|
Takarazuka Revue
The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals and stories adapted from films, novels, manga, and Japanese folktales. The Takarazuka Revue Company is a division of the Hankyu Railway company; all members of the troupe are employed by Hankyu. History The Takarazuka Revue was founded by Ichizō Kobayashi, an industrialist-turned-politician and president of Hankyu Railways, in Takarazuka, Japan in 1913. The city was the terminus of a Hankyu line from Osaka and already a popular tourist destination because of its hot springs. Kobayashi believed that it was the ideal spot to open an attraction of some kind that would boost train ticket sales and draw more business to Takarazuka. Since Western song and dance shows were becoming more popular and Kobayashi considered the kabuki theater to be old and elitist, he decided that an all-female theater ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Musical Theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals. Although music has been a part of dramatic presentations since ancient times, modern Western musical theatre emerged during the 19th century, with many structural elements established by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and those of Harrigan and Hart in America. These were followed by the numerous Edwardian musical comedies and the musical theatre w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Rockettes
The Rockettes are an American precision dance company. Founded 1925 in St. Louis, they have, since , performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Until 2015, they also had a touring company. They are best known for starring in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, an annual Christmas show, and for performing annually since 1957 at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. There have been over 3,000 women who have performed as Rockettes since the New York Christmas Spectacular opening night in 1933. The Rockettes also conduct the Rockette Summer Intensive for dancers aspiring to be Rockettes. History Early years The Rockettes were originally inspired by the Tiller Girls, a precision dance company of the United Kingdom established by John Tiller in the 1890s. Tiller sent the first troupe of Tiller Girls to perform in the United States in 1900, and eventually there were three lines of them working on Broadway. In 1922, choreographer Russell Markert saw one of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hikaru Asami
Hikaru Asami (朝海 ひかる, born January 24, 1972) is a Japanese performing artist and a former member of the Takarazuka Revue, where she specialized in playing male characters (Otokoyaku). She joined the revue in 1991 and resigned in 2006. She is from Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken. Her real name is Noriko Komuro (小室 德子) and her nickname is Komu (comes from the last name Komuro). Troupe history * Flower Troupe: 1991–1997 * Cosmos Troupe: 1998–1999 * Snow Troupe: 1999–2006 General information As one of the founding members of Cosmos Troupe, she had given a performance as Prince Rudolf in the 1999 Cosmos production of Elisabeth with Asato Shizuki as Der Tod. However, she was transferred to Snow Troupe right after the Takarazuka performance and the role was taken by Sakiho Juri in the Tokyo performance. While she was in Snow Troupe, she teamed up with classmates Kei Aran and Kouki Naruse, and the three had a performance at the Bowhall as The Wonder Three. Even though ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kiriya Hiromu
, born April 20, 1968, is a Japanese photographer and director of films and music videos. His birth name is . He is represented by Paradigm Agency. Early life and career In 1983, in his second year of junior high school, he moved to the United States. He attended Cambridge High School and Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts and then the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons The New School for Design in New York. At first, as a student, he aimed to enter the business world, but through the experience of seeing others' pleasure when he communicated through drawing at times when his English failed him, he came to be more oriented toward the world of art. Beginning in 1994, he became involved in designing album covers, photography, and directing music videos for many recording artists including Hikaru Utada, SMAP, The Back Horn, Mr. Children, Misia, Southern All Stars, GLAY, and Ayumi Hamasaki. Kiriya made his feature film debut in 2004, writing and directi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jun Sena
, is a Japanese actress and former top star of the Takarazuka Revue's Moon Troupe, a Japanese theatre organization in which women portray all parts. She was born April 1, 1974, and grew up in Suginami, Tokyo. During her time in the Revue, she was an ''otokoyaku'', an actress who specializes in male roles. After two years of intensive training at the Takarazuka Music School, she joined the revue in 1992 and reached top star status in 2005. Her nicknames are Asa and Asako. The first ''otokoyaku'' from her class of 1992 to reach top star status, she resigned her position as top star and retired in December 2009 after the run of ''Last Play / Heat on Beat'' and is now pursuing an acting career outside of the Revue. Troupe History * Flower Troupe: 1992–2004 * Moon Troupe: 2004–2009 Sena entered the Takarazuka Music School in 1990 and graduated in 1992. Upon graduation, she was placed in the Revue's Flower Troupe. During her time in Flower Troupe, she had one ''shinjinkouen'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jun Shibuki
Tanazawa Rika (born November 19, 1969 ), known by her stage name , is a Japanese musical actress and stage performer. Shibuki is a former member of Takarazuka Revue, where she played Otokoyaku. She joined the revue in 1986 and resigned in 2003. In 2016 she organised a concert to celebrate 30 years in the business. Troupe history * Flower Troupe: 1986–1996 * Star Troupe: 1996–1997 * Moon Troupe: 1997–2000 * Supreme Member: 2000–2001 * Moon Troupe: 2001–2004 (Top Star) Roles 1988: Forever!Takarazuka (shinjinkoen), "White Key Dancer A" 1989: Kaigi wa Odoru (Der Kongreß tanzt) (shinjinkoen), "Max" / The Game, "Demolition Man, Other" 1989: The Romanov Jewel (shinjinkoen), "Cesar" 1989: Takarazuka o Dorisanka'89/Forever! Takarazuka (New York Radio City Hall) 1990: El Amigo (Bow), "Gonzalez" 1990: Versailles no Bara (Rose of Versailles), "Count Waiyu's Wife" / (shinjinkoen) "Alain" 1991: Haru ni Kaze o Kimi ni... (In the Spring the Wind Blows to You...), "Panther Cub" (s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tomu Ranju
is a Japanese singer, TV and musical actress most widely recognized as Takarazuka Revue Flower Troupe's otokoyaku (''男役'' Takarazuka actresses who play male roles) top star from 2011 to 2014. Ranju is considered one of the triple threat actresses the revue has had in recent years and was selected to record songs for many of Takazuka albums, both while she was with the revue and after she left. After her "graduation" (Takrazuka actresses may not rejoin the revue after they leave), Ranju began to actively pursue a career on stage, focusing mainly on musicals. She could also be seen on television, playing supporting roles and as TV show hosts. In 2016, Ranju got married and became inactive ever since. Early life Tomu Ranju was born Mayu Sakamoto (阪本真由) in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, a city in the same prefecture as the city where the Takarazuka Revue is based and got its name from. Sakamoto started to take ballet classes at the invitation of her friends while she was in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sumire Haruno
is a Japanese actress, a former member of Takarazuka Revue, specializing in otokoyaku. She joined the revue in 1991, became the top star in 2002 and resigned from the company in 2007. She is from Komae, Tokyo, her birthday is December 15, 1972. Her nicknames are Osa and Masa-chan (as called by Jun Sena), both are from her real name Masako Osada (長田雅子 ''Osada Masako''). She is the first otokoyaku of her class to reach the top (followed by classmate and former troupe-mate Hikaru Asami by 3 months). Troupe History * Flower Troupe: 1991–2007 General information Following the examples of Mira Anju, Miki Maya and Mire Aika she became the top star of the troupe she had always been with, without any troupe transfer. (Although Hibiki Takumi had almost all her Takarazuka career in the Flower troupe, she had been in Senka for 2 years before she became the top star of the Troupe.) Also, another uniqueness of her career is that her status of being the second man was a short-liv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miki Maya
is a Japanese actress and former top star of the Takarazuka Revue. Her real name is . She joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1981. Her debut performance was "Takarazuka Haru no Odori" and she became the top star of the Flower Troupe for her role in ''East Of Eden ''in 1995. She retired in 1998 after her last show 'Speakeasy', based on the 17 John Gay ballad opera The Beggar's Opera, in which she sang the theme song ''Kaze no machi no junjō na akutō tachi(風の街の純情な男たち)''. Troupe History * Flower Troupe: 1981–1998 Career She is the first Takarasienne to have a solo photo book shot by Kishin Shinoyama, called "Guy". She is also the only Takarasienne to appear in NHK's Top Runner in December 1997. Furthermore, her concert, "Miki In Nippon Budokan, Budokan", had a sell-out crowd of 30,000 in just 2 days. Her other talents include Japanese dance and baton work. She entered the Takarazuka musical school at the age of 15 and joined the Takarazuka Revue Company i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flower Troupe
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing (fusion of sperm and eggs from different individuals in a population) resulting from cross-pollination or allow selfing (fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower) when self-pollination occurs. There are two types of pollination: self-pollination and cross-pollination. Self-pollination occurs when the pollen from the anther is deposited on the stigma of the same flower, or another flower on the same plant. Cross-pollination is when pollen is transferred from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower on a different individual of the same species. Self-pollination happens in flowers where the stamen and carpel mature at the same time, and are positioned so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elisabeth (musical)
''Elisabeth'' is a Viennese, German-language musical commissioned by the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (VBW), with a book and lyrics by Michael Kunze and music by Sylvester Levay. It portrays the life and death of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I. It has been translated into seven languages and seen by over ten million spectators worldwide, making it the most successful German-language musical of all time. , it has not been staged in English-speaking countries. Summary The musical tells the story of Elisabeth ("Sisi"), the Empress of Austria, from her engagement and marriage in 1854 to her murder in 1898 at the hands of the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni, through the lens of her growing obsession with death, as her marriage and her empire crumble around her at the turn of the century. This musical is set in Austria in the late 19th century, at the end of the Habsburg monarchy, which reigned over Europe for hundreds of years. Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Rose Of Versailles Musicals
''The Rose of Versailles'' has been dramatized for Takarazuka Revue by Shinji Ueda. The show's role in Takarazuka history is particularly notable as it established the "Top Star" system that remains in place to this day. ''Rose of Versailles'' also triggered a large surge in the revue's popularity, commonly referred to as the . The musicals have either played up the importance of the Oscar-Andre relationship, or the Fersen-Marie Antoinette relationship. Shinji Ueda, a Takarazuka producer, asked Riyoko Ikeda to write new stories with scenes from the manga never before seen on stage and by placing a focus on minor characters. In 2008 and 2009, four new musicals were staged based on the minor characters Girodelle, Alain de Soissons, and Bernard Chatelet, as well as André Grandier. Takarazuka stage adaptations * ''The Rose of Versailles'' - The plot of this original performance is said to be the closest to Ikeda's manga 1974, Moon Troupe, top bill: Yuri Haruna, Asou Kaoru * ''The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
