Lounge
April 17, 2015
Keiko Toda's Series | 'Packing My Current Self': Osaka's Final Performance Concludes Successfully!
Keiko Toda | Osaka Performances: Enveloped in a Shower of Applause
Packing My Current Self Into a Bag: Osaka Finale Successfully Concluded! (1)
Following the Tokyo run, the Osaka performances began on October 15th. Though the schedule was unfortunately a bit shorter, we managed two shows twice in that brief period. The first day's matinee included a thorough sound check, making it quite a demanding schedule. But overall, the most important thing is that my body held up well (laughs).
Text by: Keiko Toda
Actually, It's Quite a Dialogue-Heavy Play
Singing, dancing, and talking. The amount of dialogue is far greater than in a typical musical, making it a bit of a spoken-word play... no, it's actually quite a dialogue-heavy play. Strictly speaking, I feel the way I use my vocal cords differs when singing versus speaking. But if you ask me if I consciously differentiate, I have no awareness of it; I believe my body naturally adapts. If this doesn't go well, I could damage my throat. I feel I got through this by utilizing every part of my vocal cords.
While I've been told I have strong vocal cords, overconfidence is not advisable. I now make it a point to do warm-up exercises and stretches before performances, something I didn't do much of before. I've been doing them consistently for the past few years.
I love performing in Osaka. It always takes time to get used to a new theater, but this time, it wasn't so much the capacity as the view of the audience from our perspective—specifically, the difference in the color of the back wall of the seating area (black vs. white) had a significant impact. It was always so bright! (wry smile)
The opening night in Osaka was truly more anxious than any previous opening. Although we received a huge round of applause during the curtain call, the audience was incredibly quiet during the performance. "Huh!? Is this Osaka? Don't they like it!? Did I mess up!?" Such thoughts crossed my mind. It's not about applause after each song, but about how they perceive it... The staff told me things like, "The audience had a higher age range," or "Perhaps they weren't frequent musical theatergoers..." Even so, I was left with an unresolved feeling of dissatisfaction. A stage should be one where we can feel something from each other, even in its quiet moments!
We send our energy to the audience, and we receive energy back from them. Total art is mutual art. There's a funny line from Heather in the play, "Can't we just be stunned into one?" but that's truly fine too. I want us to become one.
Was our energy not reaching them...? I was full of self-reproach. The opening night in Osaka left me feeling quite lonely. Very nervous! But even on that night, director G2 offered words of encouragement, saying, "It's okay!"
Keiko Toda | Osaka Performances: Enveloped in a Shower of Applause
Packing My Current Self Into a Bag: Osaka Finale Successfully Concluded! (2)
I genuinely believe I could still play Annie! (laughs)
However, those anxious feelings completely vanished by the second day. "This really is Osaka after all~!" ... I'm quite simple, aren't I? (laughs)
The reaction was the usual Latin-infused energy. Thanks to that, we were able to overcome the demanding schedule. For the grand finale, the entire audience gave a standing ovation. It felt like being showered with applause. I was so happy that I almost teared up (crying). Thank you, everyone in Osaka. The only regret is that the period was too short, and I couldn't visit my favorite restaurants. I hope to return soon!
My role as Heather, the club singer, was that of a character standing at a major crossroads, both as a singer, a woman, and an individual. One of the factors highlighted in the work was clearly 'age'.
Generally, in plays, it's rare for characters to explicitly state their age. Although Heather, whom I played, was set to be much younger than my actual age (I don't know how old the other cast members are (laughs)), I once heard a New York Broadway actor say that it's just right for actors to play roles much younger than themselves, considering their mental age and skill level.
With the band members
I feel the same way myself, and I'm sure many actors do. Well, I don't see my own appearance... if it were a problem, the staff around me would surely stop me (laughs). Thinking about it, the role of Dot in last year's 'Sunday in the Park With George' was much younger than this.
With Go Ueki
Conversely, playing an elderly woman draws no complaints. It's a strange country, Japan. As Koki Mitani's line in 'Goodnight Sleeptight' goes, I genuinely believe I could still play Annie in a grand, grand, grand theater! (laughs) Well, next time, I'll be sending you a report from our first company trip to Korea. Please look forward to it!