The musical theater "Tokyu Theater Orb" located in Shibuya Hikarie. With a total seating capacity of 1972 seats, the theater boasts one of the most sophisticated equipment in the country, and since its opening in 2012, the musical culture has been transmitted from the city center of Shibuya. Midori Umino, the producer of this theater, is a person who has long been involved in inviting foreign musicals. The Tokyu Theater Orb says that he wants to stage works that match the character of Shibuya. I was able to see the encounter with Mr. Umino's musicals and the idea to put on the Tokyu Theater Orb.

The real thrill is to feel the flesh and blood of the breathing of the musical

Please talk about encounters with _ Umino-san and musical.

I am born in Iwate Prefecture, but I was a child, about once a year, the musical of Shiki Theatre Company came to the Iwate Prefectural Civic Centre at the local tour. Been brought to the mother at the time of the 7-year-old, he had watched the work called "Jesus Christ = Superstar" is the encounters with the musical. In this work the whole volume rock music is blaring musical, seating is also that it was very close to the speaker, there are memories that was very noisy. But, at that time, there is also that he had learned the modern ballet, became strange and the feeling that "also want to see". So so get take me to my mother later next year, is the feeling that it was drawn more and more attractive. Until high school was the acquaintance of year 1 and 2 present, from to Tokyo at the university, also Empire theater also Nissay, also because now near Orchard Hall, just watch unlimited situation. Touching overseas invitation of the musical is not in a rural location, further embedment, I have to save money I sent a student life that attend to the musical part-time job.

_ Where do you feel the charm of the musical.

I, movies and concerts I do not really like. Movie is great entertainment, but it is not a live. Concert is a live, but there is no story. Art to achieve both the live and the story is, I'm musical. Feeling the flesh and blood of breath on the stage, I remember great and the singing and dancing felt, just the excitement, such as goose bumps. There is not a movie or a concert, I think that it is a musical of the real thrill. However, in addition to the blockbuster of Hollywood, ante-mortem of Michael Jackson and Madonna, Paul McCartney, concerts such as Lady Gaga, you watch always. This people, why or collect tens of thousands of audience overnight because I think I would like to experience.

_ Time since I was, what was I want to the musical work.

It came to specifically think, I I was a high school student. At the time, Masachika san and Takeshi Kaga Mr. Ichimura come to Iwate, watching such as Izumi Yukimura, for a moment, now longs to dancer and want to dance on the stage. Local girls dream of the stage, I think everyone that it is mostly the same thinking circuit but ... (laughs). It is high school, by chance, ask to show the inside of the theater through the acquaintance to the staff of the Iwate Prefectural Civic Centre, I learned that there is a work's behind the scenes. Then gradually, In addition to the actors and technical staff, to know that there is work, such as planning and production, is in college now want involved in the production side.

The first time invited was the Broadway musical "Swing!"

After graduating _ University, he was joined in TV Asahi, what from what I think.

Looking at the musical of flyers, large companies have entered the television station as I said sure and in that enter one's name as an organizer. So is job hunting in addition to the production company, I've included a television station. Among them, TV Asahi, I applied there also was a guru of that road, which has been invited musical overseas from the first half of the 1980s. It irreverent if you now, "I do not watch television. I would like to do a musical" in the interview and clearly said that whether the was good, gave us some reason to adopt (laughs). However, not Tazusaware the musical immediately, after joining was responsible for amateur sport as a sports reporter. Finally the hope has become transferred to the events division through, the time that has passed from joining about 9 years. And the jackal from scratch, that were invited for the first time from abroad, was staged in 2002, the Broadway musical "Swing!". This is the box-office became a huge hit of about get even President's Award, but I'm the box office location was the Orchard Hall of Tokyubunkamura. Just opened its doors from Tokyubunkamura Classic at that time to the musical, it was also a place of challenge for us. Having thus auspicious I was off to a good start, from my boss who was appointed to New York at that time, "English is not enough. Then, if you do not know the more American hands" and was told severely with. To leave then for a year, it gave me an opportunity to study in a Broadway production company. This boss has passed away already, but I think that was the best negotiator in Japan even now. I will tell you so many things, it is better to us to shape now of me.

When you invite a musical from _ abroad, what is the very.

From attached to the beginning of the negotiating table, until it is actually staged, it takes about roughly two years. Japan today is very fast transition of the epidemic, because not uncommon that the last year of the trends go out of fashion this year, work to choose is really difficult. Then, it is still the charm of the works have never seen anyone, of who to whether tell, always plagued his head to a method of propaganda. Now, unlike 20 years ago, more and more companies to invite the musical, competition is intense. Even watching on Broadway thought, "good Do", often, I've took a voice from another company. Recently, you may already slow even at the stage of being adjusted by the trial in the regional cities. So and say what's up with, multiplied by the voice to people with limited theater industry at the timing when the script and score are met, there is a place for a presentation with dummy actors. Invited me in there, it is determined whether or not fit in Japan, we decide whether to enter into negotiations on the spot. If miss this opportunity, it will become too late.

_ Musical Will large as a business.

Musical competition is very vigorous in the United States, works Noshiagareru to Broadway is not only about ten from eight to one year. Half of which it will disappear after one year. Such only a few of the works that survive in the can, we managed to overseas performances. But, at the stage where so became a hit to the classic, is already not because not impossible first is that you are not the negotiation of other companies invited, it is necessary to make the green harvest much earlier. When will the difference is scale to invite the cast of about 50 to 70 people by the work, the pressure is really great because it what is required budget of billion units. Profit margin in the case of the theater box office is generally about 10%, do not always worry about running out to the sales of the ticket because you do not have a large profit margin is the difference with other industries.

_ Japan and in the United States, it is likely there is a large difference in the musical culture.

I agree. In the United States, the musical is intended national sport like a middle, it has been established as a business model. Producer increases the visibility allowed to hit on Broadway, we aim to become a big and box office in the United States by Hissage its work. When I was a child, once a year, but was a story that had enjoyed a barnstorming, in the United States of the region there is a most musical about five years box office. Theater announced an annual program at the beginning of the year, I sell cheaper tickets for a set of five. Such a mechanism is not finished in the United States, musical fan exists in all over the country. Positioned for $ 10 for the Americans at the pleasure of once a week to watch movies, musicals such as the notch on. Musical to enjoy the live stage, movie or different from, it has been accepted as a little luxury entertainment.

_ Japan's musical fans what kind of situations of you do?

First of all, there a certain number of core fans that the watch always musical that has been invited from abroad. Around it, that surrounds a layer of light fans such as "This time, let's watch because it looks interesting", is a donut-shaped image. It is how we increase the layer of donuts, will depend on how the publicity.

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