Nishino Akihiro (King Kong) Co-Produced 'Cats ~THE JELLICLE BALL~' Wins 3 Awards at the 79th Tony Awards! Wins Best Direction, Best Choreography, and Best Costume Design

CHIMNEY TOWN Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Akihiro Nishino), participating as a Co Producer, announced that the stage production 'Cats ~THE JELLICLE BALL~' won three awards at the 79th Tony Awards: Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Costume Design of a Musical.

Achieving 3 Wins from 9 Nominations

This work is a bold reinterpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's globally renowned musical 'Cats' from the perspective of New York's queer ballroom culture.

At the 79th Tony Awards, it was nominated in a total of 9 categories, including Best Revival of a Musical. Its innovative direction, overwhelming performances, and original visual expression were highly praised, resulting in wins in the following three categories:

■ Award Categories

・Best Direction of a Musical

・Best Choreography

・Best Costume Design of a Musical

While paying respect to traditional Broadway works, this production incorporates diverse cultures and values, sublimating them into new expressions, and has gained high acclaim as a work that demonstrates the possibilities of contemporary theater.

Comment from Akihiro Nishino

I used to think of overseas competition as a 'superior version of domestic competition' and overseas expansion as 'an act of going outside the sea.' However, when I opened the lid, I realized that overseas competition is 'an act of entering a village that has established a solid position outside the sea.'

What is required there is the 'skill of entering the village,' which we Japanese have not systematized at all.

It took a long time to understand this and put it into action.

This time, I participated in the work as a co-producer, but this award is by no means my personal achievement.

It is an honor given to the efforts and talents of the cast and staff who continued to create magical expressions on stage and behind the scenes, and above all, it is an honor to share with the fans who believed in and supported the work.

On the other hand, I find some meaning in my participation in the fact that it became news in this way and was able to deliver to the people of Japan what is happening on Broadway.

If it has helped, even just a little, to bridge the distance between Japanese and American entertainment, I couldn't be happier.

I am deeply grateful for all the connections, and I will continue to honestly engage with my craft so that this award does not end as a one-time event but leads to the next challenge.

Thank you always. I love you.

Akihiro Nishino (King Kong)

About 'Cats ~THE JELLICLE BALL~'

This work, 'Cats ~THE JELLICLE BALL~,' is a talked-about production that vividly reconstructs the world's biggest hit musical 'Cats' by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on T.S. Eliot's 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats,' from a completely new perspective.

With bold direction incorporating New York's ballroom culture, immersive spatial design that involves the audience, and spectacular dance performances, it has refreshed the conventional image of 'Cats' and caused a great stir on Broadway.

The glittering costumes, beautifully reconstructed famous songs, and the festive space woven by unique characters are highly regarded as a new-era musical celebrating diversity and self-expression.

This triple Tony Award win can be said to be proof that this work has presented a new way of being for 'Cats' in the modern era, going beyond a mere revival.

▼ 'Cats ~THE JELLICLE BALL~' Official Website

https://catsthejellicleball.com/

▼ Online Salon 'Nishino Akihiro Entertainment Laboratory'

https://salon.jp/nishino