■ “While respecting the original work, I hope we can create a “Cain & Abel” that only we can do and that is our own.” (Kouhei Matsushita)
New visuals and a video commentary from the musical “Cain & Abel” starring Matsushita Kohei (to begin performances in January 2025) have been released.
Based on the bestselling novel by the British national author Jeffrey Archer, “Cain & Abel” is a world premiere original musical produced jointly by Toho and Cube. The creative team is made up of some of the world’s leading creators. Kohei Matsushita will be playing the role of William Cain in his first lead role in a Toho musical.
Advance ticket sales for the Tokyo concert will begin on September 12th at Matsushita Kohei’s official fan club “K’s Room” and Cubit Club. Tickets will be available until 12:00 on October 4th.
■From Kohei Matsushita’s comment video
◇ Enthusiasm for this work
This long-loved work has been made into a musical, and this will be its world premiere, so I am looking forward to seeing what kind of production it will be.
There are many cast members I’m meeting for the first time, and that’s one of the things I’m looking forward to. I think “Cain & Abel” will be full of new encounters and new discoveries, and while of course we’ll cherish the original work, I hope we can aim to create a “Cain & Abel” that only we can do and that is our own. I think there will be some difficult parts, but I hope we can turn them into fun, deepen our bonds, and make it a good production.◇How it feels to be the first lead in a Toho musical
It’s been about six years since I last appeared in a musical, so I’m quite excited to be taking on the lead role.
I hope that we can all work together with the cast, staff, and creative team to create a work of art…I’ll be receiving a lot of help, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve done a musical, so there are probably some parts I don’t know how to do, so I hope that we can all honestly discuss things like, “What should I do here?” as we go along.◇ Impression of Yuya Matsushita and playing the role of a rival
I’ve listened to Matsushita Yuya’s songs, watched his music videos, and seen his many stage appearances, and I think he is an actor and artist with many faces; he is very elegant, masculine, sexy, and has a certain sex appeal, but he also has delicate expressions and a sense of sadness.
Although we are rivals this time, I hope we can support and help each other during rehearsals and the performance and cherish each and every performance…I’m counting on you.◇Working with overseas staff
I worked with (Frank) Wildhorn on the production of “Scarlet Pimpernel” in 2017, and I was also impressed by his powerful melodies and magnificent, beautiful music. I am truly happy to be able to experience Wildhorn’s music again, and I am very excited that he will not only sing the music I sing, but also all the music that colors this work. Daniel Goldstein will be the director, and although this is my first time working with him, I hope to create a story full of originality that transcends language and cultural differences, so I am very excited to create something through many discussions.
Stage Information
Musical “Cain and Abel”
2025
January 22nd (Wed) – February 16th (Sun) Tokyu Theatre Orb, Tokyo
February and March: Osaka Shin-Kabukiza
Original author: Jeffrey Archer
Music: Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics: Nathan Tysen
Arranged by: Jason Howland
Choreography: Jennifer Weber
Written and directed by Daniel Goldstein
Cast: Kohei Matsushita, Yuya Matsushita
Miyu Sakihi, Rina Chinen, Ayu Aika, Kazuya Kamikawa
Takuya Uehara, Masato Takeuchi, Takuya Ima, Toru Masuoka
Yuichiro Yamaguchi et al.
Kohei Matsushita “K’s Room”
https://www.kouheiweb.com/musical_kane-abel/
Cubit Club
https://tks.cubitclub-plus.com/receptions/977e3de0-24c3-415b-be07-b85e502bdccf
Musical “Cain & Abel” production site
https://www.tohostage.com/KANEandABEL/
Kohei Matsushita OFFICIAL SITE
https://www.kouheiweb.com/
