What I liked
The story (written by Karina) is well told and it leaves you wanting more as it should – being the first act of a two act play. The stand out performances are Tomoko Karina as Princess Chacha, Stan Kowalski as Nobunga Oda, Luce Metrius as Yukimura Sanadu and Clement Bowen as Harunaga Ohno.
What I didn't like
Some of the actors were hard to understand due to low volume and heavy accents.
My overall impression
Just on the heals of the epic FX series “Shogun”, we have a new slice of Japanese history live and onstage. Tomoko Karina and Ensemble Tenshi give us the first half of a fascinating true story of a royal princess in 16th century Japan who becomes a mistress of the warlord responsible for the deaths of both her parents. Tomoko is larger than life as Princess Chacha doing whatever she has to do to survive and prosper in the brutal “game of thrones” era of Japan. A large talented cast supports the story – with amazing fight choreography and intricate scene changes. A must see!
