An Early Summer Vacation: A Full-Throttle N.Y. Break | Keiko Toda

The stage that truly moved me this time was...

An Early Summer Vacation: A Full-Throttle N.Y. Break

Hello, this is Keiko Toda. On July 7th, after filming a commercial for Mitsubishi Electric, I took an early summer vacation and flew to New York. I'm delighted to have been able to go on this trip with Yuko-rin, also known as Yuuji Mitsuya, again this year.

Text by KEIKO TODA

A Broadway Theater Immersion

This year in New York, the must-see on Broadway is undoubtedly "Hamilton," which swept the Tony Awards. Tickets were sold out for six months! But I absolutely had to see it!! What's more, the period during which Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer, lyricist, and composer, was performing was ending in just a few days. We desperately managed to get tickets for the day before his final performance!! We paid the highest ticket price of the century. (We paid an amount that made us laugh.)

But if we're going to do it, we want to see it with the original cast! We don't have children! We don't have any particular hobbies! We work for this! Yuko-rin and I said this to each other many times. (Laughs)

A huge hit! It's a big one. A massive hit.

It chronicles the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. I learned that the creators were also behind "In the Heights," a musical I also loved. The entire show is in a hip-hop style, but it also incorporates R&B and rock-inspired songs, making it powerful and beautiful. That night, I was filled with an immense sense of satisfaction and superiority, knowing I had seen the premiere! I immediately bought the CD!

Hamilton

Yuuji Mitsuya

The Color Purple

This year I saw eight shows, and they were all wonderful. It was a bountiful season!!

FriHamilton
Stu(Matinee) School of Rock, (Soirée) Shuffle Along
SunAn American in Paris
MonSomething Rotten!
TueThe Color Purple
Wed(Matinee) Fun Home, (Soirée) Waitress

Aside from the popular "Hamilton," I was captivated by "An American in Paris." I hadn't particularly noticed "An American in Paris" beforehand, but it's an enduring masterpiece. George Gershwin's music is truly magnificent and timeless.

And the two leads are apparently top-tier ballet dancers, so the climactic ballet dance scene, lasting about 15 minutes, was absolutely breathtaking. It was like watching a film.

The stage design was superb, and the costumes were chic and Parisian. It was simply beautiful!! I was utterly enchanted.

And the production that truly moved me this time was "The Color Purple."

Cynthia Erivo's overwhelming vocal talent, which earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress, was astounding. Her voice, like the rumbling of the earth, felt like it could shatter the theater. Coupled with her powerful performance, there were standing ovations even during the play. I saw the original production in 2006, but this version was a stage production relying solely on the cast's singing and acting. It made me keenly realize that this is what a true stage performance is. While the original was wonderful, this production had an even greater intensity.

I will continue to work hard so that I can encounter more wonderful productions in New York.