A feast of sound and aesthetic sense woven by violinist Furusawa Iwao and actor Yamamoto Koji.
The third installment of "Dandyism Banquet" kicked off in style on Saturday, July 19th in Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture.
The play is written and directed by actor Koji Yamamoto. In addition to the unique and captivating performance of world-renowned violinist Iwao Furusawa, Yamamoto unleashes his full potential as a narrator, singer, and performer. A group of accomplished musicians, including musical director Satoshi Shiotani (piano), Yosuke Konuma (guitar), Gen Ogimi (percussion), and Yosuke Inoue (bass), will lead the audience into a superb musical experience.
A boy emerges from the darkness. What is the origin of the sublimation of "sound" into "music," the roots of music that continue from ancient times to the present? The boy, who discovered "sound" in a world of nothingness, sets out on a journey with skilled performers in search of "his own music." The audience is drawn into the journey as well.
"Music is something that is always there for us." As Satie's melody, which is both nostalgic and new, transitions into a lively violin rhythm, the tension in the audience immediately dissipates, and clapping naturally breaks out. The audience's hearts soon become immersed in the world of music, and begin to resonate with it.
Gypsy music, a forte of Furusawa Iwao's, and famous songs from musicals starring Yamamoto Koji also make appearances throughout the show. There is no end to the highlights. What is dandyism? How should an older man live beautifully? The play quietly questions such aesthetics. After the show ended, the audience listened in silence, reluctant to let the performance end, before bursting into applause and a standing ovation, offering their heartfelt praise.
Nowadays, there is a demand for new styles of stage performances that don't fit into existing frameworks, and Dandyism Banquet 3 is the embodiment of this. The tour continues to evolve as it travels around the country, finishing with great success in Kumamoto and Osaka, and will continue its musical journey to Okayama, Shiga, Nagoya, Kobe, and Saitama.
It doesn't end with sound or acting. A new world where aesthetics come alive.
A feast called dandyism that throws off all boundaries.
I hope you enjoy this special time to the fullest.
Performance title: Iwao Furusawa x Koji Yamamoto
DANDYISM BANQUET 3Dandyism Banquet 3A musical stage that invites you with a story
Cast: Iwao Furusawa (violin), Koji Yamamoto (narrator and singer),
Satoshi Shiotani (musical director, piano), Yosuke Onuma (guitar),
Gen Ogimi (percussion), Yosuke Inoue (bass)
Directed by: Koji Yamamoto
Iwao Furusawa (violin)
He graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music at the top of his class. After winning competitions both in Japan and abroad, he began creating new stages with Taro Hakase, a collaboration that continues to this day. Every December, he holds a concert tour with members of the Berlin Philharmonic. To mark the 50th anniversary of FM's long-running program "JET STREAM," he performed the theme song "Mister Lonely" with members of the Berlin Philharmonic. His weekly appearance on the competitive dance program "Melody in D" is now in its fifth year (TV Tokyo (Thurs) 21:54 – BS TV Tokyo (Sat) 25:30-).
A new world began when I met Yamamoto Koji.
Their latest album, "Iwa Suite ~ La Campanella" (HATS), will be released in May 2025.
Koji Yamamoto (narrator and singer)
He made his stage debut in the Japanese premiere of "Les Miserables" in 1987, and attracted attention in 1993 with "Under One Roof." He has appeared in many productions, including the films "What Did You Eat Yesterday?", "Shin Ultraman," "If Tokugawa Ieyasu Were Prime Minister," and "Cells at Work," as well as the stage productions "Asakusa Kid" and "Wuthering Heights." He won the Yomiuri Theater Award for Best Actor for his role in the musical "Memphis."
He gained popularity for his role as Hijikata Toshizo in the 2004 Taiga drama "Shinsengumi!", and received high praise for his stunning performances as Fujiwara no Yorinaga in "Taira no Kiyomori" in 2012, Ishida Mitsunari in "Sanada Maru" in 2016, and Miura Yoshimura in "The 13 Lords of the Kamakura" in 2022. In 2024, he starred in the Japanese-American co-production Broadway musical "RENT," reprising the same role as Mark 26 years ago, entirely in English, and his momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
Satoshi Shionoya (musical director, piano)
Pianist/Composer/Arranger/Producer
As a solo artist, he has released 12 original albums to date. His activities span a wide range of genres and forms, including collaborations with pianist Makoto Ozone, vocalist Chikuzen Sato in "SALT & SUGAR," and shamisenist Hiromitsu Agatsuma in "AGA-SHIO." He has also collaborated with Richard Stoltzman on cla and Steve Gadd on drums, among many others. His media credits include the music for NHK Educational TV's "Shumi Doraku: Shionoya Satoshi's Rhythm Piano" (2014) and the NHK Educational TV music puppet variety show "Korenande Shokai" (2016-March 2022). He is currently an associate professor of jazz at the Kunitachi College of Music.
DANDYISM BANQUET 3 DANDYISM BANQUET 3 2025 TOUR
Miyazaki Performance: July 19th (Sat) Doors open 18:00 / Performance begins 18:30
Hyuga City Cultural Exchange Center Large Hall
Kumamoto performance: July 21st (Monday holiday) Doors open 15:15 / Start 16:00
Kumamoto Castle Hall Main Hall
Osaka performance:
Saturday, July 26th Doors open 15:15/Starts 16:00
Sunday, July 27th Doors open 13:15/Start 14:00
Shin Kabukiza
Okayama Performance: Sunday, September 7th Doors open at 15:15 / Performance begins at 16:00
Okayama Arts Creative Theater, Hallenowa Grand Theater
Shiga Performance: Saturday, September 13th Doors open at 13:15 / Performance begins at 14:00
Omihachiman City Cultural Center
Aichi Performance: Sunday, September 14th Doors open at 15:15 / Performance begins at 16:00
Aichi Prefectural Arts Theatre Concert Hall
Kobe performance: Monday, September 15th (national holiday) Doors open at 15:15 / Show starts at 16:00
Kobe International House International Hall
Tokyo Performance: Sunday, September 21st Doors open at 15:15 / Performance begins at 16:00
Bunkamura Orchard Hall
Hokkaido Performance: Tuesday, October 7th Doors open at 18:00 / Performance begins at 18:30
Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru
Saitama performance: Saturday, October 25th, doors open 15:30 / performance begins 16:30
Saitama Civic Hall Omiya (RaiBoCHall) Large Hall
Planning and production: NHK Enterprises
Official performance website : https://dandyismbanquet.jp
(Publicity and public relations: Kyodo Factory)
・Contact information for organizers wishing to hold a concert: https://dandyismbanquet.jp/contact.php
For general customers: Contact details at https://dandyismbanquet.jp/schedule.html
