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Give
Your Regards And Support To Broadway
From Asahi News
March 14, 2002
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World
Trade Center and the anthrax scares that followed, theater ticket
sales in New York City fell so sharply that many wondered whether
Broadway would survive
Because of the falloff in numbers of theatergoers and tourists,
some Broadway shows struggled to stay open by offering lower ticket
prices, but less successful shows were immediately forced to close
Even the long-running productions demanded that the cast and crew
take salary reductions in order to help keep shows open
Mindful of Broadway's struggle to get back on its feet, Japan's
leading musical and stage actors and actresses have banded together
to show their unwavering love and support for the famous theater
district in a two-day Thank you! Broadway!-We Love N.Y.'' concert,
to be held in Tokyo on March 25 and 26
Organized by Kazuya Yamada, noted theatrical director of Japan's
successful The Bridges of Madison County'' and Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde''
productions, the fund-raising concert will be a superb revue sprinkled
with many great songs from everyone's favorite Broadway musicals
The star-studded lineup features Masachika Ichimura, Kunio Murai,
Yuichiro Yamaguchi, Kaho Shimada, Mari Natsuki, Asato Shizuki, Hikaru
Nishida, Risa Junna and many more stars who are all donating their
time and artistic talents to help steer New York City's theater
industry through these challenging times
As veteran musical star Ichimura explained in an e-mail interview,
he wants to do everything that he can do to support this worthy
cause, because Broadway has always been a place where musical actors
can learn a great deal.'' Back in 1988, while still a member of
the prestigious Shiki Theatre Company, the now 53-year-old Ichimura
appeared in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera'' as
the original Japanese Phantom. His soft and gentle voice lent itself
well to his portrayal of a tender and sexy Phantom
We had been rehearsing The Phantom of the Opera' when we went to
watch a preview of it on Broadway. I will always treasure that memory,''
Ichimura recalls
In addition to The Phantom of the Opera,'' he listed some of his
favorite musicals: Miss Saigon,'' A Chorus Line'' and Kiss of the
Spider Woman.'' He was lucky enough to star in the Japanese versions
of many of these, which firmly established his stage career here
For the upcoming concert, Ichimura will bedazzle audiences with
his commanding vocal talent and expressiveness, singing alone and
with other performers
Come out to give your regards to Broadway, a place that has lifted
our spirits and enriched us all in so many ways, while you hear
some of the hits from its greatest shows. And at the same time,
you'll be helping the famous Great White Way'' bounce back in the
wake of the tragedies surrounding the World Trade Center attacks
Thank you! Broadway!_We Love N.Y.'' will be held on March 25 from
7 p.m. and on March 26 from 2 p.m. at Aoyama Theater, near Omotesando
subway station in Tokyo. The program is to be announced on the days.
Tickets are 7,000 yen
A portion of the proceeds from this concert will be donated to
the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization
For ticket reservations and further information, call Kyodo Tokyo
at 03-3498-9999
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