Actor Yosuke Iida Visits the "Geidai-style Art 'Mikata' — Becoming a Geidai Student This Summer" Exhibition, Strongly Sharing the World of Musicals via Podcast
Actor Yosuke Iida visited the "Geidai-style Art 'Mikata'" exhibition at Tokyo University of the Arts and discussed the importance of sharing art and music perspectives while promoting musical theater through his podcast.Summary
This article features an interview with actor Yosuke Iida following his visit to the exhibition "Geidai-style Art 'Mikata' — Becoming a Geidai Student This Summer" held at Tokyo University of the Arts. Iida began his career at the Shiki Theatre Company while studying vocal music at the university's music department, and has performed leading roles in all three of the so-called "world's three greatest musicals" — Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Les Misérables.
Regarding the exhibition, Iida praised its accessible approach for those unfamiliar with art, highlighting the live student copying demonstrations and the multi-faceted presentation of works, artists, techniques, and historical context. He was particularly moved by the "Buddhist Statue Preservation and Restoration through Recopying" display, noting the impressive dedication required to preserve art — contrasting it with music as a temporal art that can only be recorded. He also recounted being struck by Yoshi Ragusa (Tamasa Kiyohara)'s early 20th-century oil painting "Yoi (Landscape)," which reminded him of Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly, prompting him to reflect on the Meiji-era artist's achievements and Western interest in Japanese culture.
Iida also discussed his podcast "Yosuke Iida's MUSICAL COMPASS," which he launched to share the behind-the-scenes world of musical theater. The podcast covers topics such as the role of musical conductors and differences in expression between English and Japanese. He expressed his goal of becoming an artist who can stand alongside Broadway and West End performers, and announced plans for future episodes comparing musicals with opera and interviews with directors. The exhibition runs from July 24 to September 23, 2026, at the Tokyo University of the Arts Museum.
(Source：美術展ナビ)