ロネとジージのコメディMusicライブを観てきました。
連休の始まりとあって新幹線も品川駅も人、人、人。あまりの多さに圧倒されながら青山の会場へ。
今日の「仮面舞踏会」、クラウンの動きや中国ゴマ、マジックなど初めて見る技が次々展開され、ロネジジの芸の幅広さには驚嘆します。二人の息の合ったクラウニングは何気なさそうに見えますが、難しい技であることは私にも分かります。また個々の得意技も印象に残ります。沢山ありますが例をあげるならロネのクリスタルボールを両手で滑らせるように操るのは美しくうっとりするし、ジージの観客を巻き込んで笑わせるあの間と言葉の可笑しさは何なんでしょう。誰にも真似できません。
音楽もまた印象的でした。同行した友人が終演後ピアノのAYAJIさんにしゃぼん玉の歌が讃美歌に似ていると話していました。後でパンフレットを見たら、日本に輸入された最古の讃美歌の改変であると記してあり、敬虔なクリスチャンの友人ならではの気付きだと思いました。
終わって、表参道で開催中の三重の伝統工芸「伊勢型紙」の彫刻師、内田勲氏の展示会を友人の案内で見に行きました。初めて知った日本の素晴らしい工芸技術です。友人のお嬢さんが米国の大学でデザインを勉強した後、内田氏から技術を習得し、現在は独自の世界観で美術品を制作し注目されていると知ったことも嬉しい限りです。
I went to the live performance of RONE & Gigi at Aoyama in Tokyo. Since it was the beginning of three consecutive holidays, both Shinkansen (bullet train) and Shinagawa Station were full of people.
The title of the show was "Masquerade ball". I was amazed by their range of skills such as clown movements, Diabolo, and others which I experienced for the first time. Their clownings with two clowns look easy but require difficult techniques. The individual special skills are also impressive. For example, the way the crystal ball slid between RONE's hands was so smooth and beautiful. Also, the Gig's timing and words, and her ability to get the audience involved and make them laugh, are all very professional and nobody else can do it.
The music in the show was also impressive. My friend who watched with me talked to the pianist after the show about one of the songs which had a similar melody to a hymn. It was true. They sang a familiar Japanese children's song in the show but there was an explanation about the song in the program of the show that it was modified from a hymn when it came from Western society in the Meiji period (1868-1912). She noticed it because she is a Christian.
After the show, we went to an exhibition of Japanese traditional crafts by Isao Uchida who is an engraver of Ise pattern paper and holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property. I saw his works which were so beautiful. My friend's daughter, Risa Kojyo, is an artist who learned the technique from Mr. Uchida, and she is creating her own crafts for Kimonos which have attracted attention from many people. I heard about it from my friend and it made me very happy.