Essay

From musicals to rakugo

By 桂三輝

When people ask me why I suddenly decided to become a rakugo storyteller, I reply that in some ways I came by it honestly. The first decade of my working life was spent as a playwright, composer and producer of musical theater.

What do you mean, "came by it honestly," you might ask. Musicals and rakugo could not be further apart! In many ways, you would be absolutely correct. Start with the staff. To stage a musical, you need any number of performers who can sing, act and dance. The ones who are equally excellent at all three are called, appropriately, "Triple Threats." You also need musicians for the orchestra, a stage manager and assistants, lighting and sound technicians etc. It takes a lot of people and money just to put on one show.

In comparison, rakugo, with a lone storyteller sitting on a cushion who brings his own costume (kimono), is a very smart and economical art form indeed.

The relationship between the performer and the audience is also very different. Musicals are rooted in showing off. In a sense, the musical actor walks on stage and says, "Look at me! I am great!" Ebullient self-confidence is crucial to the performer's success.

In the world of rakugo, the performer must appear humble before the audience for the humor to work. Storytellers begin their performance with a set greeting like, "If you remember only my name and my face, I will be happy" or "Thank you for coming from far away at a busy time."

The culture backstage is very different as well. In the world of Japanese geinin, for example, when you enter the dressing room, you have to say, "Good morning!" in a loud voice. This is considered good manners.

In my home country of Canada, if you walked into a dressing room and shouted, "Good morning!" people would think you are rude and quite full of yourself.

Backstage language is also different. In the world of theater, you never wish a performer "Good luck!" This is very bad luck, and a particularly superstitious actor might really get hysterical if you make this mistake.Instead, you say, "Break a leg."

Backstage at rakugo, before you go on, you say, "Please allow me to study prior to you." This reflects the rakugo performer's attitude of going on stage not so much to give something to the audience, as to receive from the audience the knowledge and experience gained from performing before them.

So with two such different art forms, what's the link? That's the easiest question to answer. In both worlds performers live to create a new world for the people who come to see them take the stage every time. And that similarity dwarfs all the apparent differences between the world of musical theater, and the world of rakugo storytelling.

Shukan ST: September 17, 2010

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