The Takarazuka Revue's Romeo & Juliette: The State Theatre's Response to Japan's National Crisis by Gary Dean Lindeburg A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Ogden, Utah April, 14, 2015 Dr. Samantha Katz Seal Dr. Michael Wutz 1. In Fair Verona, Where We Lay Our Scene In the summer of 2010, the Takarazuka Revue produced the first Japanese version of the French musical Romeo & Juliette, composed by Gerard Presgurvic. I was fortunate enough to have been able to see the show, as performed by the Star Troupe, in its opening week at the Umeda Arts Theatre in Osaka, Japan. Within the next two years, different versions of the same musical were staged a further four times: twice by the Snow and Moon Troupes of Takarazuka using the same sets and script and nearly the same staging, once featuring popular television star Yu Shirota featuring a completely rewritten script containing jokes about social media, culminating in a performance of the original French version produced and arranged by Presgurvic. Watching each of these versions, it was clear that an element to the show touched on something deep within the Japanese consciousness. The musical followed the same basic story arc as Shakespeare's play, but elements were subtly altered to draw attention to particular concerns. Characters were added or removed, elements of the staging were drastically altered, and interactions were taken a different route according to Japanese tastes. The relationship between Shakespeare and Japan has been long and filled with adaptations geared to make a political statement. Of all the productions, it was the similarly staged Takarazuka versions that had the clearest intent. In the theatrical community of Japan, there are few companies that have as strong a reputation for social didacticism as the Takarazuka Revue, whom have staged Shakespeare adaptations frequently throughout their history. I argue that their 2010 performance of Romeo & Juliette was devised to build national awareness of the population crisis by discouraging divorce, suicide, and low birth rates "caused" by the predominantly female audience. 2. Shakespeare's Social Influence on Japanese History The mainstream introduction of Shakespeare's plays was delayed for centuries by the isolationist pol icies of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868). Beginning in the early seventeenth century, Japan closed itself off from trade with outside nations by imposing harsh punishments for any transgression of this dictate. The formerly fragmented nation, brought under the single rule of Tokugawa leyasu by dethroning the emperor, sought to reduce foreign influence by turning out all religious missionaries and all but a few merchants. Although the influx of cultural ideas was reduced to a trickle, Shakespeare's works managed to make their way into Japan. The earliest adaptations of Shakespeare's works came to Japan with Dutch merchants in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in performances produced to entertain the sailors. Themes from these plays made their way into bunraku puppet performances as early as 1695's Birthday Picture of Buddha (Shaka Nyorai Tanjoe), which contained elements of The Merchant of Venice, and 1771's Mount Imo and Mount Se: An Exemplary Tale of Womanly Virtue (Imoseyama Onna Teikin), which is one of the earliest known Japanese versions of Romeo and Juliet (Brandon 26). These early adaptations borrowed themes and scenarios, but had new stories that neither credited Shakespeare nor followed his literary style. The bunraku and kabuki performances relied on the musical joruri form to convey the story, so the spoken format of the plays was changed in favor of the chanted Japanese style (Sano 342). Keeping the story elements intact while greatly altering the format has been the hallmark of Japanese Shakespeare, seen more recently in Akira Kurosawa's samurai versions of Macbeth(Kumonosu-jo) and King Lear (Ran) and the animated Romeo + Juliet, which is set in a fantasy world filled with dragons and airships. The first credited translation of Shakespeare's plays appeared in the political newspaper Kenseito Shinbun in 1883 as a serialized version of Julius Caesar. This line-by¬line translation by schoolteacher Keizo Kawashima, "An(sic) European Drama: A Play of Julius Caesar," was quickly overshadowed within a year by Shoyo Tsubouchi's kabuki styled "A Strange Tale of Caesar: Remembered Sharpness of the Sword of Liberty (Shizaru Kidan Jiyu no Tachi Nagori no Kireaji)." Tsubouchi states in his preface that he tries to remain true to the original text even though he renders it into the joruri style to please the audience (Sano 342). Even at this early stage, the Japanese viewers are more interested in Shakespeare when the story is intact but the format is lyrical. As the first widely published of Shakespeare's plays in Japan, Julius Caesar was not merely an entertainment piece but a political tool in the Meiji Restoration. This worked well, as "Shakespeare was still received as a source of enlightenment for the youth" and "the movement for democratic government and politics was particularly active around the years 1883-84" (Sano 343). After nearly three centuries under the Togugawa Shogunate's rule, a large movement was made to restore Emperor Meiji to the throne. The parallel between the shogun and Caesar was clearly drawn and the play was used to send a pointed message to audiences. Although it can be debated as to what degree these translations helped the movement, the influx of foreign ideas and technology encouraged by the emperor were vital in the overthrow of the shogun. The 1854 "gunship diplomacy" of American Commodore Perry forced Japan to begin open trade bringing art, culture and most importantly political ideology to the isolated nation (Gordon 52). What had been a trickle for centuries became a flood of new ideas that many latched onto as the nation emerged on the world stage. As far as cultural these cultural imports went, few have had as much lasting impact as Shakespeare's plays. One of the greatest concerns for "globalized" Shakespeare is the amount of material that is lost in translation. As Romeo and Juliet is, itself, adapted from earlier Italian novels, it is easy to argue that his specific wording is all that makes the play "Shakespearean." The fear is that performances only use Shakespeare as "a brand name, as a marketing gimmick in 'Bardmart'" (Yoshihara 152). While it is true that Shakespeare has become commoditized in the modern world, global topics allow his plays to retain an innate relatability. What happens in good performances is a translation of the metatextual themes within the plays that retain the overall messages even when the specific vocabulary is necessarily altered. 3. The Takarazuka Revue: a Theatre of Normativity The Takarazuka Revue, from its founding in 1913, was an outlet for western style musicals to be produced in the rapidly industrializing nation. The purpose of the troupe as envisioned by founder Isao Oyama was to be the ultimate kokumingeki, or state theater (Robertson 165). The importance of the movement goes beyond entertainment, as: "State theatre" was defined as "a theatre devoted to raising to its highest level, the present form of [Japanese] culture which has been shaped in the past"(Yamamoto 1931: 368), and as "a theatre in which the spiritual essence of the [Japanese] people is expressed and nurtured"(lizuka 1941: 45). The movement, in short, was designed to facilitate the "advance of the Japanese people" (Nihon minzoku hatten), a nationalist agenda that won the support of the military government. (Robertson 165) As a theatre following this agenda, Takarazuka has had a long history of performances that were designed to comment on, reinforce, and occasionally correct the social behaviors of the audience. The main feature of the Takarazuka Revue is that the entire cast is female. During the Tokugawa Shogunate's rule, women were forbidden from public performance with strict consequences for transgressors. As the Meiji government worked to catch up with the modern world, many of these restrictions were relaxed. By the founding of Takarazuka women were allowed onto the stage, but the professions still had a heavy stigma. Even at this time "actresses (onnayakusha, joyu) were still publicly denounced as 'defiled women' who led profligate lives"(Robertson 167). By strictly adhering to traditional morality, the Revue was able to flourish despite the public view of the performers. It is vital to note that the troupe has always performed Western style shows, having been based on French operetta companies, and their earliest performances were adaptations of Western fairy tales, fables, historical figures, and even biblical stories (Berlin 40). To this day, each performance ends with a chorus line that reprises up¬tempo versions of the most popular songs from the show. This move followed the political positioning began during the Meiji Restoration of using Western art as a means of Japanese advancement. These performances "captured the 'twentieth-century Zeitgeist' infused with a 'superior' Japanese spirit" (Robertson 168), creating works based on foreign originals that were truly Japanese. By keeping the flair and forward thinking of other nations while holding Japanese tradition, Takarazuka served as a normative force in society. The majority of didactic lessons included were geared towards women, as the audience has been predominantly younger females in the postwar era (Berlin 39) and the all-female cast is meant as a microcosm of female roles in society. A long running theme throughout the troupe's history is the controversial "Good wife and wise mother" policy, where "a woman's vocation was to be that of a nurturer. Her role was to be centered on the home"(Gordon 111). This was not only promoted through the shows, but by the lives of the performers. The actresses, particularly the otokoyaku (women playing men's roles), were expected to remain unmarried virgins during their performing careers and later retire to be housewives. By living in this mold the actresses served as role models for other women, which allowed the shows to have far reaching impacts within society. The Takarazuka model of addressing issues has been facing some of the greatest societal problems in the troupe's history in the last twenty years. Much of their early history was dedicated to building a Japanese version of what was perceived as a "modern family" based on the "good wife and wise mother" ideology. It was not until more recently that the stance changed, and their position went from building to defending national family values. As the influence from other nations continued, Japan needed to protect the social structure that helped them become a powerhouse in the post-war economy. 4. Modern Japan and Post-bubble Society As Japan faced its own sexual revolution in the 1980's and 1990's, the role of women as purely wife and mother began falling apart. More women began entering and staying in the workforce, regardless of familial disposition. It has only been around twenty years since the first Equal Employment Opportunity Law was passed, and there are still many within society struggling against women's liberation (Imamura 83). A stronger workforce is seen as necessary to revitalize the economy, but the current social climate has made this an increasingly difficult proposition. These stronger female roles have been unfairly blamed for one of the largest issues looming in the Japanese consciousness—the declining birthrate. In the first decade of the millennium, the average number of children per couple stood at 1.29 (Goto et al 191), not enough to replace the rapidly ageing workforce. There are several scenarios that are held to have led to this that the nation is trying to address: women waiting longer to have children, women choosing a career over family, the higher instances of premarital conception, and the sharply increasing abortion rate (Goto et al 198). It even goes as far as the feeling of " 'selfish' women who reject traditional gender roles have been blamed for the low birthrate and the state has been criticized for its inability to provide a climate in which young people may balance marriage, child rearing and paid work"(lmamura 82). Women, the target audience of Takarazuka, are held as the problem in every scenario for the cause of the crisis by those that wish to perpetuate the traditional patriarchy. Not only is Japan facing the loss of population through fewer births, but it also has an inordinately high suicide rate. Within the last few years, Japan has ranked ninth worldwide for suicides, and suicide is the seventh most common cause of death in the country (Liu et al. 326). In this area it is the men that are in the lead, as unmarried and/or unemployed men have the highest suicide rate. In the last twenty years, the male suicide rate has increased by nearly 50%, jumping from about 23 suicides per 100,000 people to 35, while the female rate has continued at a fairly stable rate in the same time period at around 10 per 100,000(Liu et al. 327). In the cases of men, it was noted that the highest suicide rates were from men that had been divorced after losing their jobs, as "men were more affected by marriage because the stronger link in Japan between family status and employment"(Lavey and Silver 684).The fallout of divorce in Japan favors the wife(Liu et al. 327), again placing the responsibility on women for the resulting suicides. While these two scenarios are challenging enough alone, the combination could potentially prove disastrous. The one element that connects the two is the perceived cause: women that reject the traditional role of subservient daughter, wife, and mother. While this can be argued from other cultural standpoints, it is clear that within Japanese society this is viewed as the problem. In its function as a state theatre, Takarazuka addresses the issue with Romeo & Juliette: a show that fits the preferred musical format, is performed by a much-loved company, is based on a story by Shakespeare, and is rife with didactic intent aimed at women. 5. The "Rock Musical" as Adaptive Vehicle The potential loss of generations is the strong thematic element picked up in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that the Takarazuka Revue enforced in their adaptation of Gerard Presgurvic's Romeo et Juliette. The choice of story, warning against the actions of the main protagonists, is enriched for the Japanese audience by certain choices made in the production. The clear didactic intent of a State Theatre is in full swing, enforcing a societal expectation that will hopefully ensure the birth and continuation of Japan's future citizens. The choice of a musical performance has its ties to traditional Japanese theatre. Just like the earliest joruri versions of Shakespeare, Presgurvic's music and lyrical base were already well suited to the tastes of the intended audience. As a translation of a musical of a translation, the strong elements of the original not only survived, but were expanded by Takarazuka's arrangement. The framework of the musical, enhanced with Japanese sensibility, left the performance as something derivative, yet ultimately unique, through the various layers of adaptation. Each production employs several theatrical devices to ensure that certain subtextual themes from Shakespeare's original are present, regardless of the international translation. Presgurvic, following the "rock musical" trend, used music as the clearest vehicle for the subtext. Harder rock & roll songs like the opening number "Verone" and "La Maine" are used to indicate the strife within society and the families. "Le Rois du Monde" and "Les Beaux, Les Laids" are catchier, pop tunes that tend to envoke societal issues that stick with the audience after they leave. "Le Balcon" falls into the final notable category, the ballad, which is obviously used in romantic scenes to set the tone. These auditory cues are universal, as modern pop culture has ensured that the evoked emotions and images are uniform across a spectrum of nations. Another obvious indicator used in the French original and most of the following adaptations of the strife between the families is the color palate used for each. The Montagues are all dressed in shades of blue, indicative of the calmer and more traditional attitudes represented by Benvolio, the vassal that most frequently represents the family in the various street brawls. The Capulets, with their representative Tybalt, wear reds that match their fiery natures. The underlying shift in the loyalties of the lovers is indicated through a gradual change in costume; as the play continues, their wardrobe becomes progressively whiter. By the end, their familial allegiance is no longer implied by a color, representing a complete shift in loyalty to each other. While this message could be seen as romantic to Japanese viewers, it goes against the historical arrangement of parental household mergers. A long standing tradition, at least for anyone above a peasant stature, was for the wife to move into the home of her in-laws as the lowest ranking member of the ie" (family unit)(lmamura 77). Each member was recorded in the house's "F^- koseki," the register serving as part census/ part genealogy that institutionally maintained the family-first arrangement. The recent shifts toward romantic relationships that minimize the importance of this structure are frequent targets for Takarazuka, and this production uses an element unique to Presgurvic's version to offer a grim warning for this transgression. One of the largest theatrical alterations is the addition of a major, but silent, character. A dancer representing Death looms in the background of most scenes as a constant warning to the audience. As an unseen force wandering throughout the performance, Death drives many of the events. It is Death that leads the two lovers together, Death that brings the warring houses together for their fateful confrontation, and Death that leads the messenger carrying Juliette's message to Romeo astray. Like Shakespeare, Presgurvic presented a message that is bleak and tragic—all actions are premeditated by death, leading us to the grave. The star-crossed lovers were fated to fall in love and die without any choice. Takarazuka took the element of Death that Presgurvic added and adapted it to their needs. Working against, and at times with, Death, a dancer representing Love acts as a benevolent force throughout the show. During Capulet's ball, it is Love that leads the two together while Death tries to bring Romeo to Tybalt. Love also tries to lead Romeo away from his confrontation with Tybalt after Mercutio's murder, but he chooses to follow Death. The added function of Love, which gives the characters an element of choice, reinforces the point for the audience that they are capable of determining their own fates, but the looming presence of Death is a reminder of the consequences of poor decisions. Although these theatrical elements add to the underlying message through visuals, it is in the songs and their translated lyrics that much of the commentary is found. Functioning much like Shakespeare's soliloquys, the songs allow for insights into the characters that transcend the traditional dialogue that links the songs and drive the overall story. They are the moments where the performers break the fourth wall and directly address the audience with their innermost thoughts—the perfect opportunity to instruct the audience of a state theater. 6. Social strife and the family unit The crux of the story is the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, introduced in the song "Verone," "Bero-na" in the Japanese. Many specific elements of the lyrics in each version draw attention to the social message of Shakespeare's original, coming into focus with Takarazuka's built-in agenda. Presgurvic's wording is a general introduction to the story with the Prince of Verona acting as welcoming committee. "You who believe you have seen it all/ You who have travelled, you who have read/ there is nothing more to astonish you/ welcome to Verona" ("Romeo" 4) This is a bridge for the audience, allowing them to impose their own expectations of behavior and interaction onto the characters. Next is the chorus, which remains constant throughout the song, introducing the idea that "here two families make the law" ("Romeo" 4) but leaving all specifics of the plot out. Any viewer can see themselves and their neighbors in this situation to some degree, as the prince points out "Of course here, it's like elsewhere/ The men aren't the worst, nor the best" ("Romeo" 4) This allows for an open approach, but the lack of identifiable information other than the city's name comes off as a little too generic. Takarazuka's version, on the other hand, goes deeply into establishing the Shakespeare brand in their translation. The prince still introduces the city, but adds, "Montague! Capulet!/ Two houses fight in whatever age in a'continuing quarrel" ("Miyujikaru" 9), hearkening back to Shakespeare's "Two housholds, both alike in dignity/ In fair Verona where we lay our scene,/From ancient grudge break into new mutiny"(l.l, 1-3). Unlike the potential for projection in the French version, this removal of the action to a clear and remote place allows Takarazuka to explore these themes without allowing the audience to draw parallels to their own city. The displacement allows them to take moral instruction from the story and learn from the mistakes of the characters without admitting that these troubling issues openly exist within their own society. The Japanese departs further from the French and the Prince's second verse is taken over by several of the young male characters. Benvolio, Mercutio, and Tybalt each get a section that not only fleshes out their conflict but establishes the attitudes the youths have towards authority: Benvolio: Even if your Excellency steps in to stop us Mercutio: We will not stop Tybalt: We don't care about things like the law, They are useless to us My only ally is my knife Ben., Mer., Tyb.: We were born and raised on these streets Fighting is the destiny we were born with ("Miyujikaru" 9) This exchange shows the outlooks of these characters, and their eventual fates are tied to their societal beliefs. Benvolio, although part of this youthful group, maintains an extreme respect for the prince by his use of "^C^MT- taikou kakka" which roughly translates to "Your Excellency, the Archduke." Even as a young rebel, there is deference to the adult's position, showing that Benvolio still holds societal customs in high regard. Mercutio, in finishing Benvolio's line, uses language that has implications that not only affect the show, but touch on important cultural elements Takarazuka would be greatly concerned with. This message comes not through any lyrical content, but the specific gendered pronoun used in this line and elsewhere in the show. The specific translated instance of "we" is "ffefd^-ore-tati" in the Japanese text. While "-tati" is the pluralizing suffix, the stem "ore" is a vulgar, masculine, first person pronoun. It is the kind of word that would absolutely not be expected of well-mannered youth, let alone nobility, but is commonly used by the lower classes and in extremely intimate contexts. The use of this directly in front of the Prince would be an egregious breach of decorum, something that Takarazuka's audience would take notice of. This continues to be an important choice, as most of the young men, even Romeo, use this in any of their homosocial interactions. The ramifications of this choice also serves to clearly demarcate expectations of each sex. Whereas the standard Japanese personal pronoun "fis-watasi" is usable by both sexes and "f^-boku," which was traditionally male, has become common in informal female speech, "ore" is an exclusively male term. In traditional speech, it would be relatively unheard of for a woman to use "ore/' as it completely violates acceptable usage (Shibatani 877) Although this could be interpreted as liberating for the female Takarazuka cast, it must not be overlooked that the actress using the male term has been trained by a group that actively and openly works "to mould her into a model of adult female subjectivity" (Ohtani 160). Although it is a female performer, she is in a male role and only in this context is her utterance overlooked. These linguistic elements, compacted into a handful of words, speak volumes to the intended Japanese audience about these men. In examining the fates of these two characters, there is something to be said of their attitudes towards authority. Benvolio, using proper polite language, and Mercutio, using low-class vulgarities, each represent an approach that Takarazuka as a state theatre would readily exploit. Benvolio survives, showing that his ability to follow customs in any situation is beneficial. Mercutio dies at Tybalt's hand, set as an example of societal transgression. Although extreme to the point of being nearly allegorical, the two attitudes these men represent and their ultimate destiny/doom in a way that melds well with performative Japanese theatrical conventions. The Japanese song ends with an important introduction: the heads of the respective families. This is another departure from the French version of the show, as Presgurvic completely excised the character of Montague, Romeo's father. Why he is removed is unclear, but it is an absence that has no bearing on the story as Lady Montague seamlessly takes the reins of the family. Takarazuka, however, goes back to the original and keeps the family unit intact. He is given a few of Lady Montague's spoken lines and only engages in ensemble songs. Although he adds nothing to the overall plot, his presence is necessary to reinforce the expected marital dynamics of family-head husband and child-nurturing wife. This demonstrates the functional marriage unit, a strong contrast to the disaster awaiting their son's union. The nature of the family unit, and of the relationships between men and women, comes out in the song "La Haine"(Hatred), "Nikushimi" in Japanese. The song is a duet between Lady Montague and Lady Capulet singing in different locations, but lamenting the same feud. The song is sung over a display of the physical confrontations typifying the street brawls. The French version is a tableau of murder and rape filled with vignettes of dancers carrying out the darkest human actions. Takarazuka, keeping propriety in mind, tones the staging down and any fighting is dance with slight hints of animosity and any interactions between male and female characters are kept to a respectful minimum. This is a style that continues throughout the performance, with sex and violence reduced to acceptable standards in mixed gender fight scenes. Women are reduced to observers and victims, but potential openings for improvement are suggested in the songs' lyrics. Presgurvic's lyrics focus on hatred and its poisonous effects on people. Repetition of "the hatred, the hatred" throughout is interspersed with lines like "like a snake in your souls" ("Romeo" 5), adding personification to the dark emotion. The line "the sister of love but we hide it," ("Romeo" 5) adds an interesting nuance, as a feminine attribute is given to the cause of their strife. The later line "You look at her and are seduced/ This whore of hatred who takes all of.you" uses the extremely vulgar "putain"(usually translated as prostitute or bitch, but always female) to directly describe "hatred." This level of obscenity is absolutely removed for the Japanese version, but the introduction of women's roles in the conflict is retained. While the hatred itself is feminized, the French version leaves it unclear as to which gender is most affected. "Nikushimi" is something else, shaped by Takarazuka's modus operandi into a lesson on gender dynamics. It retains the lyrical repetition of the title words, as in the French, but the ladies have a few lines in particular that add a surprising condemnation of men that serves as a warning to the female audience: Lady Capulet: Hatred, hatred Foolish men Hatred, Hatred The ones grieving are the women ("Miyujikaru" 9) Although the Japanese language is context dependent and will frequently omit gendered pronouns, these lyrics very clearly identify the sexes in these lyrics. This separates men and women into their positions in the feud, which dictate their level of suffering. Hearkening back to Shakespeare, women are clearly consigned to a background position, but with the added insinuation that they actively take more interest in the larger affairs. It is clear through this utterance that the burden of this feud is on the men and that the women are stuck dealing with the emotional ramifications of male incompetence. Although in this subordinate position, the two women plead for their men to listen to them in the shared lines: What sort of power is it That spurs you on? Please turn an ear towards The words of women ("Miyujikaru" 9) By begging men to listen to their point of view, they are achieving two things: they are actively taking a part in the ongoing feud by trying to understand male reasoning and thus display a position that a woman should take in their relationships—an advisory role. Japanese women are traditionally household managers, in charge of day-to-day matters and the education of the children, while men, ostensibly in charge of the family, work away from the home upwards of six days a week. Even with their absence, men traditionally have final say in all matters while women report and advise on the household goings-on (Imamura 77). Although this arrangement is beginning to lose favor, it is still preferable for economic growth and is still promoted through social channels like the Takarazuka Revue. Although the focus of Takarazuka's adaptation is geared towards women, much of their commentary is less obvious, due to the male-centric world of the story's setting. "Nikushimi" is one of the few moments where only female characters appear on stage, leaving audience members the task of deriving the commentary on female roles from their absence in many of the social situations. In Japan, much like Verona, women are expected to understand their place through the active roles of men in society. 7. Male dominance and the place of youth culture The song "Le Rois du Monde" (Kings of the World), "Sekai no Ou" in the Japanese, is one of the most important songs in the show for two key reasons. Firstly, it is one of the catchiest of the "pop" tunes in the score and is used in the various international productions as the backing music for the curtain call, thus making it the last song audiences hear before leaving. Secondly, but more importantly, it examines the significance of the younger generation's position within society and their attitudes towards their place, one of the most important didactic themes the show producers were concerned with. Even with the character's male orientation, women are still the target of this message. The portrayal of the roles expected by the young nobles singing the song reveal an ideal that has long been projected by the larger Japanese culture- men are the dominant gender, and youths, while full of potential, are expected to wait until they are older to have any real authority. This is present in Shakespeare's original but is dispersed throughout the youthful revels and joking shared between Romeo and his friends and the discussions between the Prince of Verona and the elders of the Montague and Capulet families. In the musical, however, all of this content is compressed into a single song. While there are similar themes and images in common between the two versions of the song, there is a drastic difference in the nuanced message in each. Presgurvic's French version shows a culture of entitled youth prone to debauchery and disobedience, preserving Shakespeare's overtones of lewd and cocky behavior typified by Samson and Gregory at the play's opening. Samson's line "women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall; therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust h is maids to the wall" (1.114-16) display the clear overtones of male dominance and sexuality that carry over through the translation, even though it is not word-for-word. The men in the French musical particularly have no concept of responsibility or allegiance to the vaguely defined "Kings" they are beholden to. The Japanese version, on the other hand, makes it clear that they are dividing themselves from their elders through the reference to the kings with the polite term "tosiyori" (aged/elderly people). The term can be broken down into "^-tosi" (year) and "I? -yori" (to collect), which essentially means "one that collects years." It is frequently used as an honorific, most famously to identify senior Sumo wrestlers. Through that word choice, a level of respect is still maintained while describing their attempt at rebellion. The separation is further reinforced in the final refrain with the statement "the power of an adult/ cannot defeat us" ("Miyujikaru" 10) The Japanese "A A- otona" has the same societal connotations as its English counterpart "adult/' meaning that the singers clearly place themselves outside of that category. There is also a softening of the potential sexual overtones to fit the tastes of Takarazuka's audience. The French "Nous on fait I'amour" directly translates to "make love" with all similar connotations. "51 L^l^/ilv' (aisitai) is "loving one another," which is a common use of the phrase. It can be used as a euphemism for sex in a similar manner to many phrases including "love," but the setting would be grossly inappropriate for anything more direct. As Takarazuka's cast is contractually obliged to maintain chastity, innuendo is much more veiled and scarce than either Shakespeare or Presgurvic's versions. The song becomes, in essence, a description of a limited and permissible uprising that reinforces cultural hierarchy even as it questions it. It expounds the cultural view of young men as energetic and forward-looking, while keeping them relatively docile. As far as anthems of teen angst go, it benefits the ruling hegemony more than the disaffected youth. This particular choice in Takarazuka's production serves a two-fold purpose. Not only does this add to the verisimilitude of female performers in male roles, but it adds a framework of acceptable rebellion that still respects societal norms. The young men are allowed to refer to themselves in vulgar terms but still maintain a respect for, and a distance from, their elders. The song also clearly puts women in their societally accepted place by their exclusion from this dynamic group through the frequent use of the gendered "ore," the aforementioned vulgar male pronoun, and "EE" (ou), the word for "king". In a continuation, and subversion, of the examination of gender roles from "Nikushimi," women are positioned by their binary relationship with men; if men have a characteristic or perform a role, then it is inferred that women do not. As this song is used again for the curtain call, its message is the last one audience members leave with. After the tragedy resulting from the lover's disastrous choices, an up-tempo song reinforcing male power and capability would seem like a mixed message. For the female audience, a reminder of their society's traditional roles is exactly what Takarazuka, in its role as a state theatre, would strive for. 8. Love, Choice, and Social Responsibility This is not to say that there are no romantic elements to Romeo and Juliet; in fact, those are the elements that have kept the show popular among audience members for centuries. Love at first sight, flowery words and poetry, and hasty (though acceptably wedded) consummation are the common elements of the play that surface frequently in pop culture. The darker elements of social deviancy and a suicide pact, though used as warnings, do add to the thrill of this forbidden romance. The ability to love freely without concern for societal repercussions is a legitimate concern of the plot, but there are still consequences for those choices. Before those consequences arise, the love story between the two characters begins at the Capulet ball. In the musical versions, the entire sequence is an instrumental with no lyrics. In the French, Death is the factor that drives the two together, sealing their fate. The Japanese softens this a bit, with the dancer representing Love bringing them together, foiling Death's attempts to lead Romeo to Tybalt. This soon turns dark, as Death smiles over the new pairing, pleased that its will is done in either situation. Following the ball is the most famous, and quoted, scene from the play: the exchange at Juliet's balcony. This tends to be the moment that fulfils most audience member's romantic fantasies. This is fair, as it is beautiful and iconic, but part of that beauty is how fleeting it is. Removed from the rest of the chain of events, it is extremely romantic; but viewed in a plotline, as intended, it displays the drastic mistakes the two make that lead to their fate. This is an important moment in the translations, as the French and Japanese take two very different approaches. Presgurvic's version leans towards the overly romantic reading. The lovers mention the feud, but focus on starry-eyed hyperbole in the repeated refrain: Romeo and Juliet: To which star, to which God Do I owe the love in (his/her) eyes? That their will is made For Romeo loves Juliette ("Romeo" 8) This draws on Shakespeare's play in Romeo's lines "Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,/ Having some business. Do entreat her eyes/ To twinkle in their spheres till they return" (2.1 57-59), but it only goes this far. This number could easily function as a stand-alone pop song, following a long tradition of evoking these characters as proxies for the listener. Takarazuka's version ignores Presgurvic's and returns to the play, reinforcing the societal argument hidden beneath the appealing metaphors. The theme of rejecting family obligation for personal desires is expressed in Juliet's lines: That name is Romeo, why is it Romeo Sever connections with your father and cast away that name At the very least, if that is unreasonable, please love me I, also, will cast away the name Capulet ("Miyujikaru" 10) This, accounting for translation, is a nearly identical adaptation of: O, Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet. (2.1 74-77) The transgression of denying the family name is absent in the French, so its return is important for two reasons: it plays on Shakespeare's marketability in Japan by closely translating his lines, and it articulates the dire mistake that the lovers make. Perpetuating the family name is of extreme importance in Japanese culture, as evidenced by the aforementioned family register (koseki), and the breaking of family lines is an affront to tradition. By ensuring that this moment translated almost exactly, Takarazuka reinforced the tragedy, not romance, that stems from this exchange. Lineage is not the only parallel, as the social structure of Verona, like that of Japan, follows traditional values "that obliges you to behave in this way, marry this person, follow this occupation"(Holbrook 217). The favored Japanese proverb "The nail that sticks out will be hammered down" (deru kugi wa utareru) echoes through the choices of the protagonists as they fight against the social constructs of their families. As they struggle against cultural norms, fate acts as the force pushing them back in line. In a nation where arranged marriage (omiai) is still commonly practiced to safeguard family lines, the concern over choice in spouse is palpable. Strategic marriages between plutocrats (zaibatsu) still shape society, as alliances between powerful families shape industry and culture. The undertones of Juliette's rejection of Paris, her parent's chosen match, felt by the Japanese audience would be closer to those of Elizabethan viewers than those of modern Westerners. Adherence to parental wishes in these matters is still a common part of life, so in rejecting their chosen husband, she sets into motion events that end in many deaths. This again reinforces the negative effect of female choice on society. The agency of the females, and the nature of relationships in general, is further developed in the song "Les Beaux, Les Laids" (The Beautiful, The Ugly) translated to "Kirei wa Kitanai" in Japanese. Juliet's nurse is dispatched with a note to Romeo and runs afoul of the Montague entourage, leading to a comical confrontation. Although each version retains a level of wordplay, the overall theme of each is drastically different. The musical versions, Takarazuka's in particular, manage to take Shakespeare's brief exchange of lewd jokes and turn it into an examination of the dynamics of relationships. In the original play, Romeo is engaged in banter with his friends when the nurse enters. A few jokes about her size and ugliness are followed by a turn for the obscene, setting a tone that brings forward the baser elements of human interactions. Nurse: God ye good morrow, gentlemen Mercutio: God ye good e'en, fair gentlewoman Nurse: Is it good e'en? Mercutio: Tis no less, I tell ye: for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon. (2.3 96-100) Within these four lines, the courtesy and restraint in behavior expected in society is stripped away to the underlying sexual tendencies that generally characterize youth. The polite salutation of the older woman is quickly subverted allowing a female into this base discourse. It is telling that she is still in a submissive position, unable to respond to Mercutio's insult until after his exit and further mocked by her own servant. In this version, the woman is merely used as the butt of the joking and as a symbol of the subordination of women. In the musicals, Romeo does not come out until later, leading to an extended interaction without either romantic lead present. This change allows for the analysis of relationships in general, outside of the central character's interactions. What is revealed is a commonly held opinion that forms part of the warning that is a strong element of Takarazuka's ideology: men are only interested in sex, so women should be careful of male intentions. Pregurvic set the tone in his original musical with the young men openly admitting to the lascivious objectives of their gender and revealing a potentially disastrous side of their friend, Romeo. "How Romeo, the most beautiful of us/ could keep all of those oaths/ like us he lies" ("Romeo" 7). This is a straightforward characterization of the lover that begins the argument of the song's title. Romeo, being beautiful, must also have a hidden deceitful character. This has a strong parallel to the play, where Romeo's affections quickly and drastically shift from Rosalind, whom he pined for at the outset, to Juliet on first sight. His defense of Rosalind's beauty, "One fairer than my love!— the all-seeing sun/ Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun"(1.3, 92-93) soon becomes a lie, correlating to the line in the musical. Pregurvic's adaptation preserves this connection between beauty and infidelity, building a warning against young men. The Takarazuka version takes up this tone and furthers the potential connotations. Romeo is described in Benvolio's line "But, for that guy, there has yet to be a girl he has left behind (rejected)."("Miyujikaru" 11) In this particular phrase, "i^- ko" is used for girl, and denotes particularly young women, as it is also the word for "child." This is a Romeo that has a reputation for taking up with the inexperienced and is someone with motives that should be questioned. It ties in with what the previous versions put forward, but satisfies Takarazuka's specific agenda of shaping young women through cautionary situations. The French refrain reinforces this connection but in a much broader sense. "The beautiful, the ugly both have the same secrets...we all want what we don't have/ we are all caught for what we aren't" ("Romeo" 7). This examination of their motives serves as the warning that the base desires and dubious motives of the men are a shared attitude of most people regardless of attractiveness. All people have desires and all are equally capable of deception to get what they want, which in this case is the ambiguously double-entendred "love". The biggest difference between the musicals is that the refrains evolve over the course of the Japanese version, where it remains static in the French. With each chorus, Takarazuka develops a message that both warns and empowers their intended audience by giving the nurse far more agency that either previous incarnation. Within her first few lines, she sets herself apart with a strong warning, "The men laugh at me, soon I will scratch their tearful faces." ("Miyujikaru" 11) This may seem like unwomanly behavior, but compounded with the staging of the nurse being physically manhandled by the young men, it allows for violence in similar chastity-preserving situations. While the threat of sexual assault is not nearly as eminent as in the French version, her strong warning of physical retaliation to defend her honor, both social and sexual, is emphasized as acceptable. As the first refrain begins, it is the men that have the upper hand. "For any beautiful girl/ it is difficult to catch his heart/ fair is foul, foul is fair/ pockmarks are dimples when love is blind"("Miyujikaru" 11). These lines have a few extremely important features that add gravity to this song's central thrust. The ability to catch "his heart" adds to what Benvolio had earlier mentioned about Romeo, as he is willing to take up with women, but his heart remains elusive. The next line adds a level of metatextuality, as ^V^mtK-kirei wa kitanai, kitanai wa kirei" directly translates to "fair is foul, foul is fair" using the well-known wording used in most Japanese translations of Macbeth. By invoking the witches' line, a deeper aspect of the potential dangers of disastrous relationships is forewarned and Shakespeare's brand name is reinforced in a way that most in the audience would potentially recognize. As both Romeo and Macbeth's cases argue that desire leads to murder and social turmoil, a subtle, but impactful, warning is made. As the song continues, the refrain adds to the opinion that youthful relationships are more love than lust. The final line of the second refrain becomes "One night dawns and any love also fades" ("Miyujikaru" 11). This is a rare moment that comes close to mentioning sex, as the overnight passage of time has the same cultural connotations in Japan as America. It is key to note that the Japanese specifies "—■ichiya" or "one night," commenting that relationships that are consummated in that short a period of time are absolutely doomed. The final refrain is the largest departure from the French version, making it a far more positive and empowering message for Takarazuka's audience. The Japanese version actually allowed the nurse to take over the lead, giving her the lines "Assuming it's just any good looking hunk/ It's difficult to catch a girl's heart" ("Miyujikaru" 11). This subversion gives the nurse a level of empowerment over male advances that she lacked in prior versions. She is allowing that women are equally capable as men of controlling their emotions and that they can, and should, avoid "A ikemen", or "hunk/ good-looking guy." This is a term that has very specific, and contemporary, meaning, as it is a term applied mostly to a kind of attractive and shallow man that Takarazuka's audience would be well familiar with. The nurse, far from the comedic relief she originated as, becomes a font of wisdom that advises on proper behavior. The Nurse's role as panderer is reminiscent of the Japanese "HSM^lA- baishyakujin", an intermediary that ensures a marriage proposal follows through. Although they still serve in arranging marriages, their role has diminished over time and their choices are strong suggestions and not the edicts they once were. While the choice of spouse is an ongoing issue, the importance of marriage is not. The inappropriate physical relationships engaged in by an increasing number of young Japanese people are avoided by Romeo and Juliette's marriage. With pre-marital conceptions leading to a drastically increasing number of abortions (Goto et al. 192), the marriage of the two sets the example to be followed. Although they are defying their parents, they at least adhere to the proper social rites. The wedding scene leads into the intermission, giving the audience time to reflect on the union. If the show ended now, it would be a romantic tale of personal choice trumping the needs of society. The second act is the culmination of the feud, with a street brawl ending with the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio and Romeo's exile to Mantua. Juliet, in a plot to escape an arranged marriage with Paris, drugs herself into a coma to fake her death. A message is sent to Romeo to tell him of this plan, but it never reaches him. The musicals follow the play with one notable difference: in the play there is never an explanation for the lost message, in the musicals Death steps in to ensure the message never arrives. Every step the two take towards each other is a step closer to Death and their punishment for rejecting their family. The suicide of the young couple is the nexus of the drama, the point that the whole story leads to and the source of the warning to the audience. In Shakespeare's time, "priests continued to preach against the sinfulness of taking one's own life, but poets and playwrights began to treat the subject more liberally" (Noon 377), which allows for a fuller discussion of the topic in general. This is one of the greatest additions to the pre-existing story Shakespeare made, as in the original novellas "the decisive phase of the action—Juliet's counterfeit death and the suicides which ensue—seems anticlimactic"(Levinson 337). Shakespeare's ultimate stance on suicide is debatable, as even his greatest hero, Hamlet, could not make a firm resolution. Expanding the dramatic effect of the deaths makes them impossible to ignore, bringing suicide under further scrutiny. Suicide is traditionally held as an affront against God, but in many circles it is a tool that can restore honor. The belief in the virtues and nobility of the act, shared with many traditionalists in the Japanese culture, still cannot mitigate the far- reaching damage done by suicide. The suicide scene in the musicals follow the play, with Romeo poisoning himself next the drugged Juliette, who awakens and stabs herself upon finding the body of her lover. These actions, in and of themselves, are a clear warning against suicide. In a culture with suicide rates at such a troubling level, the piteous and wasteful nature of this scene no doubt strikes a chord. The potential they represented and the names they carried are now lost to their society. The selfish choices they made led to not only a personal tragedy, but an irreplaceable loss to the future that their surviving family must deal with. Upon finding their children's bodies, the reconciliation of the families is finally initiated at an extreme cost. In Shakespeare's play, it is the patriarchs who finally end the feud. In fact, Lady Montague is dead, as explained by her husband: "my wife is dead tonight./ Grief of my son's exile hath stopped her breath" (5.3 209-210). They bond with Capulet's request: "O brother Montague, give me thy hand" (5.3 295). In this scenario, women have very little influence, or much of a part at all, within this social structure. They weep or die unceremoniously offstage—not much of a message for any women in the audience. Presgurvic drastically altered this in his musical. As mentioned before, Lord Montague was absent in the original French version and his wife was the acting head of the household. With the amount of deviation from Shakespeare's text, it makes little difference in the overall flow of the plot. The family quarrel, principally carried out by the young men in the streets, is unaffected by the gender dynamics of their ruling households. The resolution of the feud by the women makes sense, as there is no option; just like the play, one of the Montagues is dead, leaving the house representative to make peace with their same-gendered counterpart. The Japanese version, on the other hand, reintroduced Montague, making the final scene more significant. The two ladies of the houses, both still very much alive, initiate the reconciliation as their husbands watch on. They return Shakespeare's gesture of bonding with the lines: Lady Montague: Their wish is for The two houses Both: To unite hand in hand ("Miyujikaru" 12) This shift sends a powerful message to Takarazuka's audience by reinforcing the message from "Nikushimi"—that the role of peacemaker is the woman's, as it is their desire to correct the failings of men that shape a "good wife, wise mother's" role. The burden of placing society before personal feelings is left to the wives and mothers and they make amends as their husbands look on. It would be easy to say that this shows that Romeo and Juliette were correct. Through their actions the two families finally made their peace, but at what cost? The final song is titled "Coupables", or "Guilty," in Presgurvic's musical, but is altered to "ffs U51 - Tsumibito," or "Sinners," in the Japanese. The parents, feeling completely to blame for their children's deaths lament: "God is punishing us/ We are sinners living in Hell" ("Miyujikaru" 12). This is a message that strikes closer to home than any appeal to civic duty, as any audience member with regard for their parents would never want their actions to take such a toll. Romeo and Juliette's parents were merely acting as their society dictated, like many Japanese families that still push for "Omiai" arranged marriages. This is where the modern interpretations and romanticizing of the story becomes transparent. Romeo and Juliette escape, while the horrific ramifications of their selfish actions break their parents and families. They may have ended the feud, but failed in their duty to carry on their family names. 9. For Never Was a Story of More Woe... The initial 2010 Takarazuka performance went as far as removing the traditional chorus line from the end, adding to the dreadful impact of the story. The loss of a generation to rejecting societal norms, hasty decisions, and suicide, topics famailiar to the Japanese audience, hung over the departing spectators. The quiet contemplation I experienced leaving the theatre was obviously shared by the intended audience, their quiet and introspective demeanor matching my own. Although the later performances in the following years reintroduced the upbeat reprise at the end, the didactic function of the state theatre in that first experience was clear. The adaptation of the Shakespeare and Presgurvic versions made by Takarazuka clearly targets deeply rooted concerns for the Japanese audience. Using Shakespeare in the State Theatre forum of the Takarazuka Revue, the crisis of the nation's future is examined. Although the fairness of the societal blame placed on women can be debated on the global stage, the fact that it is perceived in Japan as the source cannot. The 2010 performance of Romeo & Juliette directly addressed issues deemed catastrophic to the nation's future in a format both accessible and demonstrative to those that have the power to effect change. Works Cited Berlin, Zeke. "The Takarazuka Touch" Asian Theatre Journal 8.1 (1991): 35-47. Web. 12 Oct 2013. Brandon, James. "Kabuki and Shakespeare: Balancing Yin and Yang." The Drama Review 43.2 (1999): 15-53. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. Gordon, Andrew. A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Goto, A., Yasumura, S., Yabe, J. &Reich, M. "Addressing Japan's Fertility Decline: Influences of Unintended Pregnancy on Child Rearing." Reproductive Health Matters 14.27 (2006): 191-200. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. Holbrook, Peter. Shakespeare's Individualism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Print. Imamura, Anne E. "Family Culture" Sugimoto, Yoshio, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Japanese Culture. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013. 76-91. Web. Levey, Tania and Catherine B. Silver, "Gender and Value Orientations:What's the Difference!? The Case of Japan and the United States." Sociological Forum 21.4 (2006): 659-691. Web. 12 Oct. 2013 Levinson, Jill. "Romeo and Juliet before Shakespeare." Studies in Philology 81.3 (1984): 325-347. Web.25 Oct. 2013 Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Cho, Y.T., Obayashi, Y., Arai, A. & Tamashiro, H. "Gender Differences of Suicide in Japan, 1947-2010." Journal of Affective Disorders 151 (2013): 325- 330. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. Miyujikaru: Romeo to Jurietto (5; ai/^/l^P ^ i/=l JJxy ]-) Osaka: Takarazuka Revue, 2010. Print Noon, Georgia. "On Suicide" Journal of the History of Ideas 39.3 (1978): 371-386. Web. 25 Oct 2013. Ohtani, Tomoko. "Juliet's Girlfriends: The Takarazuka Revue Company." Performing Shakespeare in Japan. Ed. Ryuta Minami, Ian Carruthers, and John Gillies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 159-171. Print. Robertson, Jennifer. "Theatrical Resistance, Theatres of Restraint: The Takarazuka Revue and the 'State Theatre' Movement in Japan." Anthropological Quarterly 64.4 (1991):165-177. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. Romeo et Juliette: de la Haine a I'Amour. Osaka: Lion Productions, 2012. Print. Shakespeare, William. "The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet." The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard & Katherine Eisman Maus. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2008. 897- 972. Print. Shibatani, Masayoshi. "Japanese." The World's Major Languages. Ed. Bernard Comrie. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. 855-880. Print Appendix: Song Translations Notes on translations: The Translations of the French and Japanese songs are in English, presented side-by-side with the French on the left and the Japanese on the right. In several cases, the Japanese versions are shorter than the French, as the Takarazuka Revue cut song length for time constraints. Translations for the Japanese were performed by Gary Lindeburg Translations for the French provided by theatre-musical.com with support by Gary Lindeburg Verone The Prince: You who believe you have seen in all You who have travelled, you who have read There is nothing more to astonish you Welcome to Verona The Prince: I govern the city of Verona The ruins of Rome litter our history Disarray blossoms in our beautiful paradise However, a private hell lurks You who find that man is good Montague! Capulet! Because he sings pretty songs two houses fight If you find this one good |n whatever age Welcome to Verona In a continuing quarrel Of course here, it's like elsewhere The men aren't the worst, nor the best Hey! You who come to us tonight By mistake or by chance Chorus: This is Verona, beautiful Verona Full of hatred replacing love Shedding blood, sometimes dying Who can prohibit, let alone end it? Chorus: You're in Verona, beautiful Verona The town where everyone hates each other We want to leave but we remain Here it's not the love of kings Here two families make the law No need to choose your side We chose it for you long ago You're in Verona, we talk of Verona Here the venom of hate runs in our lives As it does in our veins Of course our gardens are flowering Of course our women are beautiful, and so It's like a paradise on earth But our souls are in hell You're in Verona The Prince: You who sleep at night Certain to be loved Here, we don't trust anybody Welcome to Verona It's true we're blessed by the gods Here we die, but we die old Here everyone has a crown of their own This is Verona, our city Verona In the blood of people, poison is flowing The unreasonable poison named hatred flows Even in beautiful maidens and young men This is Verona Benvolio: Even if your excellency steps in to stop us Mercutio: We will not stop Tybalt: We don't care about things like law, they're useless to us My only ally is my knife Ben., Tyb., Mer.: We were born and raised on the streets Fighting is the destiny we were born with It's like that in Verona Of course here, it's like elsewhere The men aren't the worst, nor the best Hey! You who come to us tonight By mistake or by chance Chorus: You're in Verona, beautiful Verona The town where everyone hates each other We want to leave but we remain Here it's not the love of kings Here two families make the law No need to choose your side We chose it for you long ago Chorus 2: This is Verona, Beloved Verona There are hated adversaries from birth, From birth to the end We are drug into a whirlpool of conflict You're in Verona, We talk of Verona Here the venom of hate runs in our lives As it does in our veins Of course our gardens are flowering Of course our women are beautiful, and so It's like a paradise on earth This is Verona, our Verona Before suspicion our enemies are already here A time for forgiveness will never come We are destined to compete in hatred forever But our souls are in hell You're in Verona Chorus: You're in Verona, beautiful Verona The town where everyone hates each other We want to leave but we remain Here it's not the love of kings Here two families make the law No need to choose your side We chose it for you long ago You're in Verona, We talk of Verona Here the venom of hate runs in our lives As it does in our veins Of course our gardens are flowering Of course our women are beautiful, and so It's like a paradise on earth But our souls are in hell You're in Verona Capulet: The enemy in front of me gets my blood up Montague: Turning your back on an enemy is absurd Chorus: This is Verona, beautiful Verona Full of hatred replacing love Shedding blood, sometimes dying Who can prohibit, let alone end it? This is Verona, our city Verona In the blood of people, poison is flowing The unreasonable poison named hatred flows Even in beautiful maidens and young men This is Verona La Haine Lady Capulet: God who sees all, look at us, look at you In our homes runs a poison that has a name The hatred, the hatred Like snakes in your souls The hatred, the hatred Who makes you judge, but condemns you The hatred, the hatred I see it burning in your eyes The hatred, the hatred Who makes us unhappy I hate the hatred Lady Montague: I confess to you, I can only dislike you Why must there be in this town we love so much The hatred, the hatred In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son The hatred, the hatred flb^ Lady Capulet: For a child born into this house The first word learned is Hatred, hatred To the Montagues Hatred, hatred Planted in their hearts It grows writhing like a snake I despise The hatred that's inside you Lady Montague: That black flame smoldering within your breasts If only it could be put out Hatred, hatred Invites in sorrow Hatred, hatred How do I make you see? That makes us your acomplices Lady Capulet: The hatred, the hatred It's the courage the cowards lack The hatred, the hatred The sister of love but we hide it Lady Capulet: Hatred, hatred Foolish men Hatred, hatred The ones grieving are the women Lady Montague: Both: I curse you for all those nights What sort of power is it Hearing you without understanding you That spurs you on? You forget even the happiness Turn an ear towards The only one that counts is hate The words of women Lady Capulet: You look at her and are seduced Ah~ Ah" This whore of hatred who takes all of you Ah~ Ah" You look and you are nothing I despise Only puppets in her hands The black flame within you How can we make in her name All these crimes and victims Lady Montague: The hatred, it comes to lie in your souls Then listen to the voice of women, The hatred- Lady Montague: Which is Both: Hatred! Le Rois du Monde Romeo: The kings of the world live at the top They have the most beautiful view there is but They don't know what we think of them down here They don't know that here it's us who are kings Benvolio: The kings of the world do what they want They have the world around them but they are alone In their castles there, they get bored While we dance all night Chorus: We make love and we live life Day after day, night after night What is the point of being alive If we have to live on our knees ty^BE Romeo: The Kings of the world Are over the clouds The heroes of the earth are Us right here Benvolio: Those guys do not realize That they are finished While old people sleep We are dancing Chorus: From morning to night All of the time We understand the meaning of living Is to love one another We know that time is like the wind Living is important We have no morals We know we do nothing wrong Mercutio: The kings of the world fear everything They confuse the dogs and the wolves They make traps where they will fall one day They protect themselves from everything, even love Romeo and Benvolio: The kings of the world fight with each other There is not room for two of them And us down here don't fight their wars We don't know why all these king's games are necessary Chorus: We make love and we live life The power of an adult Cannot defeat us Our kings Are us Mercutio: Those kings of the world Are scared of us We'll be the ones Making new rules Romeo and Benvolio: The Kings quarrel Over a single throne There's no way we're lending them a hand All: In some sort of governor's game Chorus From morning to night Day after day, night after night What is the point of being alive If we have to live on our knees We know that time is like the wind Living is important We have no morals We know we do nothing wrong All of the time We understand the meaning of living Is to love one another The power of an adult Cannot defeat us Our kings Are us Les Beaux, Les Laids Nurse: Ha, ha, ha laugh the people around Ha, ha, ha they laugh at love They don't understand what they don't feel And this is why they say ha, ha, ha Laugh hard, you, you would pour tears, they would still laugh God it's easy for the idiots To be blind and deaf to a grand love To be blind and deaf Benvolio: Ha, ha, ha my God she is funny With this hair here, she has the air of a willow How Romeo, the most beautiful of us, Could keep all of those oaths Like us, he lies ISHSfi^ Nurse: Ha, ha, ha it's good to laugh Ha, ha, ha in this moment The men laugh at me, soon I'll scratch their tearfull faces Ha, ha, ha all of you Ha, ha, ha know nothing of My being a messenger of love from the Capulets Where is that lovely Romeo? Benvolio: Ha, ha, ha look in a mirror Ha, ha, ha you'd approach Romeo looking like that? But, for that guy, there has yet to be a girl he has left behind (rejected) Chorus The beautiful, the ugly both have the same secrets Life doesn't make us gifts Whether we are ugly or beautiful We all want what we don't have We are all caught for what we aren't We laugh when love frightens us But pray that it will come into our hearts Chorus(1) For any beautiful girl It's difficult to catch his heart Fair is foul, foul is fair Pock marks are dimples when love is blind Nurse: Ha, ha, ha you are only dogs Ha, ha, ha nothing satisfies you And the jealousies are your only friends Even the north wind must blow weaker Than you silly things Nurse: Ha, ha, ha all of you Ha, ha, ha know nothing of The power of love can force open The sturdy door of that heart Mercutio: Ha, ha, ha no matter if these two like each other Ha, ha, ha we don't speak the same Two spoiled children can't love Mercutio: Ha, ha, ha love is Ha, ha, ha merely a whim The love of evening fades in the morning Then, again, that guy pursues his next Love is for those who forget the gods Who deserve it Romance Chorus The beautiful, the ugly both have the same secrets Life doesn't make us gifts Whether we are ugly or beautiful We all want what we don't have We are all caught for what we aren't We laugh when love frightens us But pray that it will come into our hearts Chorus(2) For any beautiful girl It's difficult to catch a man's heart Fair is foul, foul is fair One night dawns and any love also fades Chorus: The beautiful, the ugly both have the same secrets Life doesn't make us gifts Whether we are ugly or beautiful We all want what we don't have We are all caught for what we aren't We laugh when love frightens us But pray that it will come into our hearts Nurse: Assuming it's just any good looking hunk It's difficult to catch a woman's heart Montague chorus: Fair is foul and foul is fair Fads soon go out of style and love is disposable Chorus: The beautiful, the ugly both have the same secrets Life doesn't make us gifts Whether we are ugly or beautiful We all want what we don't have We are all caught for what we aren't We laugh when love frightens us But pray that it will come into our hearts Chorus(4) For any beautiful girl It's difficult to catch Romeo's heart Fair is foul, foul is fair Pockmarks are dimples when love is blind Le Balcon Juliette: To which star, to which God Do I owe this love in his eyes Who up there wanted That Juliette loved Romeo To which star, to which God Do I owe the love in his eyes? Even if I must pay the price Of a forbidden love Why do our fathers hate each other And yet the daughter loves the son? Up there they must laugh That Juliette loves Romeo Juliet: All the stars in the sky are smiling To congratulate the two of us on our meeting That name is Romeo, Why is it Romeo Sever connections with your fater and cast away that name A the very least, if that is unreasonable, please love me I, also, will cast away the name Capulet Romeo: To which star, to which God Do I owe the love in her eyes? That their will is made For Romeo loves Juliet If I must pray, I will pray If I must fight them, I will fight Romeo: To be called your lover will be my new name I am no longer Romeo I love you Juliet: How did you get here? But why must we pay For the right to love each other? Romeo: I climbed using the wings of love Both: That our fathers tear each other Their children desire each other One cannot change history Ours will begin tonight Juliette: And who cares if this upsets Romeo: That a virgin loves an angel Both: To which star, to which God Do I owe the love in (his/her) eyes? That their will is made For Romeo loves Juliette To which star, to which God Do I owe the love in (his/her) eyes? Both: As for the flower named the rose, if that name changed The smell would not change, names have no meaning Romeo: I swear by the moon Juliet: That is a hasty pledge As the moon changes, your love changes as well Romeo: Together we will foster an unchanging love Both: The bud of this love will blossom beautifully Up there they must laugh That Juliette loves Romeo Receiving the blessing of our affection Coupables Lady Montague: Our lives are nothing more Than lost boats Why live still When our children are dead? And may God and men See what we are Lady Capulet: Their souls of crystal Pardon us for the bad That our gods in anger Have let us make them And may they rest in peace And may they love forever Lady Montague: One judges us, one blames us Them in paradise, us in flames Here it is that Romeo and Juliette is finished imt Lady Montague: My son is not returning In addition to all these sighs God is punishing us We are sinners living in hell Lady Capulet: Our Daughter's love ripened in this world Sleeping now with her love in heaven Their love will continue eternally Their wish is for The two houses Both: To unite hand in hand Their names remain forever Preserved by their love Romeo and Juliette Lady Capulet, Lady Montague, Nurse: One Judges us, one blames us Them in paradise, us in flames It's here that Romeo and Juliette ends Cast: Guilty, Guilty The entire world judges us Guilty Nurse: To love Cast: Guilty Nurse: The most beautiful thing Cast: The entire world Benvolio: It's to remain living Cast: Will judge us Guilty Cast: We are all fools And beg for God's punishment To never fade Grief and pain are gifts When people hate We will forgive each other When we learn to love O, God, we Will never forget and promise This foolish quarrel Will never start again Their love will live As Romeo and Juliette Sleep here Lord Capulet: It's to rise so high Cast: The entire world Friar Laurence: To love Cast: Will Judge us Guilty To love is to rise so high Guilty It's the most beautiful thing The entire world Will judge us To love