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45.
Bottom's Song
Deguchi is faithful
to the words of Shakespeare's text, even preserving the
rhythms (though not the rhymes, which are foreign to
Japanese poetics). Explanation is also provided as to why
"Thisbe's promise is forgot": Bottom gets so carried away by
the catchy pop tune he uses that it is only at the wiggling
climax of his self-advertising "O, O, O"s that his comic
deflationary realization "Oh! [I'm late]" pops out.
The "O, O, O"s may
owe as much to early American Rock, such as "O Carol", as
they do to Shakespeare. But if Pyramus postures like Elvis
"the Pelvis" on his GI tour of Germany, his parodic style
runs the gamut of associations: with enka (Japanese popular
love songs); Japanese imitations of Hollywood musical films
of the 50s; and even, for the show's audience in 1990, such
contemporary musicals as Theatre Company Shiki's long
running Phantom of the Opera. Later, when Bottom sings
"I thank thee, Moon" (5.1.272-5), he begins with an "enka"
tune, switches to the theme of Zeffirelli's Romeo and
Juliet and
then to a Westside Story tune, "Tonight".
Note that the
promenading back and forth across the stage echoes that of
Bottom's Song (School 26. Bottom's
Song). The
relation of American militarism to Japanese militarism was
much debated by students during the AMPO/Vietnam War period.
By contrast, the
Bar version (Bar 45.
Pyramus & Wall) of Pyramus' speech is declaimed
theatrically, rather than sung in catchy fashion as here.
The costumes are right for club entertainment and Wall's
'cute tough guy' routine.
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