Hey y'all! So a friend asked that I go into a little more detail about my actual job here at USJ. While I'm contractually obligated to never reveal anything that you can't see from the park itself (including anything backstage/in the green room, rehearsals, etc.), I think I can definitely write a little more about the job itself.
As you know at this point, I sing in the Frog Choir, a four person singing group in the Harry Potter word at Universal Studios Japan. There are two full-time casts of five people (Choir Master, Soprano, Alto, Tenor (me!), Bass/VP), as well as a few other cast members who swing in once or twice a week while performing other roles in other parts of the park the rest of the time. The full-time casts are scheduled five days a week, so I typically perform with the same four other people, though on weekends when both casts and all swings are scheduled throughout the day the casts usually get a bit mixed up, and people can request shift changes for trips or family visiting which can also change the cast on a given day.
Our shows run about 12-13 minutes, with a 5 minute meet-and-greet photo session afterward (which gets cut in half or completely if it's too hot). Audiences range from 75-ish to several hundred people, as we are on a stage right between the Hogwarts castle and the main walkway of Hogsmeade featuring all the shops/restaurants. Japanese audiences are typically a bit on the subdued side but will gladly clap along with a little encouragement. Either way they are always respectful. While I don't know for sure, I'd imagine this show performed in America might be met with a bit more rolled eyes and smirks from those watching, but Japanese audiences really appreciate our efforts with enthusiasm and it makes the job that much easier and that much more fun. Of course my favorite audience members are all the kids, who usually watch the show with their mouths agape and are so happy to take photos with us after the show. While the shows themselves are a lot of fun, walking to and from the stage before and after shows, waving and saying hello to children and seeing their bewildered expressions as a Hogwarts student walks by them is actually my favorite part of the job. I especially love finding a child or teen wearing a ravenclaw cloak or tie and saying "Hello there, Ravenclaw!" to them.
Our stage is outdoors, and we perform with mics on headsets, so when it's raining we can't do the usual show and instead perform inside the castle in part of the line for a ride. We perform about half the show entirely a cappella, and it's a fun way to get a little closer to people in the park, as we're right up close with them and can only perform for so many people at a time in the line.
While most of the guests we see are there for the first time, there are few dozen USJ superfans that come maybe several times a month and will typically watch our show at every performance (5 or 10 times a day, depending on the day), rather than just watching once and then experiencing other parts of the park. I'm not going to pretend that this is at all normal behavior, but many of these superfans seem like nice, innocent people who simply enjoy our performances and want to show their support for the USJ performers, and they often take many photos to share with us on Facebook. To be honest, I have about thirty pending friend requests on Facebook from various USJ superfans, and while many other performers here add them, it makes me a bit uncomfortable, so I politely respond to messages that I might receive but do not add any of them as friends. I intend to eventually make an actor fan page and direct them all to that instead of my personal page, a strategy many other performers here have successfully implemented. Until then I'll simply smile at them during our shows and hope they are not offended that I don't accept their Facebook friend requests. All of these superfans also attend the International Artists Nights put on by USJ performers as well as any plays or musicals the performers put on throughout the year. While it feels a little weird to have a group of people treating us like celebrities, it's also kind of cool, and it's honestly a testament to the amount and degree of talent that is working here at USJ.
Alright, back to my adventures in Japan. Yesterday I decided to check out a Bon Dance Festival, a traditional Japanese Buddhist festival to honor the spirit of one's ancestors and their sacrifices. It was fascinating to witness a part of this culture that differed so greatly from my own and to see Japanese people both young and old honoring the generations that came before them with such reverence. A few musicians played and sang live traditional music while hundreds of people, mostly dressed in yukatas, performed several different dances consisting of repetitive gestures and movements as they circled around the area. The history of this country is so long and rich, and it was quite a privilege to see these dances that have likely been performed this same way for hundreds of years.
There were many groups of (mostly) women dressed in matching yukatas, perhaps from local temples or communities
While it was a traditional dance festival, there were also carnival-ish booths of drinks and snacks
Just the ladies from Frozen enjoying some beers
This little Buddhist Pig guy seemed to be the mascot for the evening; here he was taking a picture with two children, one of which was dressed as a beetle for some reason
There were several video cameras set up to capture the evening's performances
The program for the two-evening festival. Too bad I couldn't read it!
The temple's doors were open
These two ladies were running the show
Quickly running through the choreo before showtime
As one song would end, the group up on the float would leave and another would take their turn to lead the group for the next song
Just a guy dressed as an eggplant tryna sell some snacks
This guy kept his eyes closed the whole time and didn't do any of the correct gesture, but man was he feelin' it
While many people were dressed in traditional yukatas, a more casual look was acceptable as well, evidenced by these ladies in matching pink polos and khakis
The more time went on, the more people joined in the dancing. It didn't matter what you were wearing or how old you were or if you even knew the moves ahead of time, anyone was welcome and encouraged to participate
This white dude was a bit braver than me and joined in the dancing. Afterwards he received many compliments from locals who appreciated his efforts.
Look, I don't even buy cheetos in America, but I wanted to try a weird Japanese version of an American snack for the blog, and these seemed like the right choice. I think they were okonomiyaki flavored, or maybe just some sort of savory pancake with butter? Either way, they tasted alright but kind of strange and not particularly like any one recognizable flavor. I was disappointed that they weren't either amazing or terrible, to be honest, as either would have been more exciting.
(***EDIT: Turns out that picture on the front isn't a pancake, it's grilled abalone (a seasnail) with butter and soy sauce. Yeah, that's about as Japanese as it gets.)
I thought this hat was too funny not to buy for 1000 Yen (ten bucks)
I thought this shirt was pretty funny too, but I wanted to try it on in a fitting room, and I was DENIED a fitting room because I wasn't Japanese! Seriously, I asked for a fitting room (which were like ten feet away and totally not taken), and the guy said no, and when I said "nan de?" (which means why, or what reason), he gestured to his skin on his face, which I'm pretty sure meant "because you're white and not Japanese." I was shocked and just dropped the shirt and left the store.
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