Curtains!! (2022.03.30)

Good evening🌙

 

 

We were able to successfully complete

all 28 performances of the musical “Curtains”

in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka!!

 

To everyone who has given us support up to this point

thank you so very much.

 

 

It’s been a while since my last blog update,

but now I’d like to write out my overflowing thoughts and feelings!

 

 

 

 

To all of you who came to the theater,

did you enjoy the play?

 

 

For me, this was my first attempt at a musical.

 

First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the director and star of the play, Shirota Yuu, for introducing me to such a wonderful world.

 

 

 

 

Throughout this period, I’ve learned so much more than I could count.

 

From rehearsal to performance

there were many things I didn’t know, many things I felt I wasn’t able to keep up with due to my lack of ability.

 

During those times, everyone in the company kindly and patiently extended their hands to me, so I was able to keep going.

 

 

I’m very happy that my first musical was “Curtains”, and that I was given the opportunity to play a pure and lovely lady named Niki Harris👗💎

 

 

 

 

In my first attempt at a musical,

I would hear from those who came to support me

“It was my first time watching a musical, but I enjoyed it so much I want to go see more from now on”

It made me very happy✨

 

 

 

 

I had been running desperately until the last performance,

so every day went by like the wind,

when I noticed, the cherry blossoms were blooming in the streets…

 

I’m sad to have to say goodbye to my beloved company members and to Niki, but I must be moving on.

 

 

 

Tokyo: International Forum Hall A

 

 

Osaka: Shin Kabuki-za

 

Nagoya: Aichi Prefectural Art Theater

 

All were wonderful venues.

 

 

 

 

 

About this challenge, I’d like to make a bit of a reflection.

 

The wall I hit at first, was how to interact with my personality.

 

It was necessary to keep an open mind in everything, but in the past few years I just couldn’t help but feel things like a sense of responsibility to be firm that I had become so rigid.

 

And on such a first day of rehearsal, the many words that Yuu-san gave me have always became my emotional support..

 

 

 

“It’s natural that you can’t do it because you’re a first-year here.

Just be embarrassed as much as possible.

In the rehearsal room, you can lose the reserve and just be like the youngest child.

If you open your arms and trust everyone, when it’s over you’ll be full of big presents.

What you’ll get depends on how much you can stretch out your hands.”

 

 

I believed in those words and let myself follow him.

Now that we’ve finished our last performance, my heart is filled with presents and treasures more than I can hold!!

 

 

Yuu-san was always there for each and every cast member, guiding them through any moment.

Just by having Chofi on stage, the energy moved and the atmosphere on stage changed dramatically.

The time I was honored to stand on the stage together, seeing the play up close was full of learning.

 

Thank you so much.

For kindly, sometimes strictly, and patiently giving a challenge to a novice me until the last stage

 

 

 

 

I’ve also received a lot of help from Miura Shohei-san and Sena Jun-san (Asako-san).

 

 

 

Shohei-san would always notice when I feel troubled in the rehearsal room,

and ease my mind by saying “You’re thinking too much”.

His delicate play touches me every time.

He would often come to help me practice,

saying “Power!” that made me laugh a lot,,, he gave me energy.

 

 

Asako-san was a reassuring, dependable, and very kind older sister.

She said “Yukka, you’ve been protecting yourself by putting up a wall in front of you. But here you can be just Sugai Yuuka.”

Thank you for sharing many stories, including the experience of being Takarazuka’s top star.

Before each performance, Asako-san would give me a pat on the back. The weight of the kindness that held me gave me courage.

I love you so much!!

 

 

 

Harada Kaoru-san, Nakajima Saki-chan

 

I was always impressed by Kaoru-san’s dance, her powerful singing voice, and her gorgeous yet delicate acting. I also loved Kaoru-san’s choreography for “The Woman’s Dead”, “Show People”, and “A Tough Act to Follow”✨

Thank you very much for being so kind, and for staying longer to carefully teach me the dance.

 

 

With Saki-chan, we became very good friends!

She is talented in many things, but how she doesn’t neglect hard work is very inspiring, and she also taught me a lot of things.

Bambi’s dance was very much the coolest~✨

Going home together from rehearsals, reserving a studio for the two of us to practice on rehearsal day offs, accompanying me to buy makeup for the play, talking with me on the bullet train…

We’ve made many memories☺️Thank you so much.

 

 

 

From the left

Nakanishi Katsuyuki-san, Yonemoto Takato-san, Miyakawa Hiroshi-san, Kishi Yuuji-san, Takahashi Takuji-san

 

 

Nakanishi-san was a wonderful, thoughtful, and warm person, the complete opposite of his role as Sidney-san. Thank you so much for all the food you bring us every time✨ And I’ll gladly use the mask case you gave me!

 

Takato-san always wrapped us with his great kindness. He always gave us mental training before the performance that he had learned abroad, and we learned the importance of facing our own minds. Thanks to him I have gradually come to recognize myself, and it relieved me so much.

 

 

Miyakawa-san always gently called me “Yukka” and cared about me, it made me feel at ease. His role as Belling-san was so funny that I came to like him more and more, and I couldn’t help but laugh many times during the performance😂 I’ll do my best to be able to use the field bag you gave me again one day!

 

 

Kishi-san would say “Ask me anything if you like,” and taught me many technical aspects of singing. I already call him “master”. He would do voice training with me on a busy morning before the performance, and I still watch the video now and train every day.

 

 

Takuji-san helped me a lot during the rehearsals by talking together about the roles we were going to play. He played a different kind of Grady every day, so it was a fresh experience for me as well. He’s usually very funny, so the gap between him and his role surprised me!

 

 

 

And then, from the left

Fukuda Eri-san who lent me a DVD of “Elisabeth”, whom I admire for being so good at everything.

Koyama Yuki-chan who took good care of me and taught me many time steps.

Takeuchi Mari-san whom I admire for always producing high notes very beautifully.

Inoue Hana-chan who is cute, always humble and dances and sings with power.

Hasaya Rena-san who is kind and stayed longer to practice the dance to “A Tough Act to Follow”.

 

 

 

 

 

From the left

Horie Shinya-san who sang “Kansasland” in a very nice voice and danced in pair with me.

Chatani Kenta-san who was very easy to talk to, I was able to rely on him for difficult lifts.

Tsunezumi Tomihiro-san a.k.a. “Tsune desu” who practiced lifting a lot for “Show People” and lifted me every day

 

 

 

Sakamoto Hiromitsu-san who was a role model for all of us and always let us rely on him

Yokoyama Tatsuo-san whose performance of Harv-san was so cute I liked it so much

I missed the timing to take a picture with them💦

 

 

Everyone was very kind, and I am truly grateful to be blessed with such wonderful people.

I was truly moved seeing everyone’s performance up close, it was full of learning.

I loved the time watching the cool performance of “Thataway!” from the side stage during Act I💃

 

Every day I felt that everyone’s passion and cheerfulness toward musical created the wonderful atmosphere of this company.

Thank you very much for the many support!!

 

 

 

Conductor Uegaki Satoshi-san and singing instructor Hiraoka Yuka-san taught me about singing every day.

I was able to learn new things such as vocal range I had never used before and expression through singing, it was a great learning experience for me.

Thank you for the advice until the very end, such as how to adjust with the venue and my conditions on that day, even during the performance!

 

 

 

And then Fukuda Narushi-san, who played a major role in choreography and translation of the play and the song lyrics.

The choreography, such as for “Wide Open Spaces”, “In the Same Boat”, and “Kansasland” was wonderful, and dancing it was a lot of fun✨ Even after the performance has started, I was encouraged by your compliments that I was getting better and better. Thank you so much.

 

 

From the left, Fukuda Narushi-san and Hiraoka Yuka-san

 

 

Also, thank you very much to the orchestra members, for their wonderful performance every day✨

I have loved orchestral music since I was little, so I was really happy to have the very luxurious experience of singing live this time!!

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot write enough about the many staff members from all related parties who provided us with very courteous and warm support.

I think we were able to complete the play until the end because they took every possible infection control measure you could under the difficult present circumstances.

Thank you so very much!!

 

I want to meet with everyone again.

I’ll do my best for that to come!!

 

 

 

 

 

The costumes for “Curtains” were also very cute, so let me introduce them finally here👗

 

 

 

Act I　First meeting costume

 

 

Act I Lesson costume

 

 

Act II　Pajamas

 

Act II “A Tough Act to Follow” costume

 

 

 

This scene was the sparkling world of Chofi and Niki’s imagination💎

Yuu-san worked through trial and error to finish out a very nice costume for me!!

The way the skirt flutters and spreads matched the image I had in mind, I really liked it.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for making these beautiful costumes!

 

 

Act II “In the Same Boat” costume

 

 

Act I, Act II　Stage costume within the play

 

 

 

It was all stylish and pretty

I was so happy to be able to have a costume in my favorite color, light blue💙👗

 

There were so many changes of clothes, so it was a bustle behind the scenes.

To the costume team and hair makeup team

who created wonderful costumes and helped us change quickly,

thank you very much!!

 

 

 

Once again, being able to participate in “Curtains” was a very significant and irreplaceable time for me.

 

Applauses and standing ovations from the audience.

Such an amazing view, it was like a dream.

 

I myself have received a lot of emotional nourishment from stages and musicals over the past few years.

 

In times like these, there are surely people who need the power of entertainment.

I was so happy to be able to deliver “Show must go on!” through the song that I cried while singing.

 

I hope everyone who came to see the play truly enjoyed it.

 

 

The time I spent with you all as Niki Harris is my life treasure.

Meeting Niki made me reminded of my childhood, when I lived with confidence and was always smiling.

 

 

 

Also, during this period, my activities within the group were limited.

To all the staff who gave an understanding

and all of the Buddies who watched over me

thank you so very much.

 

I’ll never forget this wonderful encounter, experience, and learning,

and I hope to make good use of it in my group activities!

 

 

And to the related parties who came to see the play and support me, as well as my beloved members who rushed in to watch,

Thank you so much!!

 

 

Everyone’s support was the driving force for me to get on stage every day.

 

 

I will embrace this whole experience

so that one day I will be able to challenge a stage or musical again

I will continue to cherish every day, and live my life while striving to grow even 1 mm a day.

 

I humbly hope for your continued support!

 

 

 

 

It’s become very long

Thank you for reading this to the end.

 

 

 

Sugai Yuuka