019s Ladder\u2026storybook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> There\u2019s a children\u2019s story about it in the play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> I thought that was a very cute touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> Quite romantic, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> (laughs) Today was the initial day of rehearsals, and I arrived feeling very excited. Since it was announced I would play the lead role in this show, I watched movies and TV dramas, and read the original book, and in the process I started thinking that the role of Darcy is really like me\u2026and really perfect for Takarazuka. The supporting characters are also fun, with a lot of depth, so I was really looking forward to seeing what Director (Suzuki) Kei did with it when writing the script. I was really moved while reading it today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> Thank you so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em>\u00a0I thought ‘All this happens in 2 and a half hours!\u2019 At the first table reading1<\/sup>, all of the cast put tons of individuality into their characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> It was really fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:<\/em> As I read through the script, I was really moved by Darcy\u2019s change of heart as well\u2026 I\u2019m so happy to be in such a beautiful show. Lizzie is a member of a large family, and during the table reading I couldn\u2019t stop laughing. With Junko-san (Ema Naoki) as my mother and Chigu-san (Chigusa Miki) as my father, I can see that it will be a very lively and bright household. The junior actresses playing my sisters are really powerful too, so I was trying to picture how it would turn out when the proper rehearsals start\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> I was thinking that the casting of the 5 sisters was so cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> In the story ‘The Bennet Family\u2019 is a sort of key-word, so I think that will be very fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:\u00a0<\/em>I was in one of your previous shows, New York Rhapsody<\/em>, as well, and I\u2019ll give my best in rehearsals for this show too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> I feel like Director Kei is the director I have the strongest bond with. I worked with Director Kei on my first lead, the Bow Workshop Love Goblin,<\/em> as well as my last shinjin kouen, Glassy Landscape,<\/em> and even an international tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> We get along remarkably well (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> ‘Remarkable\u2019, he says (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> But we haven\u2019t worked together on one of my original shows, so this time we finally have that chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> Today I was really overwhelmed by Director Kei\u2019s warmth and kindness. You wrote such a great show and put so much love into the cast and everything\u2026 Although you may seem very brusque, you\u2019re really kind on the inside (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> No, no\u2026I seem brusque? I never knew\u2026 (laughs) Anyway, I told everyone this already today, but of course I really wanted to write something Takarazuka-esque – The closer I could get to that the better, I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> Hearing that made me think once more about a lot of things. It\u2019s really important that it is a Takarazuka original show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> Therefore I feel that Darcy, Lizzie, and Pride and Prejudice<\/em> itself are all good elements to use towards that goal. It\u2019s no fun if everyone does it the same way. I really want to see Toyoko\u2019s Darcy. I think through the character of Darcy, your appeal will really shone. That\u2019s part of the fascination of Takarazuka, I think, and I\u2019m relying on that too. Once Toyoko and Haruko (Otoha) are together we\u2019ll proceed by trial and error. Everything is an ‘element\u2019, that\u2019s all. That\u2019s why I thought of changing the title from the original work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> Haruka is playing my lover again in this show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:<\/em> Yes. This is my second time in a row playing Suzumi-san\u2019s lover, since A Second Fortuitous Meeting.<\/em> Since that show, everyone has been telling me ‘you\u2019ve really changed!\u2019 I really learned a lot from that as a Takarazuka Musumeyaku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> You\u2019ve always been so lovely and straightforward\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:<\/em> Oh no\u2026thank you very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> Therefore you should believe in yourself more and work on breaking down barriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha: <\/em>Yes. Though that ‘breaking barriers\u2019 will be a bit of a challenge\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> But you\u2019ve really been changing steadily, so in the course of this I think you should work on breaking more of the barriers around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> Though this isn\u2019t really related, if your pairing is performed according to the traditional hierarchy, going straight from the script there is a ‘lead\u2019 and ‘supporting\u2019 role, but I think that won\u2019t do in this situation so I want you to try to overcome that framework. I think you two have to thoroughly create ‘Toyoko and Haruko\u2019s world\u2019 together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi and Otoha:<\/em> Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:<\/em> In this show, will the finale have a duet dance, or\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> There is. That\u2019s foundational, after all (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:<\/em> Thank you! I love Takarazuka duet dances, and I longed to be able to do them even before I joined the company. In New York Rhapsody I was able to do one for the first time and I was so happy\u2026 I\u2019m really looking forward to it in this show too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> Takarazuka\u2019s duet dances are different from your typical ‘couple dance\u2019, aren\u2019t they.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> They\u2019re really special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> Right. And they\u2019re not the same as when two people dance together in a musical play. The ‘Takarazuka\u2019 part is really important, so it feels like ‘if it\u2019s not there, don\u2019t bother!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi and Otoha:<\/em> (laugh)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> They showed me the costume design pictures, and the costumes for the finale are really beautiful. I\u2019m very excited for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> When we did the poster photoshoot, there was one shot we didn\u2019t use, so I\u2019m thinking of recreating it in the play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> Right, your favorite couple shot (laughs). It had really lovely composition. But onstage, I feel like the audience might think ‘Huh? Where is this happening?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> It\u2019s fine, don\u2019t worry. It\u2019s a scene where they\u2019ll be like ‘Ah~ They\u2019ve finally\u2026\u2019 Wait and see, it\u2019ll be good (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otoha:<\/em> I\u2019m so happy to have been given the role of Lizzie in this show. When she first meets Darcy, she thinks he is very proud and unpleasant, but then she realizes that he has begun changing because of what she\u2019s said to him. By the very end, he\u2019s changed enough to ask her ‘will you marry me\u2019, and I think that\u2019s one scene I\u2019ll have to treat very carefully in performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em> I think being able to clearly tell the person you like ‘will you marry me\u2019 is one of the happiest things there is. I feel like that plain statement is how proposals started in the world, and they gained decoration later. Therefore, since it\u2019s a foundational romance novel,I decided I wanted to use really foundational dialogue, which is why in the end he says it straight out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzumi:<\/em> I see\u2026 In this show there are many people who are transferring to other troupes, and Junko-san is also appearing after recently going to Senka, so I think a lot of passion will come from all of their feelings. I really love acting, myself. Darcy isn\u2019t a role where I\u2019m expressing his feelings with my whole body, but I really want to lay myself bare as I\u2019m performing with everyone. I\u2019m going to do my best and I hope everyone in the audience will go home full of happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki:<\/em>\u00a0In any case, in order to make this a good show that looks the best it can be, I want to observe you and get to know you well. I\u2019m going to join you in getting to grips with the show – let\u2019s keep pushing on without giving up on anything until opening day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 –\u00a0Table reading: first cast read-through in character.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This interview with Director Suzuki Kei and Angel\u2019s Ladder leads Suzumi Shio and Otoha Minori was published in the March 2012 issue of\u00a0Kageki. Angel\u2019s Ladder roundtable talk Participants: Suzuki Kei (director), Suzumi Shio, Otoha Minori Suzuki: This story is set in … 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":[4],"tags":[13,360,42,211,213,212,182],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695"}],"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=695"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":696,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695\/revisions\/696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}