KABUKI LION Coming to Las Vegas, 5/3-7

Panasonic presents Wonder KABUKI spectacle "KABUKI LION SHI-SHI-O: The Adventures of the Mythical Lion," created especially for the David Copperfield Theatre at the MGM Grand. KABUKI LION is the first Kabuki performance in a Las Vegas Theater.

KABUKI LION, a highlight of Japan KABUKI Festival in Las Vegas 2016, will have six performances only, May 3 - 7, 2016. Tickets start at $55.05 (not including tax and administrative fees); VIP and Premium seats are also available. To purchase tickets, visit the official website: http://www.kabuki-bito.jp/japankabuki/en/

KABUKI LION features renowned Kabuki actor Ichikawa Somegoro, and integrates new media art with spectacular state of the art projections. The story is based on the legend of a father lion that throws his child into a ravine to test the young lion's strength through hardship.

Somegoro said, "Kabuki has a history of more than 400 years. It has continued to evolve to this day and maintains a presence as a major form of entertainment in Japan. The theme in the forthcoming festival is 'Sei-En (Fantastic Shimmer)' and we will present a fantastic show of scintillating, super entertainment."

The show incorporates the signature Kabuki elements that have astonished and delighted audiences for centuries: elegant dances, the unique onnagata female role portrayed by a male actor, acrobatic fight scenes, the lion's robust and spirited movements, lavish costumes and makeup, and many other treasures of this traditional Japanese theatrical art.

The story is told against a backdrop of state of the art video projections created by leading Japanese creative media artists.

The story of KABUKI LION takes place at Mount Seiryo - an ethereal Buddhist location where the gods live. Shi-Shi-O serves Monju, the Buddhist deity of spiritual wisdom. Shi-Shi-O's children will be celebrating their coming of age soon but before this rite of passage, he sends them on a mission. They must defeat a mythical creature that is said to be the dark-side of the human heart, and to return the treasured sword Shi-Shi-Maru that was stolen from Monju. The brave brothers descend from the stone bridge to the netherworld. They disguise themselves as humans and courageously fight the creature, and upon their victory, return to Mount Seiryo. Monju validates the young brother lions' coming of age and the shishi-lions celebrate gloriously.

Japan KABUKI Festival in Las Vegas 2016

As part of the festival, Panasonic presents "Water Screen Digital Show by Shochiku x teamLab" performs at the Fountains of Bellagio at the Bellagio Hotel from April 29 to May 7, with four shows daily - 8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm. The show is free to the public.

The first part is a story told in a beautiful and dynamic presentation, which employs hologram images, includes scenes from the famous battle of samurais projected onto a screen of water, splashing up from the famous fountain in front of The Bellagio.

In Japan, Children's Day is in May, and the carp is a symbol of a child's growth and success in life. A collaborative fishing game can be played during the second part of the show in which participants download a game app onto their smart phones and use it like a fishing reel, teaming up with other participants, to catch a variety of fishes. It will be fun just to watch the show, but also participate by catching a carp, and bring home a piece of Japanese culture. The game app is available soon on iTunes and Google Play, created by teamLab Inc.

The producers are grateful for the support of the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco, US Japanese government institutions and organizations related to international cooperation. They would like to introduce Japan and Japan's traditional culture and the latest technology to the world by working hand in hand with various organizations and companies that have provided support and cooperation for this performance and for the producers' on-going efforts.

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