The Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo is presenting a special program this month in memory of Kanzaburo Nakamura XVII, who died 12 years ago, at the age of 78. The afternoon program features the well-known jidaimono (historical play) "Shunkan" and Mokuami Kawatake's sewamono masterpiece, "Shinza the Hairdresser," separated by a set of dances titled "Cherry Blossoms," "Crickets" and "A Snowman," created in 1964 as personal showpieces for Kanzaburo.

The program for the evening comprises "The Story of Lord Okura" as a jidaimono and "The Sardine Vendor" as a modern sewamono; it finishes with the ever-popular dance "Kagamijishi." Kanzaburo's talented son Kankuro, 44, presides over the memorial event, leading the next generation, his own sons Kantaro, 18, and Shichinosuke, 16.

Other noted actors on the program are Shikan Nakamura, Kichiemon Nakamura, Nizaemon Kataoka and Tamasaburo Bando, all of whom are related to the late Kanzaburo in various ways. In the evening program, between "Lord Okura" and "The Sardine Vendor," these actors line up on the stage and make brief speeches in honor of the occasion.

Born in 1909 as the youngest son of Karoku Nakamura III, Kanzaburo, called Moshio earlier in his career, grew as an actor under the influence of his older brother Kichiemon Nakamura and Kikugoro Onoe VI, the two giants of the theater who vied with each other during the first half of the 20th century.

Moshio soon achieved prominence, with a broad repertory and superb expressiveness. From his brother Kichiemon, Moshio learned lead roles in various jidaimono, such as "Shunkan" and "Lord Okura," and from his mentor Kikugoro VI, he mastered the realistic acting styles for Mokuami's sewamono, such as Shinza the hairdresser. Moshio succeeded to the prestigious stage name of Kanzaburo Nakamura XVII in 1950.

"Shunkan" was adapted from the 1719 bunraku play "Heike Nyogo no Shima" by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, taken in turn from an episode in the "Tale of Heike." Kanzaburo played Shunkan at the Kabukiza in January 1988, only three months before his death; this time, Nizaemon takes the title role. Shunkan is the abbot of Hosshoji Temple in Kyoto, who is exiled with two co-conspirators, Yasunori (Kasho Nakamura) and Naritsune (Kankuro), to Kikaigashima (Devil's Island) off southern Kyushu after an attempted coup d'e^tat against the dictator Taira no Kiyomori.

When a ship arrives bearing pardons, Shunkan chooses to remain on the island in order to let the lovely fisherwoman Chidori (Fukusuke Nakamura) go to Kyoto with Naritsune. As the ship pulls away, Shunkan runs after her into the breakers. He climbs onto a great rock jutting out over the ocean and calls out, then sinks to his knees and gazes hopelessly into the distance.

Kankuro has performed the title role of "Shinza" at the Kabukiza many times since he first tackled it at the National Theater in April 1988, coached by his father Kanzaburo (he was already seriously ill at the time and died without seeing his son's performance).

The play debuted at the Nakamuraza in Tokyo in 1873, with Kikugoro Onoe V as Shinza. The role was perfected by his son Kikugoro VI and passed on to Kikugoro's disciple Shoroku Onoe and his son-in-law Kanzaburo, who taught it to Kankuro.

Shinza is a gangster from Chiba living in Fukagawa in downtown Edo. When he crosses the Eitai Bridge to make his daily rounds fixing his customers' hair in town, Shinza adopts a pleasant, solicitous demeanor.

Coming one day to the door of a big timber merchant called Shirokoya in Kyobashi, Shinza overhears the pretty daughter Okuma (Tamasaburo) entreating the good-looking clerk Chushichi (Shikan) to elope with her. Cooking up a plot, Shinza persuades naive Chushichi to abduct Okuma. When Chushichi and Shinza reach the Eitai Bridge that evening with Okuma's palanquin, Shinza suddenly transforms from sly confidant to gangster bully, and beats Chushichi. Bereft and hopeless, Chushichi tries to drown himself but is stopped by the yakuza boss Genshichi (Nizaemon).

Back in his house in Fukagawa, Shinza indulges in a morning bath, changes into a new yukata and waits cheerfully for the Shirokoya to negotiate the ransom for Okuma (who in the meantime is tied up in a closet).

First comes the boss Genshichi, but Shinza turns down his paltry offer of only 10 gold pieces. Genshichi leaves furiously after being jeered at by Shinza. Then comes the old landlord Chobei (Tomijuro Nakamura), who shrewdly outmaneuvers Shinza with threats to reveal his unsavory past. Shinza grudgingly agrees to a ransom of 30 gold pieces, but he ends up with half that.

In "The Story of Lord Okura" in the evening program, Kichiemon takes the title role, it having been one of his grandfather Kichiemon's favorites. He first played the part in 1960 at 15. Set in the 12th century, the play focuses on the Minamoto nobleman Okura Naganari, who pretends to be mentally deficient in order to protect himself from the ascendant rival Taira clan. The Minamoto leader Yoshitomo has been defeated and killed by the Taira leader Kiyomori, and Lord Okura has married his widow Tokiwa (Shikan) to save her and her three sons from being executed by Kiyomori. At the climax, his true intentions become clear.

In "The Sardine Vendor" Kankuro, short and plump, and tall, elegant Tamasaburo form a charming pair as Sarugenji and Hotarubi. Sarugenji is a young man from Ise, naive but passionate, a street vendor who sells sardines, and Hotarubi is a courtesan in the pleasure quarters of Gojo in Kyoto.

Sarugenji falls in love with Hotarubi when he sees her on the bridge at Gojo one day. Posing as a daimyo sojourning in Kyoto, he goes to visit her, but, getting drunk, he falls asleep and calls out in his dream, revealing his true identity.

Hotarubi, who in fact is the daughter of a daimyo in Wakayama, then realizes that Sarugenji is the man whom she has been seeking ever since she ran away from home 10 years before, lured by the sound of Sarugenji's voice on the street outside.

Based on a medieval fairy tale, it was written in 1954 by the novelist Yukio Mishima for the late Kanzaburo and Utaemon Nakamura, the great onnagata actor, as Hotarubi. The production was such a success that Kanzaburo and Utaemon put it on again five times from 1954 to 1973. Since 1990, Kankuro has replaced his father as Sarugenji, while Tamasaburo has taken over the role of Hotarubi.

The memorial program concludes with a performance of "Kagamijishi" by Kanzaburo's grandson Kantaro, dedicated to his grandfather Kanzaburo and to his great-grandfather Kikugoro VI.