Taking a look at Crystal Kay in Rent, as the Japan Tour of the popular musical comes to an end

So. Rent’s run in Japan featuring Japanese R&B icon Crystal Kay came and went. It feels like the damn thing only just started! 

It really is a shame that Broadway runs in Japan tend to be so short. But Japan loves to do thing by season. So, I guess a couple of shows for the Summer is how it’s gonna be for Broadway in Japan, until it becomes a bigger thing. Hopefully it happens. Although I can imagine that there is a great deal of tentativeness from production companies going full throttle with Broadway in a new market. Especially in this economy. And it wouldn’t surprise me if Japan was keeping Broadway at arms length, as not to have it be bigger than local musical productions such as Kabuki—because we know how Japan loves to keep it home grown.

HENNYWAY.

Let’s get into Kay playing some broke lesbian with bangs.

Clips of Rent in Japan were uploaded to YouTube by Astage, an account which covers entertainment news, with a focus on films and musicals. They also have a Twitter account and a website, so check it out if you’re a fan of Japanese films and musicals. Shout-outs to fellow CK fan and Random J Pop reader Robin for sending me links to the Astage videos—one of which you can watch below. Jump to 1:34 to see Kay.

Kay seemed to have a blast in Rent—fully committing to it all, just as she did for Pippin. It really is a shame that her team aren’t doing anything with her Broadway stints. They just come and go. And she isn’t getting any TV or film acting gigs in-between them. And there’s barely any music, when starring in musicals is such an easy way to fold in music releases. I still cannot believe that Kay released a whole cover album after starring in Pippin, and there was not a single cover of any Pippin songs on it, or ANY song from a Broadway musical. And the fact that we’ve not have a studio album of original material from Kay since her first stint in Pippin in 2019 is also crazy. Hikaru Utada has released a studio album, a live album and a Best album in that time, and Utada is not exactly a highly active type of bitch when it comes to releasing anything.

Girl. Fire the whole management and marketing team.

In true Kay fashion, whilst Rent was happening, we got no vlogs bout any of it. Then once it was done and dusted, we got an upload.

Not pinning or gluing that wig down is crazy. Beyoncé would NEVER.

I really cannot believe that Kay is celebrating 25 years in the game and all there is to show for it is some curtain hanging on her dressing room door and a one day show in December in some broom closet in Tokyo. She deserves so much better than this. Kay needs to get in touch with whichever agency is managing Anna Sawai’s shit to get them acting roles up. And if she wants her music career to go anywhere other than down the toilet, she needs to fax LDH a letter of termination.

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