Holy Crap It’s Chairman Kaga!
If there are two things I love, it’s Iron Chef (the original from Japan) and Les Miserables.
Well, that’s overstating it a bit, I love them both, but that makes it sound like they are the only things I love. Suffice it to say, I really love them both.
So that’s why I was especially surprised when I found out they were related!
This video, which I have seen several times, originally aired on PBS, and is a production of the music in Les Miserables on its 10 year anniversary. This particular song is “Do You Hear the People Sing?” one of the greatest songs from the musical, and this version is sung by 17 different Jean Valjeans, the performers who made it most famous from different countries.
And then look there — 41 seconds in! The Jean Valjean from Japan — It’s Chairman Kaga from Iron Chef!
Sure, he’s not yelling “Allez cuiscene!” and he’s wearing a much less ostentatious outfit than he normally does, but it’s him!
Now we know where he got the money to form his world famous culinary institute.
Hi! I know this was an old post in your blog but I just surfed my way into it today. I felt the same way when I saw Chairman Kaga in the Les Miz video! How awesome is that??? I did a little digging on Takeshi Kaga and found out that not only has he played Jean Valjean in Les Miserables but he was also Tony in West Side Story! I would kill to get my hands on a tape of either one of those shows. I mean, picture Chairman Kaga doing the opening dance of the Sharks and Jets in West Side Story, snapping his fingers and acting all tough. Heaven!