NAKAMURA UTAEMON V (original) (raw)
Stage names:
Guild: Narikomaya
Line number: GODAIME (V)
Existence: 29th day of the 12th lunar month of 1865 ~ 12 September 1940
Connections:
Adoptive father: Nakamura Shikan IV
Sons: Nakamura Fukusuke V, Nakamura Utaemon VI
Grandson: Nakamura Shikan VII
Great-grandsons: Nakamura Fukusuke IX, Nakamura Shikan VIII
Great-great-grandsons: Nakamura Kankur� VI, Nakamura Shichinosuke II, Nakamura Kotar� VI, Nakamura Hashinosuke IV, Nakamura Fukunosuke III, Nakamura Utanosuke IV
Great-great-great-grandsons: Nakamura Kantar� III, Nakamura Ch�zabur� II
Disciples: Nakamura Takesabur� V, Nakamura Baika III, Nakamura Tamatar� II, Nakamura Nakasuke III, Nakamura Kan'emon III, Nakamura Fukuen, Nakamura Kamenoj�
Career:
12th lunar month of 1865: born in T�ky� in the district of Honjo. His father is a government official.
January 1875: he is adopted by the actor Nakamura Shikan IV, who gives him the name of Nakamura Kotar� I.
June 1876: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Hototogisu Date no Kikigaki"; Kotar� plays the role of Tsuruchiyo [casting].
August 1876: Kotar� plays in the city of K�fu at the Kameya the role of Komakichi in the drama "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba".
April 1877: Kotar� plays for the first time in T�ky�, at the Shintomiza, where he plays the role of Koshir� in the drama "Moritsuna Jin'ya".
October 1877 ~ April 1881: long tour with his adoptive father all over Japan.
May 1881: Nakamura Kotar� I takes the name of Nakamura Fukusuke IV at the Shintomiza.
November 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono drama "Shima Chidori Tsuki no Shiranami"; Fukusuke plays the role of the Fukushimaya musume Onaka [casting].
January 1884: Fukusuke plays for the first time the prestigious role of Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which is staged at the Ichimuraza.
November 1884: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Mokuami's katsureki drama "H�j� Kudai Meika no Isaoshi"; Fukusuke plays the role of H�j� Takatoki's mistress Kinugasa [casting].
February 1885: Fukusuke takes part in the opening ceremony of the Chitoseza [info].
November 1885: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Funa Benkei"; Fukusuke plays the role of the boatman Mondo Iwamatsu [casting].
May 1888: premi�re at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame"; Fukusuke plays the role of the courtesan Yatsuhashi [casting].
September 1889: premi�re at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kumo no Ito Oyozume Banashi"; Fukusuke plays the role of Usui Sadamitsu [more details].
September 1891: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi �chi's drama "Z�ho Onna Narukami"; Fukusuke plays the role of the ama Narukami (in reality Matsunaga's daughter Hatsuse-no-Mae) [more details].
October 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of the matsubamemono "Su� Otoshi", starring Ichikawa Danj�r� IX and Fukusuke in the roles of Tar�kaja and the Princess.
November 1893: Fukusuke takes part in the opening ceremony of the Meijiza [info].
April 1897: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ochi's drama "Otokodate Harusame Gasa"; Fukusuke played the role of the keisei Katsuragi [more details].
16 January 1899: his adoptive father Nakamura Shikan IV dies.
January 1900: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's dance-drama "Yami no Ume Hyaku Monogatari"; Fukusuke plays the role of a yuki onna [more details].
May 1901: Nakamura Fukusuke IV takes the name of Nakamura Shikan V at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri".
October 1902: premiere at the Kabukiza of Enokido Kenji's drama "Ninj� Banashi Bunshichi Mottoi"; Shikan plays the role of the Kadoebi Brothel madam Okoma [casting].
March 1903: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kichirei Soga no Ishizue", which is produced to celebrate the sh�mei of Onoe Kikugor� VI, Onoe Baik� VI and Onoe Eizabur� VI; Shikan plays the role of �iso no Tora [casting].
February/March 1904: successful premiere at the T�ky�za of Tsubouchi Sh�y�'s drama "Kiri Hitoha"; Shikan plays the role of Yodogimi [more details].
March 1906: Tsubouchi Sh�y�'s drama "Hototogisu Koj� no Rakugetsu" is produced for the first time in T�ky�, at the T�ky�za; Shikan plays the role of Yodogimi [casting].
November 1908: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki J�hachiban drama "Kagekiyo"; Shikan plays the role of Chichibu no Sh�ji Shigetada [casting].
November 1911: Nakamura Shikan V takes the name of Nakamura Utaemon V at the Kabukiza, playing the leading role of the prestigious dance "Ky�ganoko Musume D�j�ji".
November 1918: premiere at the Shintomiza of Matsui Sh�y�'s drama "Yodogimi"; Utaemon plays the leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi).
June 1921: premiere at the Shintomiza of Takayasu Gekk�'s drama "Daigo no Haru"; Utaemon plays the leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi).
October 1921: premiere at the Kabukiza of Okamoto Kid�'s drama "�sakaj�"; Utaemon plays the leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi).
February 1922: premiere at the Shintomiza of Yamazaki Shik�'s drama "Hatsushiraga"; Utaemon plays the leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi).
March 1923: premiere at the Hong�za of Matsui Sh�y�'s drama "Satsuma no Yodogimi"; Utaemon plays the leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi).
April 1926: premiere at the Kabukiza of Matsui Sh��'s drama "Yodogimi Odawara-jin"; Utaemon plays the leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi).
April 1932: premiere at the Kabukiza of Mayama Seika's drama "Yoritomo no Shi"; Utaemon plays the role of Lady Masako [casting].
January 1933: Utaemon plays at the Kabukiza the role of the villain Kiyohara no Takehira in the drama "Shibaraku".
1 August 1933: his elder son Nakamura Fukusuke V dies.
May 1936: Utaemon plays at the Kabukiza the role of Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri"; the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi is played by Onoe Kikugor� VI.
24 October 1936: erection in the precinct of the Honmonji Temple (T�ky�) of a memorial stone dedicated to Nakamura Utaemon III.
January 1937: Utaemon plays at the Kabukiza the role of Fujiwara no Shihei in the "Kurumabiki" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". His stage partners are Onoe Kikugor� VI (Matsu�maru), Ichimura Uzaemon XV (Sakuramaru) and Matsumoto K�shir� VII (Ume�maru).
14 June 1937: he receives at his Sendagaya home the visit of the famous conductor Felix Weingartner, who is on tour in Japan.
April 1939: Utaemon sells his Sendagaya home and settles in the district of Takanawa.
May 1939: Utaemon appears on stage for the last time, at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Yodogimi in the drama "Kiri Hitoha".
Comments:
Nakamura Utaemon V was one of the best onnagata actors of the first half of the twentieth century. He was the first in this prestigious line of actors to focus on female roles but kept on performing important male roles belonging to the line, like the king of thieves Ishikawa Goemon ("Sanmon"). One of his best roles was Lady Yodo (Yodogimi) in several Shinkabuki dramas written for him. He gathered them from 1921 in a special collection of plays, which was called Yodogimish� and included "Kiri Hitoha", "Hototogisu Koj� no Rakugetsu", "Yodogimi", "Daigo no Haru", "�sakaj�" or "Yodogimi Odawara-jin". His others best roles are Princess Yaegaki ("Jusshuk�"), Princess Toki ("Kamakura Sandaiki"), Masaoka ("Meiboku Sendai Hagi"), Agemaki ("Sukeroku") and Tonase ("Kanadehon Ch�shingura"). In his latter years, he terribly suffered because of lead poisoning.
Nakamura Utaemon V playing the role of Masaoka in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1897
Print made by K�ch�r� H�sai in 1901
Print made by �ta Masamitsu in 1950
The Nakamura Kotar� line of actors
The Nakamura Fukusuke line of actors
The Nakamura Shikan line of actors
The Nakamura Utaemon line of actors