Katsura Sunshine to Bring His Talents Online With a Weekly Show

As New Yorks' theatrical landscape faces an uncertain future, celebrated international performer Katsura Sunshine, who has been starring Off-Broadway at New World Stages since September, will start streaming a bi-weekly talk show online beginning Thursday, March 19th at 8 pm. He will stream live from "Sunshine Studios" in New York City on Thursdays and Saturdays at 8 pm before returning to New World Stages on Saturday, June 20th, tickets available now at Telecharge.com.

Celebrated, internationally renowned performer Katsura Sunshine 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 was forces to take a short hiatus and will return to New World Stages in Juen and will continue to perform different stories each month.

"The situation facing New York City has caused widespread panic and uncertainty. During the darkest times in our history, we have looked to performers and artists to help calm our nerves and offer some hope in tentative times, so I am thrilled that Sunshine will continue to connect with his audience online for an hour of laughter and joy until we return to our home at New World Stages in June." Executive Producer, Joe Trentacosta

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 an entertaining 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 a master storyteller has granted permission to do that story.

Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo has 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.

DETAILS

Katsura Sunshine ONLINE

Beginning March, 19,

Playing Thursday and Saturday at 8 pm - 9 pm

Facebook at Sunshine Katsura Sunshine

YouTube at Katsura Sunshine in New

Sunshine will also present the same show in Japanese at 8 am for audiences in Japan - 7 pm local time

Katsura Sunshine'S RAKUGO

RETURNING TO NEW WORLD STAGES

Beginning June 20th, 2020

Thursday and Saturday at 8 pm

New World Stages is located at 340 West 50 Street

Tickets available NOW please visit Telecharge.com or call (212)239 6200

For more information about Sunshine and Rakugo, please visit www.Rakugo.lol