Production press conference of stage play "Ao no Ran"

The production press conference of Gekidan Shinkansen's new play "Ao no Ran" was held on 30 January which was attended by the cast members Amami Yuki, Matsuyama Kenichi, Hira Mikijiro, Saotome Taichi etc. The play will begin its run in Tokyo from 27 March and in Osaka from 8 May. The play is set in a fictitious country based during the Heian era where Matsuyama plays the role of Taira no Masakado while Amami plays his wife Souma. As Gekidan Shinkansen's plays are known for their action scenes, there was concern if Amami could handle these especially after she had to step down from her play last May due to an acute heart condition. With response to this, Amami stressed that there was no side effects after that illness and she is able to take on the role without any problems. She commented that this is her third Gekidan Shinkansen play to date and there is a romance element this time so she will be taking good care of herself in order to do the best in this role. As for Matsuyama who plays Amami's husband in the play, he praised her for being so special that she doesn't seem like a normal human being so he will have to put in extra effort to match her stage presence.

Source: Sanspo

* I thought of watching this because I will be in Japan when the play starts but too bad, the first four days' tickets in Tokyo were all sold out yesterday! And to think that they only started ticket sales yesterday at 10am Japan time! Seems like I am not fated to catch Amami and Matsuyama live in action. :-(

Amami Yuki & Matsuyama Kenichi to play a married couple in stage play "Ao no Ran"

Amami Yuki will be making her return to a stage play when she takes on the lead role in the play "Ao no Ran" which begins its run from 27 March 2014. The last time she was involved in a play in May 2013, Amami had to quit halfway due to a sudden health condition. This time, she will play a married couple with Matsuyama Kenichi who is 18 years younger than her in real life, and the couple will strive hard to create a new country amid the chaos. Matsuyama commented that it is a rare coincidence to play another member of the Taira clan i.e. Masakado since he played Kiyomori in the 2012 NHK Taiga "Taira no Kiyomori" and expressed surprise at his "affinity" with the Taira clan. As for Amami, she said that even though she is older than Matsuyama, she believes that there will be times when he will be the one leading her along during the perfromance and expressed faith in his acting. Other co-stars include Saotome Taichi and Taira Mikijiro.

The play will begin its run from 27 March to 26 April at Tokyu Theatre Orb in Shibuya, Tokyo, while its Osaka leg will last from 8 May to 27 May at Umeda Geijutsu Gekijou.

Source: Sanspo