Rome at Dawn thoughts

[matataku_hoshi]

I've finally gotten some free time to watch Zuka, so I guess tonight is catch up night.

I usually really like Kimura Shinji as a director.  Ernest in Love is my favorite show and The Black Lizard was extremely well done.  Sadly, I don't think this is his best work.   I think most of the problem is the script.  It went too slowly, not enough happened, and a lot of the characters were one-dimensional.  I felt that this bogged down the show.  I actually haven't read Julius Caesar so I'm just assuming that Shakespeare managed to deal with these in a way that didn't get translated to the Zuka stage.  But hey, this is Kimura Shinji and I don't think he can do a bad show.  There were times that I liked the greek chorus (yes, I know, ironic) and times that I didn't, but I liked that he was being ambitious.  I also liked the idea of a sung-through musical.  Hankyu, exactly why didn't you release this on CD?

Speaking of which, the music was wonderfully catchy and pop-ish.  The composer (Kai Masato) not only did Slapstick and American Pie (both of which had some catchy tunes), but more importantly, The Black Lizard, which really had a wonderful score.

The costumes were really nicely done.  Everyone looked good.  The sets were simple, but I felt that they worked well in this case.

• I worry a little bit about Kiriyan.  Not about her performance itself (which was wonderful as usual), but the direction that the company has been casting her in the last couple of years.  Don't get me wrong, I think Kiriyan does "wicked" extremely well.  But I'm scared of her getting typecast since I think she's capable of doing a wide variety of roles.  I do feel somewhat reassured knowing though that she played Gustave Eiffel this year which was a move in a different direction.  Plus her Osaka Samurai character doesn't seem particularly villainous.  I doubt she'd get a chance to play this given the timing of Elisabeth productions, but it occurred to me as I was watching this that she would make an awesome Death.  Yes, I know that definitely qualifies as a villain, but it would be so awesome that I wouldn't care.
  
•  I feel mixed about Asako.  Vocally, she was amazing as usual.  However, her entire role was ANGST ANGST AGNSTCute scene with Mihoko ANGST ANGST ANGST.  I don't think this was entirely her fault, as I think a lot of it was the script.  And she angsts fairly well, but after an hour or so I felt like she was running out of different shades of angst to do.  *sigh* I still love you though, Asako.  And she was cute with Mihoko.
• Speaking of which, I felt like Porcia was one of those roles that wasn't particularly interesting in of itself, but Mihoko made it so.  She and Asa really do work well.  Love love love.
• Yuuhi's character was awesome, as was her portrayal.  She really did get a lot of stage time here, which I'm glad of as long as she doesn't try to creep up on my Kiriyan.  Ahem ^_^
• Yoshizuki Eri threw me off as Servilla when I first saw her until I remembered that she was Frau Wolf in Elisabeth.  She's such a great character actor.
• I liked Ai-chan's Cleopatra, which makes me happy since I'd seen a couple of things lately which I hadn't liked her so much in.  And she's my Cecily, so I want to like her ^_^
• This really was a good show for picking out baby siennes.  I'm plan on rewatching the scene with Yuuhi and the conspirators a couple of times since I feel like I want to get to know the baby siennes better.
• I like Micchan, but I thought that her role was a little bland here.  Once again, that may have been the fault of the script.  Her scenes with Kiriyan at the beginning and end were really funny, though.
• Ah, right, Tom.  That other person who was in the show ^_^  I liked her but somehow I still don't feel like I can completely form an opinion on her.  Sorry, I'm not thinking very well at 2 in the morning.
  

Comments

[kozuki.livejournal.com]

Brutus is just full of angst...the script really stuck Asa with angst...I didn't make it through the Shakespeare play yet (so many distractions) but really I'm pretty sure Brutus is just whiny and angst a lot no matter how you look at it.

I like Kiriyan as a villian...I wouldn't want her to just always be the villian though, nice to have a wide range of things to play. Oh and agree with you on the begining and end haahaa those parts were great, they killed me just a little.

The script really was filled with chese and it would have been nice for more depth...I'm glad my expactions for that are always low. And seriously what was up with the show not getting a live CD? There was a lot of songs...I woulda bought it (just like I bought the Les Bijoux Brillants CD)

[kalen9.livejournal.com]

The script helped Mihoko out, though... Portia was much less of a character in the original. Although I haven't read it since high school, I don't remember there being any significant female roles at all, except of the "shut up, woman!" variety. I agree with you that she tends to do a lot with what she's given, though. :) Watching her in the Turandot shinjinkouen was... interesting. ^_^;