A Day of Laughter

Those in Vana'diel who study the performing arts are in it to make others happy. Traveling the world for applause and cheers, they take pride in their skills.

These people are known as the "Vana'diel Players." Numbering eleven acts in all, they worked together to present the four-hour performance outlined below.

Second Vana'diel Players Showcase  Featured Acts "Shooting Stars" / Shiva "Tarutaru Crawdads" / Titan "Ruun & Runn" / Bahamut "White Galka Comic" / Shiva "GentleMEN" / Bahamut "Dancing Weapon" / Pandemonium "TARUPP" / Valefor "Yoshimoto Lumine" / Siren "USJ" / Fenrir "Red Cat DJ Ashanti" / Phoenix  Adventurers from all over the world gathered around the fountain in Beligen Square in Port Bastok (Shiva) to see the performance by the Vana'diel Players. A second grandstand in North Gustaberg was also filled. Altogether, there were almost one thousand adventurers in attendance.

After a few brief comments, the show began, with the various acts displaying the skills they had been practicing so diligently. The crowd went wild for the singing, dancing, drama, and comedy. The grand finale featured all eleven acts dancing with the audience while fireworks went off all around them.

"It was incredible! The Tarutaru dance was just too cute!" said Integra (Shiva). "I'm so grateful to them for helping me laugh after so many endless days of battle," said Jiroumaru (Shiva).

"It's been so long since I even cracked a smile," said Tefucyun (Lakshmi).

"I showed up with two friends. We thought it was really interesting. My favorite act was the Gentleman's Brigade. It was worth the journey," said Nanaco (Ragnarok). "Dance, comedy, action... It was even better than I expected. If they do this again, I'll be sure to see it," said Dottenbattan (Shiva).

"It really brought everyone together," said Paaapuuu (Alexander).

Without a doubt, everyone else in attendance felt the same way.

The man who brought this all-star collaboration together is Yukihide, known the world over as "The White Galka Comic."

This was the second showcase. Yukihide planned the show with several other performers he had met in Vana'diel.

"I never expected a thousand people in even my wildest dreams," said Yukihide.

Organization for the event started two months before the actual show. Along with scheduling rehearsals, Yukihide's many assistants planned the program and made arrangements for crowd control.

One of the most innovative suggestions made by the performers was to convert the fountain plaza into an amphitheater. Announcements were made before and during the show regarding traffic between the two stages and applause. An additional task was directing traffic from the airships, which were arriving with full loads of adventurers flying in for the performance. These issues were all handled with the assistance of some non-performing staff, assuring that things ran smoothly.

This grand event was made possible by the incredible effort and enthusiasm of the Vana'diel Showcase production and performance staff. But such a stunning success could not have been solely due to this small group of people.

"I think I am most grateful that all of the people who came to see the show were very polite and respectful of those around them. With such a large crowd, we were expecting at least a few heckles and catcalls, but the audience was extremely cooperative, and that allowed us to put on an outstanding performance," said Yukihide.

As Yukihide said, the success of the program was as much due to the audience's desire to be entertained as it was to the performers' wish to entertain.

Audience and performers were united in their enjoyment of the show, creating a happy environment filled with laughter.

When asked about his plans for the future, Yukihide answered, "I'm going to travel the world. I look forward to meeting everyone when I visit their area. I'm also going to be looking for more performers for the next Showcase. I would like to thank everyone in Vana'diel for their continued support."

The Vana'diel Players will certainly continue to spread the laughter worldwide.

Every laugh makes another performer, and every new performer makes more people laugh. Perhaps one day Vana'diel will be awash in laughter.

The world is waiting eagerly to see what talents will be on display in the next Vana'diel Showcase.