SPIRITED AWAY to be adapted for the stage

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/John-CairdWill-Write-and-Direct-Stage-Adaptation-of-Oscar-Winning-Film-SPIRITED-AWAY-20210225

Wow, a lot of thoughts here:

Spirited Away is one of my favorite films of all time, and I'm a huge Studio Ghibli fan in general.

I'm not saying that Spirited Away can't work onstage. I firmly believe that any source material can work onstage, as long it's done by the right people, making the right artistic choices. But is John Caird the right person? I don't know. From the article, it sounds like this is a passion project for him, which is a good sign. I also see that he's worked a lot in Japan.

But I worry that he's too traditional of an artist to do this project justice. In order to make this work, he's going to have to make some bold choices with his approach to the staging, and make it his own. It has to be re-conceived and re-imagined from the ground up. Because otherwise, this project will just feel like a pale imitation of a masterpiece.

Worth mentioning that this will be the 2nd adaptation of a Ghibli movie: the first was Princess Mononoke, performed using puppets for all the creatures.

Updated On: 2/25/21 at 08:19 PM

This is a play, is it not?

I love the film as well. Right now I can only imagine a successful theatrical adaptation as some kind of environmental/immersive experience, but hopefully that's just my lack of imagination. Hopefully Caird will find a great way to do it.

John Caird is not the right choice for this one. His version will likely put audiences to sleep, imo.

I hope someone calls Julie Taymor. Perfect fit for her. This can only really be a true "wow" with lots of puppetry style stage magic.

EDIT: I originally thought he was just writing the piece. Looks like he's directing it as well. I just feel like this is... ill advised.

Updated On: 2/26/21 at 03:03 PM

Some photos from the production here:

https://sumabo.jp/145787

Yes, I had similar thoughts. I don't know if this signifies anything, but - extrapolating a lot from that first photo - it looks as though the 'real world' scenes might be done in a less literal, "let's just hold up a steering wheel and we're in a car" sort of way.

On the 'theme park' vibe, incidentally, as many may have heard there is a Studio Ghibli theme park being developed in Japan. As I mentioned upthread, I think a live 'Spirited Away' might work better (if at all) as an environmental experience, so ironically, maybe a theme park would be a better medium for adapting the film after all - here I'm thinking of an entire theme park experience, rather than an abridged stage show as a single theme park attraction. The theme park website at https://ghibli-park.jp/ notes "Ghibli Park does not have big attractions or rides. It is a place to discover secrets while walking with your own feet and feeling the wind, leaving the forest and road as it is." That sounds more like an interesting 'Spirited Away' interpretation to me.

The show is going to be streamed on Hulu Japan; but I not sure what that means for opportunities, if any, to watch the recording(s) outside of Japan.

https://soranews24.com/2022/04/01/live-action-spirited-away-stage-play-to-stream-online-this-summer/

Additional screenings added to theatrical run

I saw a viewing of it in Brooklyn last night. This is a beyond gorgeous production, filled with a LOT of well-crafted stage magic. You could not have picked better people to play Yubaba/Zeniba and Chihiro.


There are a few very minor sung parts added to the stage production (the introduction to the bathhouse, celebration of cleaning the River God, etc.) but they don’t disrupt or pull you from the magic of the story at all; They maintain the flow of the story, and better help personify the workers as one large community entity.


The big “Ma” segment (quiet scene on the train) is done beautifully; I was worried they would minimize/shorten it because it’s easy to cut scenes that appear unimportant on the surface, but wow did they get it right.


All this to say, if this were a Tony Eligible show (as a play with music), it would sweep technical awards and orchestrations, with no contest.

I went to see this in theatres and was blown away! While I am not always a fan of reproductions, it genuinely heightened the magic of the movie. No spoilers here, but what they did with the doors, puppetry, and costuming was nothing short of gorgeous.

Overall, well-worth a movie ticket price and would highly recommend it! We saw the version with KANNA HASHIMOTO and she was awesome, really understood how to resemble the distinct animation and facial expressions. Could be shorter, but it was MAGIC.

Will perform in London from April to June 2024

Funny I was just thinking about John Caird (listen to a bit of the musical adaptation of his "Beggar's Opera" production in link below). I think this was actually quite a good choice for a director since the production seems to not be re-interpreting the original Miyazaki visuals. Caird has been working in Japan for a while and his direction has always focused more on the performers than the visuals. Taymor on the other hand would have focused primarily on interpreting the Miyazaki visuals through her puppetry lens and very little on actors and performances. I think Taymor, as brilliant as she is, is a negligent director of actors and character arcs in general.

Over the Hills and Far Away

Updated On: 10/11/23 at 11:52 AM

Coming to Max on December 24:

https://www.theatermania.com/news/spirited-away-live-on-stage-coming-to-hbo-max-streaming-service-in-december_1722334/