ダンス・オブ・ヴァンパイア

 2006 ダンス・オブ・ヴァンパイア Original Japan Cast

Cast: Yuichiro Yamaguchi Chihiro Otsuka Tamaki Kenmochi Kenji Urai Yohei Izumi Masachika Ichimura Masahiro Sato Satomi Achiwa Yuko Miyamoto Keigo Yoshino Hajime Komada

9/11.08.2006 Tanz der Vampire Tokyo, Japan
Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Chihiro Otsuka (Sarah Act 1), Tamaki Kenmotsu (Sarah Act 2), Kenji Urai (Alfred Act 1), Yohei Izumi (Alfred Act 2), Masachika Ichimura (Abronsius), Yuko Miyamoto (Magda), Keygo Yoshino (Herbert), Masahiro Sato (Chagal), Satomi Achiwa (Rebecca), Hajime Komada (Koukol)
SOUNDBOARD. Official recording. Includes tracks with alternate cast after both acts.

15.08.2006 Tanz der Vampire Tokyo

Yuichiro Yamaguchi, Chihiro Otsuka, Keigo Yoshino, Masahiro Sato, Kenji Urai, Masachika Ichimura, Yuki Miyamoto, Satomi Achiwa, Hajime Komada, Youya Shinjo

26.08.2006 ダンス・オブ・ヴァンパイア (VOB)

Cast: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Kenji Urai (Alfred), Chihiro Otsuka (Sarah), Masachika Ichimura (Professor Abronsius), Masahiro Sato (Chagal), Keigo Yoshino (Herbert), Yuko Miyamoto (Magda), Satomi Achiwa (Rebecca), Hajime Komada (Koukol)

26.08.2006 Tanz der Vampire Tokyo, Japan (MP3)

Yuichiro Yamaguchi, Tamaki Kenmotsu, Yohei Izumi, Masachika Ichimura, Yuko Miyamoto, Masahiro Sato, Satomi Achiwa, Keigo Yoshino

Kenmotsu’s last performance

26.08.2006 Tanz der Vampire - Tokyo, Japan - Matinee Stalls (VOB)

CAST: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Graf von Krolock), Chihiro Otsuka (Sarah Chagal), Kenji Urai (Alfred), Masachika Ichimura (Professor Abronsius), Yuko Miyamoto (Magda), Masahiro Sato (Yone Chagal), Satomi Achiwa (Rebecca Chagal), Keigo Yoshino (Herbert von Krolock), Hajime Komada (Koukol), Youya Shinjo (Schwarzer Vampir)

NOTES: Last matinee for 2006 block. Updated 2-disks version with really better quality than 1-disk version, this one also includes curtain calls and “Die Vampire Bitten zum Tanz (Reprise)”. Very good video quality and good zooms, but many head obstruction. Also master hides his camera quite often.

26.08.2006 Tanz der Vampire - First Japanese Version
CAST: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Graf von Krolock), Tamaki Kenmotsu (Sarah Chagal), Yohei Izumi (Alfred), Masachika Ichimura (Professor Abronsius), Yuko Miyamoto (Magda), Masahiro Sato (Yone Chagal), Satomi Achiwa (Rebecca Chagal), Keigo Yoshino (Herbert von Krolock), Hajime Komada (Koukol), Youya Shinjo (Schwarzer Vampir)
NOTES: Last performance for Kenmotsu.

14.11.2015 Tanz der Vampire - Second Japanese Version - Tokyo, Japan - LT

CAST: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Graf von Krolock), Mimi Maihane (Sarah Chagal), Shinji Rachi (Alfred), Zen Ishikawa (Professor Abronsius), Sonim (Magda), Kong Kuwata (Yone Chagal), Aya Izumo (Rebecca Chagal), Kohei Ueguchi (Herbert von Krolock), Hajime Komada (Koukol)

2:1 Limited Trades. 1st day after premiere. Maihane and Rachi’s first. Includes proshot of curtain calls and “Die Vampire Bitten Zum Tanz (Reprise)” Tracked in German song titles

04.11.2015 ダンス・オブ・ヴァンパイア Tokyo LT
Cast: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Shinji Rachi (Alfred), Mimi Mihane (Sarah), Zen Ishikawa (Professor Abronsius), Kuwata kong (Chagal), Kouhei Ueguchi (Herbert), Sonin (Magda), Aya Izumo (Rebecca), Hajime Komada (Koukol)

14.11.2015 Tanz der Vampire Evening; Tokyo, Japan
Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Mimi Maihane (Sarah), Genki Hirakata (Alfred), Zen Ishikawa (Abronsius), Sonim (Magda), Kouhei Ueguchi (Herbert), Kong Kuwata (Chagal), Aya Izumo (Rebecca), Hajime Komada (Koukol), Youya Shinjo (Black Vampire)

ダンス・オブ・ヴァンパイア Japan Highlights

Cast:  Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Graf) 

03.11.2015 Tanz der Vampire Tokyo, Japan
Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Sayaka Kanda (Sarah), Genki Hirakata (Alfred), Zen Ishikawa (Abronsius), Sonim (Magda), Kohei Ueguchi (Herbert), Kong Kuwata (Chagal), Aya Izumo (Rebecca), Hajime Komada (Koukol)
Premiere of re-edited production. Some sort of documentary. Includes backstages, preparing to the show, post-show interviews, fragments shooted from the side of the stage and audience proshot. Documentary

11.01.2016 Tanz der Vampire Second Japanese Version - LT

CAST: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Sayaka Kanda (Sarah), Shinji Rachi (Alfred), Zen Ishikawa (Abronsius), Sonim (Magda), Kohei Ueguchi (Herbert), Kong Kuwata (Chagal), Aya Izumo (Rebecca), Hajime Komada (Koukol), Youya Shinjo (Vampire Dancer)

09.11.2019 Tanz der Vampire 3rd Version Tokyo Japan, Imperial Theatre Matinee

Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Sayaka Kanda (Sarah), Keisuke Higashi (Alfred), Zen Ishikawa (Abronsius), Chihiro Otsuka (Magda), Takuya Uehara (Herbert), Kong Kuwata (Chagal), Satomi Achiwa (Magda), Hajime Komada (Koukol), Kaiji Moriyama (Vampire Dancer)

Absolutely brilliant 1440p capture directly from the master. Very steady filming and great close-ups are presented, sound is very clear. Very minor obstruction which is rarely visible, except seriously obstructed Knoblauch. Missing the overtures for both acts, the final scene and the curtain calls are just audio with black screen. There are skips between some scenes but it does not lead to any missing footage.

I rarely write reviews, especially here, but I think a short one is required in this case. Firstly, I need to mention that basically this is going to be a comparison of this video with the only another video of Japanese TDV I know at this moment, the 26.08.2006 video. First thing to mention is that the production is still based on Vienna 1997 version, not Germany or Vienna 2009 version like all the others: some songs are still longer, Fur Sarah is still heard in the library etc. Visually the production seriously differs from the 2006 and 2015 versions, this one looks much more European: Chagals got a full sized house at last, the castle looks much more solid and the production seems to be much more expensive overall, still the costumes seems to be fully identical to the 2015 version. Nevertheless, some spirit of Japanese 'craziness' is still here, after all where else you would see the upper jaw from the logo at the entrance to the castle? Cast seems to have a lot of fun which is great to see in shows like TDV. Speaking of cast, it should be mentioned that quite a few members didn't left the show after 13 years and hundreds of performances, these are Yamaguchi as Krolock, Achiwa as Rebecca and Komada as Koukol. Also Otsuka returned to the cast, now as Magda, 10 years after she sang Sarah for the last time.

Obviously I have to write something about Yuichiro Yamaguchi as well. Strange enough, even though I don't think that he revised his Krolock, the difference between this iteration and 2006 one is significant, but I think this is a natural logical process. Now Yamaguchi acts like a hermit who partly forgot how to communicate with people, now he is much more enthusiastic and show emotions. Yamaguchi's Krolock always was unique because he implemented some acting technique from traditional Kabuki's way of playing demons and here that techniques are even more notable. Also the long friendship between Yamaguchi and Ishikawa (Abronsius) gives them a certain vibe in the finale of the first act. Interesting thing is that Keisuke Higashi is very tall, this is a rare (or even unique?) case when Alfred is taller than Krolock and also it is the first time when Yamaguchi interacts with anybody taller than him on stage and I think he is somewhat confused by that because it never happened to him during previous 40 years of his career. Speaking of interaction between Krolock and Alfred, for me it is obvious that Yamaguchi's Count is more sexually attracted to Alfred than any Herbert. I mean it's Krolock who flirts with Alfred during "Vor dem Schloss", not Herbert! I always thought that bisexuals (not to mention other sexualities and genders) are less represented in musicals than homosexuals, so this is a nice addition. Overall the production is more sexualized than European and previous Japanese productions, still it's not vulgar as the Broadway production, and the spirit of the original is still present.

11.11.2019 Tanz der Vampire Evening Tokyo, Japan VLT 

CAST: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Krolock), Sayaka Kanda (Sarah), Keisuke Higashi (Alfred), Zen Ishikawa (Abronsius), Chihiro Otsuka (Magda), Takuya Uehara (Herbert), Kong Kuwata (Chagal), Satomi Achiwa (Magda), Hajime Komada (Koukol), Yousuke Sato (Vampire Dancer)

NOTES: Yamaguchi-oriented highlights plus a couple of funny bits. Same master as above, but the different position allows to give a lot of amazing shots. Same performers for Sarah and Alfred, unfortunately. Yamaguchi gives much better performance than in the full video.

Japan: Tokio (7. Juli 2006 - 27. August 2006 Imperial Theater, 5. Juli 2009 - 26. August 2009 Imperial Theater, 27. November 2011 - 24. Dezember 2011 Imperial Theater), Fukuoka (2. September 2009 - 27. September 2009 Hakataza), Ōsaka (7. Januar 2012 - 12. Januar 2012 Umeda Arts Theater)