A Map Without Borders

[ekusudei]

A Map Without Borders
Star Troupe, 1995

Leads: Asaji Saki & Shiraki Ayaka

[ TakaWiki Page ]

Summary:

Act One: I Want to be the Wind

In 1961, young Hermann goes to the British hospital to get medicine for his mother. Because of this, he ends up on the wrong side when the Berlin Wall goes up and is seperated from his mother. He is adopted by a very loving couple and grows up to become a world-famous composer. As the show opens, it is 1988, and he performs his newest piece, called "A Map Without Borders" in New York. Afterwards, he tells the tale of how he was seperated from his mother to the press. He hopes someday to be able to cross into East Berlin and find his mother again.

His recent success and has caused a sensation in the newspapers, and a young woman named Sabine is surprised to read his story the next morning. She contacts her neighbor, Hitoshi, who is a newspaper correspondent. He in turn contacts his superior, Ishizuka, and they bring Sabine to meet Hermann, because she says she has word of his mother. Sabine, however, can't speak. Hitoshi explains that she lost her ability to speak when she was seperated from her family in East Berlin. However, she says his mother was fine as of five years ago.

Ishizuka desides a reunion would make a geat story, and arranges with Hermann to get him into East Berlin. Meanwhile, he travels around the world, even visiting a performance of the Takarazuka Theater in Japan. (He loves it, of course.) Hitoshi travels with him. While in Tokyo, a member of the East Berlin Ministry of Culture arrives. Her name is Veronica. Hermann is shocked to find that she looks exactly like Sabine! She has an invitation for him to visit ast Berlin, where he can also meet with his mother. Hermann agrees to come, but then questions her about a missing younger sister. She at first tells him she has no sister, but then when she learns that her twin sister is still alive she is shocked.

Meanwhile, in East Berlin, in the offices of the secret police, we learn that Veronica is actually a member of the secret police, and her superiors want Hermann imprisoned for his anti-Communist compositions. The secret police are searching for his mother, but she appears to have changed her name, and they can't find her.

There, he is reunited with his old neighbor and her daughter. Unfortunately, they moved and lost track of his mother. An agent of the seceret police named Heinrich works to keep him isolated and unable to wander through the town to look for his mother himself. Hermann's mother sees his poster in the town, but refuses to go to see him. Her son is free, she doesn't want him entangled in East Berlin again.

Veronica's superior has noticed a change in her since her trip to Tokyo, and attcks her in a jealous rage, accusing her of being in love with Hermann. She is silent, unable to refute him, but he tells her he'll never let her go. Veronica is startled toe realise that she is no longer happy with the life she has chosen. Realizing she might never see him again, she goes to visit Hermann at his hotel. He discovers her wounds, and admits that he loves her. She finally makes a decision, and destroys the bugs in his room, before admiting the truth to him of what she is. He doesn't blame her for the choices she was forced into. Suddenly, Heinrich appears. However, he reveals that he was so moved by Hermann's "A Map Without Borders" that he remembered his own past. He says he has a way to sneak Hermann back across the border, but he'll have to go without Veronica. At first he refuses, but she insists he go.

Time passes. Hermann returns to the wall with Hitoshi and Sabine. There he meets some West Berin rockers, who are actually friends there to help them meet up with Veronica. They wait nerviusly. Suddenly spotlights and sirens sound from the other side of the wall. Gunshots are heard. at last Sabine finds her voice, as she screams for her sister.

Act Two: Longer Than Eternity

Summer, 1989. Paris. Sabine and Hitoshi are trying to cheer up Hermann, but he doesn't want to be happy. He blames himself for Veronica's death, and tells them they can't understand what he feels. He tells them to leave them alone. He cruelly tells Sabine that if she wants him to feel better, she should leave. After all, all she does is remind him of her dead sister. He quarrels with Hitoshi and leaves. Hitoshi tries to comfort Sabine, telling her that someday Hermann will realize how she feels for him.

Hermann, we learn, has given up on making music. Heinrich appears, carrying a note that Veronica had with his mother's address. Heinrich tells him that now, more than ever, his music tells what is going on in the world today. He urges Hermann to return to East Berlin to perform once more. Hermann agrees to go, because Veronica would have wanted him to.

At his performance, Hermann suddenly entreats his audience to work for their freedom, and stand up. He is arrested and pulled off the stage by the secret police. Suddenly, Veronica's ex-superior enters, claiming to have found Hermann's mother. Heinrich tries to argue that they're not sure, but it overruled. Hermann is taken into the room, and immediately identifies his mother, but before he can speak, she claims she doesn't know who he is and that her son is dead. She cries out that it's his fault that she's been pulled in. Hermann's old neighbors arrive and agree that she's not Hermann's mother. Hermann agrees that he doesn't know who she is. The secret police take her away and determine to look into it once more.

Kaufman threatens to crush Hermann's hands if he doesn't admit to knowing his mother. Hermann allows Kaufman to torture him, and continues to claim he doesn't know her.

A huge crowd gathers to demonstrate outside of the secret police headquarters. Things begin to fall apart. The head of the secret police calls Hermann in, and apologizes for his treatment. He asks Hermann if he really believes that East and West Germany can be happy together. Hermann says he does. They argue over whether people serve the state, or whether the state serves the people. The head orders Hermann released, and Heinrich leads him away.

Hermann, although his hand has been badly damaged, is determined to play his song for a broadcast into East Berlin. His step-mother and friends beg him not to, but his step-father realizes that this is something that Hermann has to do, even if he can't play perfectly with one hand. As he finishes, Hitoshi arrives. He has brought Sabine with him, but she hasn't come into the radio studio, since she knows he doesn't want to see him. He asks them to bring her in. They speak, and he tells her he understands her feelings. He asks her to wait a little longer for him. She promises she'll wait as long as he needs, even if it's longer than eternity.

At the Berlin Wall, the citizens come forward and face off with the military. Suddenly, someone begins singing Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Others join in, and the song gains strength. Heinrich joins them, and West Berliners appear on the wall. They begin to break the wall.

Hermann's mother appears, and refuses to listen to others urging her to find someplace safer. She knows her son will come. The wall falls, and Hermann and Sabine come through.

What I Thought:

Hm. I've watched it through twice now, and I'm still not entirely captivated by it. There isn't enough Dancing, you see. Or rather, not nearly enough of Asaji Saki dancing. The play itself isn't bad, and in fact has rather believable and sympathetic characters. The dialogue is all Ueda-sensei, though, with long, uninterrupted sections of conversation where the characters tend to wander off track and leave you wondering just why they need to discuss the price of tea for twenty minutes (Note: I am being terribly unfair to Ueda-sensei. No discussion of tea was abused in the making of this show.) Somehow his style fits better with the material of this show, however, where the philosophizing of the characters and the rising up of the citizens all makes sense.

The detour to Takarazuka is so blatantly mismatched to the rest of the show, and the discussion afterward between Mariko's and Minoru Kou's characters is so odd it's endearing. It is a unique way to fit in the hatsubutai speeches and bowing and things, though.

I liked the character of Veronica, but the fact that she turned into a pile of mush when Hermann told her he loved her was really disappointing. Sabine I kind of wanted to stick a spork into. Still, it's Shiraki Ayaka, and as long as she's singing, I'm happy. *happy sigh* Noru's character was just awful. She had hardly any stage time, and what she did have, she spent pushing the girl she loved at Mariko in a rather sickeningly self-sacrificing way. Yes, yes, you're a sentimental Japanese man, let me just swoon. Oh, please.

The absolute horde of Senka ladies is unusual and a treat. I probably shouldn't have liked Isono Chihiro's character so much, especially when he was bashing on Mariko's poor fingers and whipping Ayaka. But he was so deliciously, one-dimensionally evil I could tell Isono was probably having a ball. And how often do Senka otokoyaku get to feel up the leading lady? Itsuki Chihiro as a woman again, and why didn't I ever notice how many female roles she's played before?

I paid close attention to Maori Yuki this time around, because I've been reading a couple of interviews between her and her classmate Rika lately. She's a bit odd-looking, but she's grown on me. And when she sang in the parade she had a very nice voice. It's too bad that she retired early. Izumo Aya didn't sing enough. Baby Kozuki Wataru was too adorable for words. Should I mention Ema Naoki in hot pink, leopard-spotted pants and a mohawk? No, I didn't think so.

As an aside, I'm still trying to decide if Mariko is actually playing the piano during all her performance scenes. I'm 80% sure she is. Which is pretty impressive!

Right, so, plot, okay. Songs, okay. Not wonderful for Mariko's voice (and it takes some very special doing to match her range), but okay. I admit to a weird fondness for "Kaze ni Naritai". And I actually really like the chorus singing Beethoven's 9th at the end.

So, why, you ask, did I watch this again, other than to refresh my memory on plot points for the wiki write-up? Well, Mariko is just so lovely when she's angsting. And... The little finale at the end. Yes. Because I love that otokoyaku stair dance more than words can say. It is my absolute favorite. If you have Golden Steps, you've seen it. But this version is ten times better. To be honest, I've never seen Takarazuka this in synch, other than in a hatsubutai line dance. They were just spot on on the day they recorded this. Yes, I loves it. Very, very, very much. And the pair dance between Ayaka and Mariko is very sweet and white and ... Yes. I like this little finale. Hee! And I managed to spot Matobu Sei in the line-dance this time! Still haven't found Tani, though.

Comments

[genkikani.livejournal.com]

That is the best stair dance ever! I can't express my love for that dance.

I like the show in general...plenty of it went right over my heard which probably has to do with me zoning out when characters rambled, but then again maybe I just failed at this show who can say. Isono was so evil, it was wonderful XD Really wasn't enough baby reporter Wataru.

I share your fondness for "Kaze ni Naritai"

[caithion.livejournal.com]

That is the best stair dance ever! I can't express my love for that dance.

♥♥♥

I also zoned out during the rambling, which is why I had to make myself watch it again and pay attention this time. XD

[kozuki.livejournal.com]

I only watched it once but I listened to the CD a few times before I could watch the show...clearly I didn't pay all that much attention...ever.

[kyanited.livejournal.com]

not nearly enough of Asaji Saki dancing


Welps, as long as there is enough Asaji Saki angsting acting, all is fairly well. :D

Sounds like a wonderfully emo-angst filled plot... yum.

[caithion.livejournal.com]

♥♥

[rozenchrestus.livejournal.com]

omg i love Asaji Saki and this show ~ i add you, i hope this is okay :)

[caithion.livejournal.com]

I love Asaji Saki too. Welcome! :D