Asuka Tono is an actress who was a top star (musumyaku) for Star Troupe of

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 Japane ...

. She joined the revue company in 1998 and became the top star along with

Kei Aran , (born October 9, 1970), is a Japanese actress and former top star ''otokoyaku'' (an actress who plays male roles) of the Japanese Takarazuka Revue's Star Troupe. She joined the revue in 1991 and became the top star in 2007, five years after he ...

. She is from

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...

, her birthday is November 28, 1978 and her nicknames are Asuka and Fukui. She was the second pupil of her class to reach top star status, also the first musumeyaku (Takarazuka actresses who play female roles) from Cosmos Troup to reach top status.

Troupe history

* Cosmo Troupe: 1997–2001 * Flower Troupe: 2001–2006 * Supreme Member: 2006 * Star Troupe: 2006–present

General information

As one of the second group of new members (the class of 1997 is the first group) to be assigned to the newly found Cosmo Troupe, she has a quick start of her Takarazuka career: she starred with

Yōka Wao 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 1988 and resigned in 2006. Her nicknames are Takako (from her real name: Tak ...

and

Sakiho Juri 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 1990 and resigned in 2005. She is from Osaka. Troupe history * Moon Troupe: 1990� ...

in Crossroad in her third year, and she partnered up with

Juri Juri, JURI or Jüri may refer to: Law * Dative singular case of Latin Jus *Committee on Legal Affairs, committee of the European Parliament, known as JURI Places *Juri Upazila, subdistrict (''upazila'') in Maulvibazar District, Sylhet Division, ...

in the latter's first Bow Hall starring, ''Freedom: Mr. Carmen'' as Josie, which both

and she received great applause. However, her main development is when she was in Flower Troupe, where she participated a couple New Actor shows: Elisabeth are among those. Like

Kanami Ayano Kanami may refer to: *Kanami (given name), a feminine Japanese given name *Kan'ami was a Japanese Noh actor, author, and musician during the Muromachi period. Born in Iga Province, Kan'ami also went by and . He is the father of the well-know ...

, she steadily became the second tier musumyaku and join

Mao Ayabuki Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

in her first Bow Hall starring, ''Naked City''. She got her applause portraying as Yvette d'Amboise in ''Marrakech: A Crimson Tombstone'' and later on, she rejoined with

in the latter's final Takarazuka performance,

Ernest in Love ''Ernest in Love'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Anne Croswell and music by Lee Pockriss. It is based on ''The Importance of Being Earnest'', Oscar Wilde's classic 1895 comedy of manners. Background The two-act musical is an expanded ver ...

as Gwendolen Fairfax. When

Miyo Fuzuki Miyo (written: or ) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese actress *, Japanese hurdler *, Japanese football manager *, Japanese professional boxer Miyō or Miyou (written: ) is a separate given nam ...

, the musumeyaku top star of Flower Troupe from 2003 to 2006, announced her resignation, the public expected that she would be the next top star. However, she was transferred to Senka and a more younger star,

Ayane Sakurano is a Japanese actress, formerly belonging on Takarazuka Revue's Flower Troupe, where she performed as a ''musumeyaku'' (actress specializing in female roles). Background Sakurano is from Tsuyama. She made her debut in the revue in 2002, and, in ...

was being promoted. She just spent less than a year in Senka. During this period of time, she participated both Star's and Cosmo's production '' Copacabana'' as Conchita Alvares, another highlight of her career. Following the resignation of

Wataru Kozuki 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 1989 and resigned in 2006. She is from Iruma, Saitama . She is the only Otokoya ...

and the transfer of her then partner Yuri Shirahane (also the classmate of Tono) back to Snow Troupe to be paired up with

Natsuki Mizu Natsuki Mizu (水夏希 ''Mizu Natsuki'', born 1972) is the former top star (otokoyaku) for Snow Troupe of Takarazuka Revue from December 24, 2006 to September 12, 2010. She joined the company in 1993 and became the top star in December 2006 upon t ...

, she finally became the top musumeyaku top star of Star Troupe with

Notable Performance and Roles

Cosmo New Actor era

*''Passion: Jose and

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' - Micaela (her role in regular performance is Conchita) *''Crossroad'' - Helen (Starring

) *''Freedom: Mr.

'' - Josie (Bow Hall performance, starring

) *''Black Rose of the Desert'' - Marianna (first leading musumeyaku role)

Flower New Actor era

* ''In the Amber-Hued Rain'' - Sharon (her role in the regular performance is Francoise de Plaire) * '' Elisabeth'' - Elisabeth * ''A Flute Named Wind'' - Princess Iroha (her role in the regular performance is Rindo) * '' La Esperanza'' - Mirva (her role in the regular performance is Frasquita)

Flower era

*''Naked City '' - Daisy (Bow Hall performance, starring

) *''Hand Drum of Heaven'' - Izu Ibuki *''Marrakech: A Crimson Tombstone'' - Yvette d'Amboise *''

'' - Gwendolen Fairfax *''Palermo Shines in the Setting Sun'' - Giuditta Ferri

Supreme Member era

With Star Troupe

*'' Copacabana'' - Conchita Alvares

With Cosmo Troupe

*'' Copacabana'' - Conchita Alvares (The top star debut of Kei Takashiro and Rui Shijō)

Star Top Star era

*''

Hays Code The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...

'' - Livy Fontaine (Top Star Debut) *''Secret Hunter'' - Jennifer (Top Star Debut at Grand Theater) *''El Halcon'' - Gilda

Performance outside Takarazuka

*''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'', Cinderella (with

Sei Matobu is a Japanese actress who is a former Hanagumi Top Star of the Takarazuka Revue. In addition to her stage roles, she has acted for television, feature films, radio and advertisements. She is represented by Watanabe Entertainment. Born in Kawa ...

and former members of TCA) *: During the regular performance, she also substituted for Rei Ootori when she was not available.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tono, Asuka Japanese actresses 1978 births Living people Takarazuka Revue Actors from Chiba Prefecture