Independent Productions
“Art is a powerful weapon in the struggle for peace. It is the ultimate dance of victory in life. The sweat and tears of artists perfecting and performing their art are in themselves efforts in the construction of peace and culture for all humanity.” – Daisaku Ikeda (Translated from Japanese from the January 27, 1999, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai daily newspaper, (1997).)
Min-On’s mission is not limited to enhancing worldwide cultural exchange and providing a wide range of the finest performing arts; the organization also hosts a variety of independent productions throughout Japan every year to encourage the flourishing of music and the arts. These productions have included a number of operas independently produced by Min-On, as well as original musicals and plays. Most recently in 2008, Min- On created its own production of Odyssey—Brass Angels 2008, featuring an all-female cast with brass, percussion and color guard performers from the United States.
This unique production was named Music Motion Theater, which could be categorized as a new musical genre—a fusion of two different American performing arts traditions: marching bands and Broadway style musical theater.
Min-On Opera Production “Les contes d’Hoffmann” in 1984
Original Opera La Traviata in 1990
Min-On Popular Song Theater “Bokyo no Uta”
Original Musical “Swingin’ at Backstage” in 1995
Min-On Production Odyssey
Min-On Opera Productions
1983 “Le Nozze di Figaro”
Produced by Yasuhiko Aguni; Conducted by Yukinori Tezuka; Soloists: Tadahiko Hirano, Hiroshi Kudo, Mitsumasa Sato, Yukie Okura, Yukiko Iwasaki, Masako Saito, Yasuko Kozaki and Kimiko Nagahama
1984 “Les contes d’Hoffmann”
Produced by Keisuke Suzuki; Conducted by Seiji Ozawa; Soloists: Makoto Hayashi, Kiyomi Toyota, Yukie Okura, Yoshie Tanaka and Takao Okamura
1987 “La Cenerentola”
Produced by Yasuhiko Aguni; Conducted by Jerome Kaltenbach and Naohiro Totsuka; Soloists: Yoshihisa Yamaji, Eiichi Taira, Kiyoshi Oda, Hiroyuki Okayama, Kiyotaka Kaga, Taichi Uchiyama, Kazuko Nagai and Keiko Omi
1989 “The Queen of Spades”
Produced by Yasuhiko Aguni; Conducted by Seiji Ozawa; Soloists: Hiroshi Kawakami, Makoto Hayashi, Shinobu Sato, Masako Saida, Akemi Nishi, Aiko Kori, Michio Tatara and Susumu Matsumoto
1990 “La Traviata”
Produced by Yasuhiko Aguni and Shigetaka Matsumoto; Conducted by Jacques Delacote; Soloists: Shinobu Sato, Robert Alagna, Robert Flontali, Michiko Aoki, Yukimi Akiyama and Ikuo Obo
Original Dramas among Twenty-four Different Productions
1974 “Broken Drum,” starring Isamu Nagato
1976 Min-On Romantic Theater: “Hachiro Sato’s Song of Balloon,” starring Teruhiko Aoi
1978 Min-On Romantic Theater: “Hakushu Kitahara’s Path I Had Walked Once Before”
1981 Original Play: “Aoki Okami,” starring Tomisaburo Wakayama
1984 Min-On Popular Song Theater: “Bokyo no Uta,” starring Makoto Fujita
1987 Min-On Original Theater: “Omitsu,” starring Pinko Izumi
1990 “Boy and Cherry Trees” by Tsunobue Theater Company
1990 “The Rentaro Taki Story,” starring Noboru Matsuhashi
2004 Choral Theater: “Blue Sky,” starring Mai Kitajima and Singers
Original Musicals Among Twenty-three Different Productions
1973 “Genius Drifter,” starring Gannosuke Ashiya
1975 “October Is the Land of Twilight,” starring the Tokyo Kid Brothers
1975 “Chaplin and Me,” starring Ichiro Arishima
1976 “One Same Door,” starring the Tokyo Kid Brothers
1985 “Le Pettit Prince,” starring Hideko Yoshida
1995 “Swingin’ at Backstage,” starring Izumi Yukimura and Kaho Shimada
1995 “The Broadway Story,” starring Yoshinori Monta
2008 Music Motion Theater: “Odyssey—Brass Angels 2008”
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