I picked up the term from Rush (back when he was worth listening to), who used it to to mean pretty much what you said. Kabuki uses elaborate makeup that masks the true appearance of the performers, to the extent that traditionally all roles were played by males. It relies on “stylized gestures” and trick stages that allow actors to seeming appear and disappear unpredictably, even fly in like Peter Pan. In other words, it is “all for show”.
Ah, thanks.