Kota Yabu and company of Be More Chill (HIKIJI Nobuhiko)
Get a Sneak Peek of Japan's Be More Chill | Playbill | By Raven Brunner, Michael Wiltbank
Ready to get squipped? The Asian premiere of Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz’s Be More Chill began performances July 25 at the New National Theatre Playhouse in Tokyo with a Japanese cast. After wrapping August 10, the show will continue to run in Fukuoka and Osaka.
Based on Ned Vizzini’s novel, the musical tells the story of average teenager Jeremy, who takes a pill purported to make people more chill—only to discover that the A.I. inside wants to take over the world. Stephen Brackett returns to direct, along with original Broadway producer Kumiko Yoshii.
The cast comprises Kota Yabu, Seishiro Kato, Sayuri Inoue, Yuya Kido, Akiyoshi Utsumi, Ruki Saito, Marika Dandoy, Ayaka Larrison, Bro.Tom, and Daisuke Yokoyama.
“I'm thrilled to be bringing Be More Chill to Japan as we've been dreaming of this moment since we first started working on the musical,” says director Brackett in a statement. “Be More Chill is a show that explodes with energy and heart, and we are really enjoying working with Kota Yabu in bringing our lovably neurotic hero Jeremy to life.”