Slapstick review

[matataku_hoshi]

I watched this show a couple of weeks ago and am only now getting around to reviewing it.  Sadly it has yet to be released on DVD.  I believe the VHS is now out of print, but you can still find it at Takarazuka-an or on Yahoo!Japan Auctions.  It's been shown on SkyStage I believe as well.

TakaWiki entry                       

This show as a whole struck me as being overly ambitious.  It tried to cover too many people and events over too long of a period of time, and as a result it felt rushed and like it wasn’t covering some of the necessary events enough.  Keystone is created, then Keystone falls apart when Sennet leaves, the war starts, the war ends…etc.  The story and the structure felt disjointed as a result.

 

Despite this, I still do think it was a good idea for a Zuka show.  The goofiness of slapstick and Zuka’s uh…sense of aesthetics go together well.  There was a sequence near the end of act one where Sennet (along with the Bathing Beauties and the Keystone Kops) goes to rescue Mabel that I thought was pretty well done.  Plus a couple of points in the show there is some really great black and white movies of the siennes in various Keystone movies.

 

The music I think is pretty decent.  Nothing amazing, but it’s catchy and gives the siennes some material to work with.  There were also some uh…interesting insertions of material from other Broadway musicals.  Stop reading here if you don’t want to be spoiled for which musicals.  Near the end of act I the overture from the Scarlet Pimpernel appears.  And for the 11 o’clock number, there is a reworked version of “Wig in a Box.”  Yes, from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  No, unfortunately the lyrics are changed, but other than that it sounds the same.  Yes, I just about died.  I think there might have been something in Gypsy from there as well, although I’m not as familiar with that one so I can’t be sure.

 

What makes this show work is the people in it.  Kiriyan is a joy to watch, and I really do think she has top star potential.  This is her first show and I think she was only a 8-ken at the time so she’s not 100% perfect, but there’s definitely potential.  I love the way she belts.  I know that sometimes if you do it the wrong way it can be bad for your voice, but she sure does sound good.  And her Sennet is just so giddy and energetic… To some degree I wish she had taken center stage more, but I think that has more to do with the script and this being a Bow Hall show (and therefore much more ensemble-centric).  I definitely recommend this for all Kiriyan fans.  Oh, and her “Engrish” is wonderful…

 

This was my first time seeing Tsukifune Sarara in a main role and I was impressed.  She has a breakdown scene here that’s really, really good.  I think I heard somewhere that she likes crying ^_^  Speaking of Tsukifune Sarara breaking down, Takigawa Sueko was really great here too.  I liked her in Ernest in Love, but after seeing Slapstick she’s on my list of favorite siennes.  She’s never really been on the star track, but I always love seeing her in whatever roles she pops up in.

 

Wow, this review is just turning into a long list of squee, but in any case, I always love Kouki Subaru and here is no exception.  I love how she’s both so serious and yet so tongue in cheek.  I usually don’t like Mimi Anri that much, but here she actually got some opportunities to show off her voice and I think it worked well.

 

Shirosaki Ai I think was only a 2-ken here.  She was pretty decent in Slapstick, although honestly I think she’s matured (in a good way) as an acteress as she got older.  Shijou Rui was a lot of fun to watch.  She brought a lot of spunk to Mabel and she worked well with Kiriyan.

 

So overall?  The show itself is flawed, but definitely not horrible.  There are some very shiny parts.  And if you like Tsukigumi, they really do well here.  I would put some other DVDs ahead of it, but if you’re a Tsukigumi fan you should really eventually get a hold of this.