Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsMember Reviews (174)
See it if If you want to see a comedy one person. Talks about Japanese culture.
Don't see it if Thought it was unemotional at times and repetitive.
See it if You want to experience a multi cultural stand up show or if you like one person shows.
Don't see it if If you don’t like one person shows.
See it if you have a kid in tow for Long Name, Miso Bean, Tiger...the stories were kid pleasers. I found them repetitive and only mildly humorous
Don't see it if you expect a full program of entertainment; 11/19 was 50 minutes. KS ardently tried to please; interesting exposure to Japanese comedy. Read more
See it if you'd like a little exposure to Japanese language and customs where you get a few chuckles by a charismatic storyteller.
Don't see it if you expect hilarity - I got to the punch lines before he did! Also, this adult version contained 1/3 of his family show by his own admission
See it if you are interested in Japanese culture. It is an opportunity to see this technique demonstrated in English with acknowledged differences
Don't see it if you dislike presentations with no physical action or humor that depends on lots of verbal repetitions.
See it if you'd like to see a Japanese form of humor done by a Western man. Funny at times and simple staging.
Don't see it if you want to see a comedy or a performer with strong personality.
See it if you want to see a good-humored, cheerful, unique brand of Eastern storytelling from a good-humored, cheerful master of the specialized art.
Don't see it if u prefer concise, succinct storytelling; u expect knee-slapping, side-splitting comedy [The humor's innocuous & cute, not esp. hilarious.] Read more
See it if Katsura's quirky, ingratiating persona is the highlight of this fusion evening of Japanese storytelling & stand-up Intro monologue well done
Don't see it if Evening a little long-ish w/ Katsura taking his time working the audience & often getting sidetracked while cultural stories (jokes) modest
Critic Reviews (5)
"‘Katsura Sunshine’s Rakugo’ Offers Stand-Up Comedy Without the Standing: Mr. Sunshine is one of the rare Westerners to become a master of the centuries-old Japanese comic storytelling form."
Read more
"It's almost impossible to dislike Katsura Sunshine, whose presence is immediately disarming… If you question whether the funny would get lost between different cultures, rest assured because here, humor is quite the universal language and laughter never needs translation."
Read more
"I’ve seen rakugo in Japan but never in English, which made it such a delight to visit…Katsura Sunshine’s often hilarious performance…His audience-friendly act…ranges from 15-second jokes to extended narratives, always with an inevitable punchline…Just watching Sunshine’s facial and gestural contortions is worth the price of admission."
Read more
"The stylized telling involves a great deal of repetition, mobile facial expressions, sound effects and much exaggeration—all delightfully intimate and low-keyed...'Rakugo' may be a bit coy and small-scale in its storytelling for Americans, although it is difficult to judge by this one, singularly unconventional tale. It lacks the colorful staging of other Japanese classical theater forms, but has an intimacy and a feeling of improvisation that makes it easy to love."
Read more
“A funny, exciting performance of traditional Japanese stories. Sunshine is a bright and emphatic performer...He is a delightful storyteller...He talks very fast, which makes silent or pantomimed moments more entertaining than you’d expect...If you’re looking for a good way to laugh and forget your troubles, and also learn a few things about Japanese culture, this is the show for you.”
Read more