ALTAR BOYZ! (part I)

Feb 20, 2009 19:14

 (complete?) sorry, i'll try to remember everything and write what little we could understand. And just a heads up that this would be MASA-CENTRIC (i really couldn't help being on Masa-vision mode the whole time *dies*). But I would be mixing in my friend's comments as a first-time audience of this type of thing and of the boys, but understood the language much better (and someone who had been quite in a bit of pain during the whole play! so brave... sorry, Aya >__
and sorry too if this would come out too spazzy/retarded/lame/failed/long. First time in Japan and on a whole lot of things, including writing this type of stuff. (So sorry too if I tend to pay attention only to the few other aspects of other fandoms that i acted bleh, i.e. on the previous Pureboys experience.  Maybe I'm just really into Masa fandom only? I'll continue appreciating but trying not to spazz that much on other fandoms from now on if i don't know much *pained smile*. too many fandoms, too little time...).

anyway, i'll also try my best to lj-cut the spoilers+long things. spoilers seem inevitable =___=, sorry...! I'll addressing character names but indicating if the actors themselves does something extra. [ ] = my comments. Also, please do not read if you're uncomfortable with satire and any level of religious talk.

Me and my friend watched on the sole show on the 19th (me at 2nd row, so near the stage aljfldsfldsfldskdjfld wth i didn't realize i was that near lol, Aya at 9th row), and i impulse-watched on afternoon of the 22nd (<--- this is not considered senshuuraku right? the evening, last show was already sold out ;^;) at standing area 12, Shinjuku FACE. Slight differences between the shows would be indicated with 19 on normal and 22 on red.

It was on this small area on 7th floor of FACE, which apparently also housed a boxing arena upstairs. Exactly 30mins as indicated on the ticket the audience queued up outside were made to go up in turns on the elevators. The small reception area was where the drink was paid and where flowers and notecards for the boys from the audience behind a red cord were setup.

The boxes for the gifts for the boys were beside the merchandise XDDD (apparently Masa gets lots of gifts, whereas the others have only 1 or 2. dropped off gifts for Masa on both days, on the last day specially a "Good Health" charm from a temple in Kawagoe we both need it ahaha @__@;;). Apparently, there's no separate photosets... it seemed to be incorporated in the pamphlet already. There is also that small black box with a white cross at the corner beside the stage doors, with a note on the wall behind it saying something like "What do you want to confess about?"(?).

it was a small stage! But the venue and the audience had been setup in a way that everyone has a clear view of the stage.
Sneak view from my seat on the 19 (i actually got nervous because Aya warned me of possible audience interaction with the way the extension platform was set up... i was just right beside the right side stair down of the very small extension platform, just behind this man infront of me ahaha and i didn't know much japanese ahaha aldskflsdfjdlsjf [and H-san actually constantly wandered over/sat there alskdfjdksjfsldfj]):





sneak view from standing row on 22nd:

.

Church organ melodies were played as the audience were ushered in, with the occasional MC (the narrator in the play or the boys maybe) giving out reminders to the audience in this hyper voice XD. As opening nears church incense begins to cloud the stage as well (ah, I remember my days in Catholic school...!). Those who have seats get promotional flyers (yay 7CHEERS XDD), and that small gray notecard saying something similar(?) to that note tacked on the wall by that black box outside:



.

The stage band goes in and setups for a bit. Then a staff-san goes out with a smoke engine that smells suspiciously like incense and begins scattering it across the stage, forming a heart at the middle which audience claps at. Then it was lights out. Start of the show was the toll of a church bell in time with the upright lights set up by those metal structures, lighting up in pairs towards the big cross at the middle. The boys also come in one by one in the darkness and positions themselves.

Matthew (Higashiyama Yoshihisa) wears this white sleeveless with black vest and henna tattoos up his one arm and blondish hair slightly done up (in the mode of Yonehara's hair in Kuroouji), and blinged huge cross necklace. Mark (Masa) wears this form-fitting cream jacket (which he takes off later) over a faint pink and white long-sleeved shirt (with one of the sleeves rolled up to his elbows --- typical Masa signature XDD) and quite form-fitting cream pants (yes, he has the... you know =P) up to his ankles with rainbow-colored socks over some chucks. his hair and mismatched black and silver nails were really done as on his blog, with the multicolored clips with two crisscrossing on top of his head and simple silver pendant and lots of multicolored sports bands on his wrist where his sleeve had been rolled up. Ruka (or "Luke"/Tanaka Roma) is in this tight black sleeveless showing off his muscles alsdlkfjdlsjflk and cargo pants(?) with spiked hair. Yohan (or "Juan" or "John"/Ueki Go) is in hip-hop mode with sleeveless shirt with baggy sleeveless vest and baggy shorts and chucks. Abraham (Rachi Shinji) is in simple street wear with baggy pants and a big Star of David patch on the right chest of his hoodie, with his hair tied up partly with streaks of color.

The small stage is enough room it seems for the boys to make a line without hitting the musicians at the back and dance and jump around (and make stunts at around the middle part of the show). As shown in their very first song We Are the Altar Boyz. The boys dance their way slowly to the center in a circle and crouches down the floor as musicians do some rock tune. After that is this slow introductory tempo with Matthew in the middle standing and singing first in the spotlight. The others echo his words and dance slightly along the floor behind him. Then Mark stands and sings next in the spotlight, and the song becomes upbeat rock near the end of his part with all the lights bursting on. This was a mostly "blending" rock/dance song, and their blending is really good*___*.

All throughout the play their dancing is mostly synchronized, as is the format of a singing and dancing boyband (it is seen though that all of the boys obviously have very good dancing backgrounds by the way they move).  [ Matthew being the leader was made even more glaring, as Aya observed that he dances even more seductively than the rest of the boys, like with that extra bounce and hip thrust, somehow overclouding them all ahaha. ] There are parts though that one member would step in front and sing a part of the song, like Masa going to the extension stage in the Rhythm in Me song [ Masa played a bit with his voice and performance here on both shows like adding an extra "baka" on the Remix version of this song at the end XDD;;]. Luke and Matthew (specially Matthew) were the ones mainly doing the individual audience flirting, like sitting down on the extension stairs and generally making individual eye contact XD. Juan sometimes joins them down but is mainly being cute. Abraham and Mark stays on stage though making general eye contact, only going forward when it is their singing part, or if they specifically have to address someone in jest, like Mark who "spat" the lyrics of Epiphany to the girl Matthew picked on the 19th XDDD.

[ can't remember if this part goes after Rhythm in Me ] The lights go on normal, and the boys then speaks to the audience, mentioning Shinjuku FACE as the last leg of their "tour". They also make introductions --- Matthew, Mark, Ruka (or "Luke"), and Yohan (or "Juan" --- spanish for "John"). They stop in mentioning Abraham XDDD, so he introduces himself and continues talking. <--- it seems he is the odd man out^^;;. not necessarily alienated from them, but odd^^;;;. [ in reference to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John --- the authors of the first four Gospels in the Bible's New Testament. Abraham is an essential character in the Old Testament. ] They explain that their goal is to convert all the audiences they come across! [ As in convert to praising God/evangelism via their upbeat modern singing and dancing and good looks XDDD;; --- Christian boyband! ]. [ Noticeable at this point is Masa's quite eager, wide-eyed receptive behavior and prim and proper mannerism (hands clasped together most of the time, like after clapping he'll clasp it again) ].

Matthew then introduces the high-tech, "user-friendly" (XDDD) machine they have on the right side of the stage (Mark, Luke, and John? squats like they were listening students on imaginary chairs on the other side on the 22 they acted quite squirmy and just dying for Matthew to finish talking XDD, Masa specially XDD) --- DX-12! (It actually looks like a basketball timer lcd XDD). The red numbers on the screen indicates the number of "astray" souls in the audience, and it is their goal to bring down that number by the end of the show! Mark then straightens up and declares out, "God's so great!" (something like "Kami-sama... sugoi!" [can't remember exact words] and claps and everybody claps with him XDD. Then they pray in thanks and praise Matthew mischievously glancing up at the audience occasionally as his companions pray intently.

The DX-12 counter started with 400+ or something XDDD. So they perform again another upbeat song (Church Rulez(?)). After that they fall into a row, and do choir-like blending singing "Soul Sensor DX-12~~" after with wiggling their finger at the top of their head like an antenna then pointing at the same time to DX-12. Sure enough, the numbers went down dramatically. At this hot-headed Luke flares at the audience to speak up who the hell is still not converted there XDDD, but the boys immediately pulls him back and tried to calm him. Matthew reiterates that they are confident that everyone will be converted by the end of the show.

[can't remember where exactly during the show this is] Some of the audience at the right side of the stage suddenly gives the Boyz, sans Mark who is on the left side, bundles of money which they snatch greedily and puts into their pockets XDDD. And Mark on the one end of the stage just goes, "WTH D:???" The rest of the Boyz looks guiltily, except Matthew who sneaks his cargo backstage XDDD.

Then there is that part where they freeze in the middle of the stage on a pose with lights suddenly darkened, as the Narrator talks and explains the Boyz' background. And talks again XDDD. Like Matthew is in a cross-legged crouched position with only one foot and Roma at his side supporting him (ouch), and Abraham and Mark's faces sooo close to each other with Abraham leaning back and Mark leaning over him  (if Masa hadn't his feet planted firmly he would have fallen over Shinji XDDD --- Masa and Shinji can't help but giggle during the entire time, Matthew almost falls XD)

Then there is that warping sound and the lights go back and they straighten up. They talk again. Then they do this certain walking pose starting in a row at the corner,  in the piano tune of do re mi (their poses apart from each other looks like they were emulating the evolution of man XDDD)..

And from there lights out, and a re-enactment of the boys' banding up begins! (On to Part II!--> )

altarboyz

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