“In the Darkness” is a masterpiece by Antonio Buero Vallejo, a master playwright who is said to be a master of Spain. Set in a school for the blind, the story revolves around the changes that occur when a transfer student arrives and questions the true meaning of “happiness,” resonating with many people. Last year, the famous duo in the Korean musical world, director Son Jeong-wan and composer/music director Kim Eun-young, reborn as a new musical, and the long-awaited Japanese version will be released in October 2024.
In Japan, the production will be directed by Maiko Tanaka, who worked on the play version just two years ago, and the musical director will be Takashi Ochiai, who will be teaming up with Tanaka for the second time since the off-Broadway musical “Ordinary Days.”
The three main actors will be Aoto Watanabe as Carlos, a central character in the school, and Hiroki Sana and Yasuharu Tsubokura as the transfer student Ignacio. Watanabe will be taking on the rock-themed musical for the first time, and he is full of enthusiasm, saying, “It’s been four years since I last performed on stage, and it’s my first time playing the lead role, so I’m a little nervous, but I’m even more excited about this new challenge.” Similarly, Sana also expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “Because it’s a Spanish play, the dialogue is very witty, and I’m really looking forward to being able to exchange this on stage.” Tsubokura also showed his enthusiasm, saying, “I’ll absorb a lot of things on set, and work with the whole company to create the best work!” Other performers include Ayaka Kumagai, who has been in demand for many productions, including the musical “Les Miserables,” as the school’s heroine, Joana. Other cast members include Kogon, who is active in both Japan and Korea in the “PLAYBACK7 project,” as Miguelin, Takatsuki Kanako, who is also active as a voice actress, Amemiya Sho of the dance and vocal group GENIC, who will be taking on a musical for the first time, as Andres, Matsumura Yu as Alberto, Sugawara Riko as Lolita, and Hidaka Marin as Esperanza. Furthermore, So Ichiho, who has a strong presence in many productions, will add even more luster to the role of the school’s principal, Doña Pepita. (Comments from all cast members included)
Set in a school for the blind, this play depicts the chemical reactions, conflicts, and struggles between people in a delicate way, delving into universal human themes, and was immediately awarded many theater awards when it was performed in 1950. This time, the delicate emotional movements and conflicts of the innocent students that unfold in the closed school are colored with even more emotional rock-flavored music. Your own story will begin, making you want to ask yourself, “What is the meaning of life? What is happiness?”
The musical “In the Burning Darkness” will run from Saturday, October 5th to Sunday, October 13th, 2024 at the Sunshine Theater in Tokyo. Advance tickets will go on sale from 11:00 on Saturday, July 20th, 2024, and general sales will begin at 10:00 on Sunday, August 2024. Further details about the performance will be updated regularly on the official website.
▼Synopsis:
Is wishing for something strong “hope” or “despair”? A deep look into the true nature of “happiness” that everyone holds in their hearts.
Don Pablo School for the Blind. The students, who live under the educational policy of “a safe and free school,” all seem to be very happy. Carlos and Juana are an honor student couple that everyone envies. The other students also live as if they have forgotten their disabilities.
One day, a transfer student named Ignacio arrives. He has experienced many hardships in life, and his pessimistic and hopeless words and attitude shake the other students’ beliefs and make them realize that “there is something missing in me.”
Carlos believes in the school’s philosophy that “Salvation lies in not wanting much and being content with the world we are given.”
“The only way to save us is to share the sadness and helplessness of our fate and to believe in a miracle someday,” says Ignacio.
The conflict between the two throws the school into even greater chaos – and an unimaginable, shocking ending awaits them.
●Carlos/Aoto Watanabe
I’m nervous about this being my first play in four years and my first time playing the lead role, but more than anything, I’m excited about this new challenge. My impression of my role changes every time I read the script, so I’m excited to see how everyone will perceive it. Through this production, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my own meaning of happiness. I hope that this play will be a catalyst for those who come to see it to find their own happiness.
Ignacio / Hiroki Sana and Yasuharu Tsubokura (double cast)
・Hiroki Sana
Since it is a Spanish play, the dialogue is very witty, and I am very excited to be able to exchange this on stage. I think Ignacio is a character who brings destruction and a kind of light to a world that is kept in balance, so as the title of the work suggests, I want to create a storm of burning emotions and beliefs. I think it will be an energetic and vital performance, so I hope you will feel the power of the singing and acting with your whole body!
・Comment: Yasuharu Tsubokura
I’ve always wanted to be involved in a Korean musical, so I was really happy when I found out I’d be performing in it. I read the script, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the play will be created by adding music to it! I think my role this time is so important that I feel like I can play it in a variety of ways. I’ll absorb a lot of things on set, and work with the company to create the best possible production!
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●Hoana/Ayaka Kumagai
The musical “In the Burning Darkness” retains the poignant message of the original play, which has not faded even after 75 years, and is further colored by rock music and energetic dance. I will never forget the shock I felt when I first saw the Korean version. I am happy and humbled to be able to play a part in this work as Hoana. The blind school where this story is set can be said to be a microcosm of society, and I think that each viewer will feel differently about this work. I would like to approach this work with a fire burning in my heart so that I can deliver this story with realism.
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● Miguelin/Cogon
My name is Kogon and I will be playing the role of Miguelin in the musical “Burning Darkness”. I am happy to be able to participate, but at the same time I feel humbled by the big challenge. I thought it was a very fascinating piece, as it expressed through music the psychological changes that spread among the visually impaired students and the cries of their hearts, each with their own different thoughts. I also think that Miguelin’s bright and positive personality is similar to mine. I think it is difficult to express deep emotional movements, but I believe that this piece will give a lot of inspiration. I will do my best to prepare, so please come to the venue!
●Elisa/Kanako Takatsuki
At the beginning of this year, I tried my hand at my first stage performance, and my next goal was to appear in a musical, so when I heard about this production, I felt it was fate. And the more I got to know Elisa’s character, the more I felt that she was a perfect fit for me, just like me. What is normal for these children who live at a school for the blind? I would like to overlap my own feelings with Elisa’s and act as she struggles to find the answer. I also think that this is a production that everyone can watch while empathizing with each character. I hope that you will come to the theater to see and hear for yourself how you feel.
●Andres/Sho Amemiya (GENIC)
First of all, I am honestly happy to be appearing in this play! This is my second time acting in a play, so there are still many things I don’t know, but the character I will be playing, Andres, has a completely opposite personality to mine, so I am looking forward to playing him! The play has already been made into a musical in Korea and is loved by many people, so I would like to do my best to create a play. I also hope that through this play, viewers will realize the importance of caring for others and that what is normal for you may not be normal for someone else. I hope you will look forward to it!
●Alberto/Matsumura Yu
I think that by participating in this production, my own feelings and way of thinking will change in many ways. After reading the script, I felt that I need to think about what is normal and cherish the present, where I can live life as I normally do. I think that the audience will also have a lot to feel and think about after watching this production. I am happy to be involved in such a wonderful production. Also, this is my first time playing a blind character, so I hope that I can grow as a person by learning new ways of acting and feeling. Thank you!
●Lolita/Riko Sugawara
I am truly happy to have the opportunity to play the role of Lolita in this wonderful work, which was reborn as the world’s first musical and premiered in Korea. The story is set in a school for the blind, and depicts the human drama of the students, the inner conflicts that increase as the story progresses, and the relationships that change. For me, playing Lolita is a work that will allow me to gain new realizations and emotions that I have never known before. I will do my best to be close to Lolita and carefully portray the character’s heart!
●Esperanza/Marin Hidaka
It’s been a while since I last performed in a musical, so when I heard about the role I felt nervous and excited to be able to take part in this production. The character I will be playing this time is Esperanza, a girl who is good friends with Lolita, and a student who is influenced by the beliefs of Ignacio, who has transferred to the school. I would like to play one of the students who is at the mercy of the chaos that gradually approaches the world she believed in and the school life she had been living peacefully, forgetting reality.
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●Doña Pepita/Soichiho
This will be my first time performing in a Korean musical. The play was born in Spain and premiered in Korea, so I imagine it has a unique atmosphere that is slightly different from the original Japanese work, but I am very happy to have had the good fortune to get the opportunity to be involved in “In the Burning Darkness.” I will continue to practice hard so that I can get as close as possible to the powerful acting and singing of the performers over there.
This will be my first time acting with everyone, so I’m looking forward to rehearsing with them all.
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●SWING/Takumi Suda
[Title]In the Burning Darkness
[Direction]Maiko Tanaka
[Music Director]Takashi Ochiai
[Translated by]Eri Yoshida
[Performance script]Ono Mariko
In The Burning Darkness
Original Script by Antonio Buero Valljero
Book & Lyrics by Sung Jong Wan
Music by Kim Eun Young
Cast: Aoto Watanabe, Hiroki Sana, Yasuharu Tsubokura (double cast), Ayaka Kumagai, Kanako Takatsuki, Cogon
Sho Amemiya (GENIC) Yu Matsumura Riko Sugawara Marin Hidaka /
Soichiho
SWING Takumi Suda
[Performance Schedule]Saturday, October 5, 2024 – Sunday, October 13, 2024, 11 performances in total
[Venue]Sunshine Theater (4F, Bunka Kaikan Building, Sunshine City, 3-1-4 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8630)
[Ticket price]
S seats: 11,000 yen (tax included) / A seats: 9,000 yen (tax included)
*Please note that we cannot accept any refunds, complaints or seat transfers after your purchase.
[Ticket sales]Advance sales start date: Friday, July 19, 2024, 12:00
General release date: Sunday, August 18, 2024, 10:00am
[Official website]https://musical-moyuru-kurayami.jp
[Official X (formerly Twitter)]@moyuru_kurayami
Work hashtag #BurningDarkness
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