star struck

Marcia marches on
Having made it as a singer, Marcia’s next challenge is the theater
By Chris Betros

Chris Betros

When people ask Marcia what nationality she is, the 36-year-old Brazilian-born singer and stage actress says simply that she is a “citizen of the world.” Born in São Paulo, Marcia first came to Japan in 1986 after winning a singing contest in Brazil. She spoke no Japanese, but she did have an adventurous spirit and 17 years later, Marcia (who now has Japanese citizenship) is making her mark on TV and in the theater. “There are chances every day in our lives, and I want to try as many different things as I can,” says Marcia, relaxing in her dressing room after finishing a segment of Fuji TV’s morning talk show Kotaetecho-dai, on which she appears every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:55-11:25am. On the show, panelists discuss issues and dispense advice to viewers who have sent in requests.

Having successfully made it as a singer, Marcia says she is enjoying her newest challenge in the theater. She has done Jekyll and Hyde and is currently finishing a season in Les Miserables. Next month, on June 23-24 at Tokyo’s Sogetsu Hall, she and comedian Sayaka Aoki will stage their two-woman comedy and dance show, The World Exists for Us. “It’s my first attempt at comedy, and since I’m not really a comedian I’m a bit anxious,” she admits. Marcia says the theater appeals to her the most because it is live. “No two performances are the same. When I go out on stage, I don’t think of myself as just playing a role, but rather I try to give actual life to the character,” she explains. “The challenge is to stay mentally sharp night after night. I find the best way is to leave my work at the theatre when it is done and think about something else.”

When she is not keeping to a busy work schedule, Marcia devotes as much time as she can to her 7-year-old daughter. Her day begins at 6:30am so the two can have breakfast together. “My daughter is my best partner. Even though she is still young, she understands me very well. I just wish I could be with her more. It’s hard, sometimes, in the evenings when I am working.” Despite the nonstop schedule, Marcia looks pretty good, which she attributes to eating and sleeping well. She has very little free time, but when she does, you’ll find her at the theater or doing yoga. Fluent in Japanese, Marcia speaks a little English, perhaps more than she lets on. “That’s one of my next goals, to get better at English,” she says. “Actually, I think I have only accomplished 50 percent of the things I’d like to achieve in my lifetime.”

the scene

Design Festa Vol. 21
Biannual creativity extravaganza staged in Odaiba

About 6,000 artists, designers and musicians showed off their talents at Tokyo Big Sight. The next event, Vol. 22, takes place Nov 26-27. www.designfesta.com photos by Jon Siegel

Q&A

Joseph Mackey
Everything happens by D-Zign

Former US Marine Joseph Mackey, from Queens in New York City, is making advances in another battleground—the Japanese market for information technology—with his own company, D-Zigntec (www.d-zigntec.net).

How long were you in the Marines?
From 1980-1994. I saw combat in Panama and Desert Storm. My last posting was Okinawa.

What did you do after getting out?
I worked for several years for different companies, usually as IT director or help desk manager. I started D-Zigntec in 2003 with a US military contract.

What services do you offer?
We provide staffing for infrastructure application services, deployment, IT consulting, software application development, systems integration and application management.

What frustrates you about doing business in Japan?
I don’t like it when I have already been summed up without having had a chance to speak. They think I am either a basketball player, military or a jazz musician.

How do you like to relax?
Golf and PlayStation. Or I might hang out at Café Anniversaire because of the view. You’ll catch me there on Saturdays and Sundays. At night for clubbing, I like Lounge O at the Orbient and Heartland in Roppongi Hills.

What’s the craziest thing you have seen in Japan?
A salaryman on the platform at Shinjuku station dressed in a fluorescent one-piece green women’s swimsuit with regular shoes and socks. I thought it might be a TV show, but there were no cameras. CB

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