No practice time for Koichi’s next show

Koichi Domoto has been told there will be no practice runs for his upcoming show, something which is worrying the star, it was revealed yesterday, reports Mainichi Shinbum Digital.

The KinKi Kids star and the cast of Kansai Yamamoto’s “KANSAI SUPER SHOW: Seven Samurai” attended a press conference for the show in Tokyo, where the director had revealed that there would be no training for his show.

Koichi said he was worried about his new challenge.

“I prefer to prepare for shows by practising a lot.  I’m quite worried about this,” he said.

The stage show’s story follows Yamamoto into his world where someone has stolen the Flames of Hope.  Koichi and six other warriors are gathered to help Yamamoto fight to get back the Flames of Hope.  It has been reported to have taken the director three years to develop the show.

The director and designer had said he had put a lot of thought into every detail of Koichi’s costume.

“I think it weighs about 20 kilograms.  In total [all seven costumes are] worth 100-million yen.

“[Koichi’s] necklace I bought in Indonesia for about 100,000 yen, and the [pants are] silk,” he said.

Koichi said the weight and cost of his costume were not the only things that had surprised him.

“There was no measuring up so I turned up and they cut the material to fit me on the spot.  What a pro.

“I hope I can bring out something that expresses me while I’m inside of Kansai-san’s world.

“(Reading through the script) I keep wondering how we’re going to do this or that.  I’m excited I’ll be able to experience it all.

“Kansai-san told me ‘don’t worry about keeping the costume in one piece’.  He said he wanted us to be able to channel all of our energy out.  This is a new challenge for me and I hope I can show everything I’ve learnt up to now,” he said.

Some special effects in the show will include fighting scenes around water fountains, large-scale screens, fire flames, and large-scale wire action sequences in the air.

The “KANSAI SUPER SHOW” will be performed on November 20 and 21 at Tokyo’s Ariake Colesseum.

Koichi’s co-stars include Risa Naka (21), former-pro kick boxer Masato (31), comedian Ryuhei Ueshima (49), dancer Kaiji Moriyama (36), Barcelona Olympics silver medalist Yukio Iketani (40), and actor Akira Emoto (61).

Koichi Domoto to star in Seven Samurai stage show

Koichi Domoto (31) from KinKi Kids will play his first stage role in a show not produced by Johnny’s, it was revealed yesterday, reports Chunichi Sports.

The singer will star in “七人の侍 (Seven Samurai)”, a new show directed and produced by designer Kansai Yamamoto (66) for the “KANSAI SUPER SHOW”.

Yamamoto’s latest show will transform Koichi into a samurai unlike any other.  It comes three years after Yamamoto’s last “KANSAI SUPER SHOW”, “太陽の船 (Taiyo no Fune)” which had starred TOKIO’s  Masahiro Matsuoka (33).

The director had said he wanted to keep an open mind about possible overseas performances, which was why he was drawn to make a show based on Akira Kurosawa’s critically acclaimed film “Seven Samurai”.  The story portrays a group of samurai who never give up until they fulfill their dreams.  Yamamoto had said he based Koichi’s character from the film’s character Kikuchiyo.

He had also said he chose Koichi for the show because the singer would bring in new ideas.

“We’re from different generations and grew up in different surroundings so I’m looking forward to seeing something completely new come out from him.

“I think both of us will affect the way the other lives their life,” he said.

Producers will be flying in from New York shortly, meaning that this show will truly be a new challenge for Koichi.

“Seven Samurai” will be performed at Tokyo’s Ariake Colesseum on November 20 and 21.