The Acclaimed Production Of KATSURA SUNSHINE'S RAKUGO Will Extend Its Run At New World Stages

Celebrated, internationally renowned performer Katsura Sunshine (whom the New Yorker called " A big, burly, blond with a bellowing rapid-fire style) will continue to bring the Japanese art of Rakugo to New York in Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo. The show opened to rave reviews in September and will continue its run at New World Stages into the new year with new Rakugo stories each month December is Rakugo for the Entire Family featuring: The Zoo (a??c??aoe') about a man who needed the perfect job ; Momotaro (ae??a??e??) the story about how kids say the darndest things and Jugemu (a??e??c??) the boy with the very long name and January leave the kids at home, for rakugo for more mature audiences, the seedier side of rakugo stories. affairs, gambling and drinking with stories such as The Furoshiki Cloth (e??a'?ae??) and Reading Time (e??ae??銇產e??e-") (Reading Time is an original story by Sunshine's Master, Katsura Bunshi VI).

"When you introduce an art form to a new audience, you are never sure if it will catch on as you expect. We have been thrilled to see how much American audience have enjoyed the Japanese art of Rakugo. Night-after-night audiences are captive by the simple, but brilliantly performed art of story telling and Katsura Sunshine is the perfect person to bring this artform throughout the United States and beyond. We are excited to extend the show at New World Stages and look forward to announcing more exciting news for 2020." - Executive Producer, Joe Trentacosta

Recently the emcee of the G20 in Osaka, Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo comes to Times Square. Called the King of Kimono Comedy, Rakugo is the 400-year-old Japanese traditional art of comic storytelling, currently there are only 800 Rakugo Masters. Hailing from Canada, Sunshine is the only Western Rakugo Master in the world and star of NHK Worldwide, he is hilarious, charming, universally funny and yet so very Japanese. Sunshine is the perfect performer to bridge the gap between the East and the West, in a hilarious style. Critics have raved "A delight, Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo is funny and exciting. If you're looking for a good way to laugh and forget your troubles this is the show for you!" and "Funny and delightfully intimate with a feeling of improvisation that makes it easy to love."

With a minimal set, Rakugo features a lone storyteller dressed in kimono, kneeling on a cushion, using only a fan and a hand towel for props, entertains the audience with a comic monologue followed by traditional stories.

In order to become a recognized professional Rakugo storyteller, one must apprentice to a Rakugo Master, from whom one receives a stage name. The apprenticeship lasts for three to four years and is very strict. Depending on the master, the apprentice may not drink, smoke, or go on dates, and is subject to a strict curfew during the apprenticeship period. The apprentice cleans the master's house, does laundry, cooking, preparing and folding kimonos, and other chores, and learns the art of storytelling by watching the master perform and imitating. Throughout one's career, one is only allowed to perform a given story once permission to do that story has been granted by a master storyteller.

Katsura Sunshine has performed around the world and has been called "Highly unique and hilarious! Not to be missed!" Camden New Journal, London; "Sunshine is one of a kind! Literally!" Islington Tribune, London; "Hilarious! Singularly Japanese and universally funny!"-The Edinburgh Reporter; "Blinding pace! Mastery of mime and physical comedy! Sheer enthusiasm and energy! It's infectious!" UK Anime Network; "Hilarious, universally funny!" This Is London Magazine; "Sunshine is a must-see!" - Japan Journal, UK; "The most I've laughed all year!" -Japan Journal (UK); "Hurray! Hurray for Sunshine!" -Nikka Times, Canada; "Sunshine has them laughing in the aisles!" - Edinburgh Evening News; "Charming! Engaging! Charismatic!" - Broadway Baby; "Drop-Dead funny!" - Metropolis, Japan; "An onstage dynamo!" -The Calgary Herald; "Japan's answer to stand-up comedy!" - CTV National News; "Fantastic! A sight to behold! Too much fun!" - CBC Radio, Canada.

Katsura Sunshine was born in Toronto, Ontario, to parents of Slovenian origin. He studied Classics at the University of Toronto, specializing in Ancient Greek Theatre. In September 1995, his version of Aristophanes' "Clouds" opened at the Poor Alex Theatre in Toronto and ran for 15 months before embarking on a tour of central and eastern Canada. Sunshine went to Japan in 1999 to pursue studies in Japanese theatre. On September 1st, 2008, he was accepted as an apprentice to the great Rakugo storytelling Master, Katsura Bunshi VI (then named Katsura Sanshi), and received from his Master the Rakugo name Katsura Sunshine. Sunshine is the first ever Western Rakugo storyteller in the history of the "Kamigata" Rakugo tradition, based in Osaka, and only the second ever in the history of Japan. He has performed in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand, Nepal, Ghana, Senegal, Gabon, South Africa, as well as throughout Japan. He had both his West End debut at the Leicester Square Theatre and his off-Broadway debut at the SoHo Playhouse for three weeks each in 2017. In 2019 Sunshine was part of the successful bid of the city of Osaka for the 2025 World Fair, for which he travelled to Paris to present Japanese culture, as well as featuring in a video which was played on the final voting day. He received praise from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for this work, particularly for the video presentation. Also in 2019, Sunshine was chosen to be Master of Ceremonies at the opening reception of the G-20 Summit in Osaka. Sunshine currently divides his time between New York and Tokyo.

Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo has a set design by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, lighting design by Yuki Nakase Link and is presented by Joe Trentacosta and Yoshitaka Tanaka with artistic producer Marie Fukuda in association with Yumi Shinozaki and The Yoshimoto Creative Agency of Japan, General Management by LDK Productions/Lisa Dozier King.

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