Koji Yamamoto Shines in a Fully English Broadway Play, Displaying Overwhelming Physical Beauty After the Show

Starring in the stage “RENT” for the first time in 26 years.

On a September morning, actor Koji Yamamoto (47) appeared at the first floor of the commercial complex “Shibuya Hikarie” in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward.

Dressed casually in a white printed T-shirt, black shorts, and sandals, he headed towards the “Tokyu Theatre Orb,” a venue dedicated to musicals within Hikarie. Yamamoto was starring in the Japanese-American collaborative Broadway musical “RENT,” which was being performed at the theater until September 8.

“This legendary musical first premiered Off-Broadway in 1996 and had a long run on Broadway for over 12 years. It was adapted into a film in 2005 and is known in Japan as ‘Rent.’ The rock musical addresses issues of race, social inequality, and sexual minorities, with Yamamoto playing the lead role of Mark,” shared a theater magazine editor.

Yamamoto had played the same role 26 years ago, but at that time it was in a Japanese version. This time, collaborating with Broadway actors in a Japanese-American production meant all the dialogue was in English. He had been working on his English conversation skills for about a year leading up to the performance. In an interview with “Movie.com” (published August 28, 2024), Yamamoto shared,

“Sometimes I didn’t understand the English during rehearsals, and in those moments, I would pretend to understand by saying ‘Oh, right’ (laughs). Later, I would ask Keichan (co-star Crystal Kay, 38), ‘What did they just say? I heard it this way, is that correct?'”

Despite these challenges, his overwhelming physical beauty likely captivated the audience significantly.