Teruyuki Kagawa’s son understudies Ennosuke Ichikawa’s lead role… Teruyuki Kagawa “doubles down” on his debt to the Kabuki world.
Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke (47) was rushed to the hospital on May 18. On May 27, the daytime performance “Phoenix, Beyond the Surging Waves: A Tale of the Heike,” in which he played the lead role, reached its final day at Tokyo’s Meiji-za Theater on the same day. Each sports paper reported that Danko Ichikawa (19), who played the lead role as a stand-in for Ennosuke, took the stage.
Danko is the eldest son of Ichikawa Chuguruma (Kagawa Teruyuki, 57) and the grandfather of Ichikawa Eno (Ennosuke III, 83), and after Ennosuke was taken to the emergency room on the 18th, he starred in 8 performances starting on the 20th with only one day of rehearsal, playing the understudy.
According to various newspapers, more than 100 people lined up for tickets on the day of the performance on the 27th, and standing room was also open. Many people watched Danko’s passionate performance.
The emotional performance brought tears to the audience’s eyes, and some even sobbed. The climax of the performance, a somersault, was greeted with a particularly loud round of applause. The applause, which began in the final stages of the play, continued for about seven minutes after the curtain fell, so it appears that the show was a great success thanks to DANKO.
Danko successfully played the lead role in the daytime and evening performances, with Hayato Nakamura filling in for Ennosuke. Danko and Hayato, who saved the Kabuki world from a tight spot, have good looks and will likely be the focus of attention in the future, but it is Nakaguruma who is overjoyed.
He was already a successful actor in the world of video productions, but ever since he took on the name Nakaguruma in September ’11 to support his son’s entry into the Kabuki world and jumped into the Kabuki world himself, he had felt a pull toward his cousin, Ennosuke. But this time, not only was he able to repay the favor by having his son play the understudy role, but he was also able to “double repay” him in a good way, as in the drama “Hanzawa Naoki” (2008, TBS), in which he and Ennosuke co-starred. (reporter in charge of theatrical production)
Speaking of Ennosuke, in an interview published in “Sports Hochi” on the 14th, four days before the incident, he had harsh words for Nakaguruma and his son, saying, “I know it sounds harsh, but I hope they will become useful soon.
According to an article in NEWS POST SEVEN on the same day, when Kagawa’s sexual assault was reported last August, he told those around him, “I definitely don’t want to be like that. It’s embarrassing. I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want to be like that.
They had not seen each other for many years, but after meeting for the first time as adults at a graveside service, they became like brothers and often went out drinking together, and Mr. Ennosuke happily talked about having a drink with Mr. Nakaguruma.
When Mr. Ennosuke appeared in NHK’s historical drama “Fu-Rin-Kazan” in 2007, Mr. Kagawa went around introducing him to the staff and actors who were old acquaintances, saying, “Please take care of me! When Mr. Kagawa appeared in NHK’s historical drama “FURIN KAZAN” in 2007, Mr. Kagawa was grateful to Mr. Ennosuke for going around introducing him to the staff and actors who knew him well.
After that, they returned the favor to each other in their own fields.
Originally, Mr. Ennosuke was adamantly opposed to Mr. Kagawa and his son joining Kabuki. The reason for this was that he wanted Mr. Ennosuke’s son to succeed to the family name. However, Mr. Ennosuke backed Mr. Kagawa’s son’s entry into Kabuki, saying, ‘I don’t mind because I’m not getting married. Although he is a great benefactor to father and son, Mr. Ennosuke’s harsh words to them are probably because he has high expectations for them.
On the other hand, when Mr. Kagawa appeared in “Hanzawa Naoki,” he gave Mr. Ennosuke thorough instruction on the nuances of director Katsuo Fukuzawa’s unique lines. As a result, Ennosuke’s line “Wabiro! and facial expressions became the talk of the town. And it was Mr. Ennosuke who offered a “helping hand” to Ms. Kagawa, whose work had decreased due to reports of sexual assault.
Danko is now expected to replace Ennosuke as the leader of the Sawasaya troupe, but Kagawa’s only goal in the future must be to regain his own popularity.
In the movie “Miyamatsu and Yamashita,” in which he starred, which was released in November of last year after reports of sexual assault, Kagawa gave a good performance as the main character who is constantly killed in a variety of films. Kagawa’s “negative” charm was condensed in the film, which was highly acclaimed in the industry. As expected, TV is difficult, so the shortcut to another rise in the industry is to find a supporting role in a movie that is likely to become a hot topic, or to find a role on Netflix or some other distribution channel that will catch on,” said an entertainment reporter.
While Kagawa’s son is enjoying smooth sailing, Kagawa himself must continue on his own treacherous path.
PHOTO： Yusuke Kondo
