Ae! Group’s Keita Kusama Performs on Stage with Leader Ken Kojima Supporting from the Audience

Fans are very satisfied with Richard Keita Kusama’s stage performance.

In late October, Keita Kusama (28) and Ken Kojima (25) of Ae! group, along with Kota Yabu (34) of Hey! Say! JUMP, were seen exiting a theater in Yurakucho, Tokyo.

On this day, Kusama and Yabu had been performing in the musical tick, tick…BOOM! at the same theater.

“The musical, which tells the story of Jonathan Larson’s struggles and growth—who, while creating RENT, tragically passed away just before its opening—featured only three performers: the lead Yabu, Kusama, and an actress. Kusama made his stage debut in this production, following his CD debut in May. His talent had already been proven in the musical EDGES—Edges—2022 (Tokyo, Yomiuri Hall) two years ago. The fans were thoroughly satisfied with his performance,” said a theater magazine reporter.

After the highly praised performance, Kusama was the first to emerge from the backstage area. Dressed casually in jeans and a ZARA sweatshirt, his black-rimmed glasses gave off a calm vibe. Yabu followed shortly after, holding a tin of throat lozenges and an ice pack in both hands.

“The throat lozenges were from the famous Taiwanese brand ‘Kyoto Nenji-an,’ which is widely used among voice actors. Given the consecutive performances, he’s likely taking good care of his throat and body,” the reporter added.

Finally, Ken Kojima appeared with a plastic umbrella in hand. As the leader of Ae! group, he was there to support Kusama’s stage performance.