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The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka,
Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, ...
, 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 , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region and is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group ...
, 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 is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought ...
theater to be old and elitist, he decided that an all-female theater group might be well received by the general public. The Revue had its first performance in 1914. Ten years later, the company had become popular enough to obtain its own theater in Takarazuka, called the , meaning " Grand Theater". Today, the company owns and operates another theater, the Takarazuka Theater, in Tokyo. Currently Takarazuka performs for 2.5 million people each year and the majority of its fans are women. Part of the novelty of Takarazuka is that all the parts are played by women, based on the original model of kabuki before 1629 when women were banned from the theater in Japan. The women who play male parts are referred to as and those who play female parts are called . Collectively, the Takarazuka performers are called "Takarasiennes" (). This name derives from the revue's fondness of the French revues. The costumes, set designs and lighting are lavish, the performances melodramatic. Side pathways extend the already wide proscenium, accommodating elaborate processions and choreography. Regardless of the era of the musical presented, period accuracy is relaxed for costumes during extravagant finales which include scores of glittering performers parading down an enormous stage-wide staircase and a
Rockette 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 Chr ...
-style kick line. Lead performers portraying both male and female roles appear in the finale wearing huge circular feathered back-pieces reminiscent of Las Vegas or Paris costuming. Before becoming a member of the troupe, a young woman must train for two years in the
Takarazuka Music School Takarazuka Music School (宝塚音楽学校, ''Takarazuka Ongaku Gakkō'') is a private girls' school in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It is a Takarazuka Revue training school that is a miscellaneous vocational school approved by Hyōgo ...
, one of the most competitive of its kind in the world. Each year, thousands from all over Japan audition. The 40 to 50 who are accepted are trained in music, dance, and acting, and are given seven-year contracts. The school is famous for its strict discipline and its custom of having first-year students clean the premises each morning. The first year, all women train together before being divided by the faculty and the current troupe members into and at the end of the year. Those playing cut their hair short, take on a more masculine role in the classroom, and speak in the masculine form. The company has five main troupes: , , , , and ; as well as an emeritus troupe for senior actresses no longer part of a regular troupe who still wish to maintain their association with the revue and perform from time to time. Flower and Moon are the original troupes, founded in 1921. Snow Troupe was founded in 1924 and Star Troupe in 1931, disbanded in 1939, and reestablished in 1948. Cosmos, founded in 1998, is the newest troupe.


Actors

Though Takarazuka Revue gives the appearance of having been created to grant Japanese women freedom from social oppression, ironically, it was created with the opposite intention, with Takarazuka scholar Lorie Brau stating that "The production office and corporate structure that control Takarazuka are overwhelmingly patriarchal."Lorie Brau.
"The Women's Theatre of Takarazuka.
TDR 34.4 :79-95.
However, although Takarazuka embodies Shiraishi's idea that the actresses become " good wives and wise mothers" upon leaving the company, it also simultaneously represents progressive feminist points of view. Some believe that its appeal to the female audience is on account of the perceived link to freedom from traditional Japanese society's imposed ideas of gender and sexuality. Brau states that while the Takarazuka Revue "reinforces the status quo and sublimates women's desires through its dreamy narratives, there remains some possibility that certain spectators find it empowering simply to watch women play men." Some Takarasienne shows, such as '' The Rose of Versailles'' and ''
Elisabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...
'', feature androgynous characters. In Brau's view, the represents the woman's idealized man, free from the roughness or need to dominate found in real life. It is these male roles that offer an escape from the strict, gender-bound real roles lauded in Japanese society. In a sense, the provides the female audience with a "dream" of what they desire in reality. In addition to their claim to "sell dreams", the actresses of the Takarazuka Revue take on another role, empowering themselves as women in a male-dominated culture. Kobayashi's desire to make his actresses into good wives and mothers has often been hindered by their own will to pursue careers in the entertainment business. It is becoming increasingly more common for women to stay in the company well into their thirties, beyond the perceived conventional limits of marriageable age. The actresses' role within the Takarazuka Revue thus overlaps into the culture surrounding it, adding to their appeal to the female-dominant audience. "In fact, it is the carrying over of this 'boyishness' into everyday life and the freedom that this implies that captures the attention of some fans." The , however, is not bound to her assigned male role in the theater. Tsurugi Miyuki, top star of the Moon Troupe, said that she conceived male impersonation as just a "role" that she wore like the makeup and costume that helped create her image. She said she reverts to her nonperforming "feminine" self after performance. Other feel uncomfortable switching to female roles. Matsu Akira, who retired in 1982, stated: "Even though I am a female, the thing called 'female' just won't emerge at all." Although traditionally an all-female troupe, in 1946 the Takarazuka employed male performers who were trained separately from the female members of the troupes. Ultimately, however, the female members opposed these new male counterparts, and the department was dissolved, the last male department terminating in 1954. A 2007 Japanese musical, ''Takarazuka Boys'', was based on this chapter of the company's history. While the casts are all-female, the staff (writers, directors, choreographers, designers, etc.) and orchestra musicians may be male or female. It is not uncommon in Takarazuka for a predominantly male orchestra to be led by a female conductor.


Troupes

The five of the Takarazuka Revue have certain differences of style and material which make each unique.


Flower Troupe ()

The Flower Troupe is considered the "treasure chest" of . Many of the most popular former and current top stars of the company originated in Flower Troupe; these include Miki Maya (who held the first Budokan solo concert in Takarazuka's history),
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. ...
and
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 ac ...
of Flower, Jun Shibuki, Jun Sena and
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 ...
of Moon, and Hikaru Asami of Snow. Their performances tend to have larger budgets, with lavish stage and costume designs, and are often derived from operatic material.


Moon Troupe ()

While tending to be a home for young performers (with Yūki Amami in her sixth year reaching the status of top star in the 1990s), the members of Moon Troupe are also strong singers. The term "Musical Research Department" is occasionally used in articles about the troupe, underscoring the troupe's focus on music. Their material tends toward drama, Western musicals, and modern settings, such as '' Guys and Dolls'' and '' Me and My Girl''. During the era of
Makoto Tsubasa is a unisex Japanese name although it is more commonly used by males. As a noun, Makoto means " sincerity" (誠) or "truth" (真, 眞). People Given name *Makoto (musician) (born 1977), drum and bass artist *Makoto (Sharan Q) ( まこと), d ...
as top star, they had at least two musicals adopted from classic western novels.


Snow Troupe ()

Snow Troupe is considered the upholder of traditional dance and opera for the whole company, being the vanguard of traditional Japanese drama in a company that tends towards Western material. They were the first troupe to perform ''
Elisabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...
'' in Japan. The troupe has been moving towards the opera and drama style of Moon and Flower.


Star Troupe ()

Star Troupe tends to be the home of Takarazuka's stars. They, along with Flower Troupe, have very strong players. In recent years, many of the company's prominent have also originated from Star Troupe, such as Hana Hizuki, Shizuku Hazakura, and Yuki Aono.


Cosmos Troupe ()

Cosmos, the newest troupe, is less traditional and more experimental. When it was first formed, it culled talent from the other troupes. The Cosmos style is influenced by performers like
Asato Shizuki Asato may refer to: *Asatō Line, a Japanese railway line *Asato Station, a railway station in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan *Kadjeto-Asato, a town in the Volta Region, Ghana People with the given name *, Japanese women's footballer People with ...
, the founding top star; Yōka Wao and Mari Hanafusa, the "Golden Combi" who headed the troupe for six of its first eight years. Cosmos were the first troupe to perform '' Phantom'' and to have a Broadway composer ( Frank Wildhorn) write their musical score. Most of the in this troupe are above tall (the most notable is
Hiro Yuumi Hiro may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hiro'' (film), a Canadian short film * Hiro (TV channel), an Italian channel * "Hiro's Song", by Ben Folds * "Yuko and Hiro", a Blur song * "Letter from Hiro", a song by The Vapors, off New Clear Day ...
, the tallest in the company since she joined in 1997 until her retirement in 2013). While it had a troupe-born actress become top back in 2006 with Asuka Toono, it was not until 2014 that an actress originating from this troupe became an top star:
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, the former top star of Snow Troupe (2014–2017).


Types of musicals performed


Adaptations of Western works

While the majority of Takarazuka works are written "in house" by members of the creative staff, they are often adapted from Western classic musicals, operas, plays, novels or films: Novels: * Anne Golon's ''Angélique'' series *
Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
's '' The Captain's Daughter'' (as ''Dark Brown Eyes'') and ''
Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Евгений Оне́гин, ромáн в стихáх, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ɐˈnʲeɡʲɪn, r=Yevgeniy Onegin, roman v stikhakh) is a novel in verse written by A ...
'' *
Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer. ...
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The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with '' The Three Musketeers''. L ...
'' * Anthony Hope's ''
The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in or ...
'' * Antoine François Prévost's '' Manon Lescaut'' *
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A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the ...
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Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...
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Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portra ...
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's '' Arch of Triumph'' *
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's '' For Whom the Bell Tolls'' *
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'', '' The Last Tycoon'' and '' The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'' *
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'' * Jane Austen's ''
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'' * James Hilton's '' Random Harvest'' * John Steinbeck's '' East of Eden'' * Johnston McCulley's ''
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Margaret Mitchell Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the American Civil War-era novel ''Gone With the Wind (novel), Gone with t ...
's '' Gone with the Wind'' *
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'' * Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's (as ''Romanesque Mask'') *
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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 novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the Opér ...
'' (as ''Passion: Jose and Carmen'') *
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's '' The Red and the Black'' and '' The Charterhouse of Parma'' (as ''Passionate Barcelona'') *
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'' Films: *'' An Officer and a Gentleman'' *''
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'' *'' Casablanca'' *' (as ''At the End of a Long Spring'') *'' Farewell My Concubine''/''
The Phantom Lover ''The Phantom Lover'' () is a 1995 Hong Kong musical romance drama film starring Leslie Cheung and Jacklyn Wu. It was directed by Ronny Yu and is a remake of the 1937 film '' Song at Midnight''. The film itself is a loose adaptation of the clas ...
'' (as ''Singing in the Moonlight'') *''
JFK John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
'' *'' Sabrina'' *'' Somewhere in Time'' *'' Ocean's 11'' *''
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'' Operas: *''
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'' (under the name ''Song of the Kingdom'') * (as ''Love Sonata'') * (as ''A Kiss To The Flames'') *''
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'' * (as ''Elegy'') *''
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'' (as ''Legend of the Phoenix: Calaf & Turandot'') *'' Véronique'' *'' Andrea Chénier'' (as ''The Poem of Love and Revolution ~Andrea Chénier~'') *'' Madame Butterfly'' (as ''Concise'' , 1931) Musicals: * *'' The Apple Tree'' *'' Anastasia (musical)'' *'' Can-Can'' *''
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'' *'' Catch me if you can'' *''
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'' *'' Copacabana'' *''
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'' *'' Ernest in Love'' (an adaptation of ''
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'') *'' Flower Drum Song'' *'' Grand Hotel'' *'' Guys and Dolls'' *'' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' *'' I am from Austria'' *'' Kean'' *'' Kiss Me Kate'' * * *'' Me and My Girl'' *'' Mozart, l'opéra rock'' *''
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'' *'' On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'' *''
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'' *'' Phantom'' * *''
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'' *'' The Scarlet Pimpernel'' *''
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'' *'' West Side Story'' Plays: *
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Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins V ...
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Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
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Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...
'' * John Fletcher and
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The Two Noble Kinsmen ''The Two Noble Kinsmen'' is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed jointly to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from "The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterbury Tales'', which ha ...
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Adaptations of Japanese works

Stories based in Japan and modeled on historical accounts or traditional tales, are often referred to as or, less frequently, . Among the most common of these adapted to the Takarazuka stage is '' The Tale of Genji''. Popular
manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...
series have often shaped Takarazuka, such as in the case of
Riyoko Ikeda is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She is included in the Year 24 Group, by some, although her status as one of them has been debated due to a focus more on epic stories than the internal psychology of those mangaka. She was one of the most ...
's '' The Rose of Versailles''. Other manga adaptations include ''The Window of Orpheus'', also by Ikeda,
Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him suc ...
's ''Black Jack'' and '' Phoenix'', and Yasuko Aoike's ''El Halcón''. Recent examples of works adapted from Japanese novels or short stories include Moon Troupe's , based upon the short story by
Ryōtarō Shiba , also known as , was a Japanese author. He is best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the r ...
, and Flower Troupe's , based upon the Kogoro Akechi story by Edogawa Rampo. In 2009, Takarazuka Revue performed two shows based on an adaptation of
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It has created a number of multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being '' Resident Evil'', '' Monster Hunter'', '' Street Fighter'', '' Mega Man'', '' ...
's video game series '' Phoenix Wright''. They took the stage in January 2013 to represent the courtroom game again with the production titled ''Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney 3''. In June 2013, the Revue would debut at Tokyo's
Tokyu Theatre Orb Tokyu may refer to: * Tokyu Group, a group of companies centered on Tokyu Corporation ** Tokyu Corporation, a Japanese railway company, the largest member and parent company of the group ** Tokyu Car Corporation, a former Japanese railway vehicle ...
an adaptation of another Capcom video game, , done by the Flower Troupe. This focused on character Yukimura Sanada, played by
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 ac ...
, the same actress who had taken the role of Phoenix Wright prior to becoming a top star. In 2017, the Flower Troupe performed a stage adaptation of the (girls') manga series '' Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern'', and performed it again in 2020. In 2019, the Flower Troupe also performed a stage adaptation of the manga series ''
Boys Over Flowers , is a Japanese ''shōjo'' manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio and set in Tokyo, Japan, and the fictional "Eitoku Academy" (an elite school for children from rich families). It tells the story of Tsukushi Makino, a girl f ...
''. In August 2022, the Cosmos Troupe are set to perform a stage adaptation of the series High & Low in collaboration with LDH.


Adaptations of other Asian works

Among works adapted from other Asian sources is the Beijing opera ''
The Hegemon-King Bids His Concubine Farewell ''The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell''William Dolby, ''Eight Chinese Plays from the Thirteenth Century to the Present'' (London: P. Elek; New York: Columbia University Press, 1978). (), also known as ''Farewell My Concubine'', is a tradition ...
'', detailing the romance between General
Xiang Yu Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dyna ...
and his lover Madam Yu.


Original stories and historical adaptations

Musicals have also been performed throughout the years based upon people and events in American, European, and Asian history. Among the more recognizable of these biographical adaptations are ''Last Party: S. Fitzgerald's Last Day'', about
F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
; ''Valentino'', about
Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred ...
; ''Dean'', about
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...
; and ''Saint-Exupéry: The Pilot Who Became "The Little Prince"'', about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Finally, original stories round out Takarazuka fare, including musicals such as ''Boxman'' by Cosmos Troupe, ''Too Short a Time to Fall in Love'' performed by Star and Moon Troupes, and ''Silver Wolf'' by Moon and Snow Troupes.


Collaborations

Takarazuka has occasionally worked with notable writers, composers, and choreographers to create original content for the revue. In 1993, Tommy Tune wrote, directed and choreographed the revue ''Broadway Boys'' to accompany Moon Troupe's rendition of '' Grand Hotel''. In 2006, Takarazuka worked with Frank Wildhorn, musical writer and composer of '' Jekyll & Hyde'' and '' The Scarlet Pimpernel'', to create '' Never Say Goodbye'' for Cosmos Troupe. In 2019, Takarazuka worked with Dove Attia, music producer of and , to compose '' Casanova'' for Flower Troupe.


Personnel


Star personnel

The current top stars of each group are:


Other main performers in the company


Seniority

The gender-neutral terms (upperclassmen) and (lowerclassmen) are used to distinguish senior and junior members of Takarazuka. Lowerclassmen are the actresses who have been performers in Takarazuka for less than seven years. They are employees of the company, and usually work as background dancers and in (performances exclusively for underclassmen). After the seventh year they become upperclassmen, and negotiate contracts with the company instead of being employed by it.


Former Takarasiennes

Takarazuka roster members who went on to work in stage, movies, and television include:


Audience

Women make up the primary audience of Takarazuka; in fact, some estimates say the audience is 90 percent female. There exist two primary theories as to what draws these women to Takarazuka. These theories, put forward by Western scholars, complement each other, drawing on the traditional homoerotic elements of Japanese performing arts, and the ancient subversive nature of the feminine in Japan. One is that the women are drawn to its inherent lesbian overtones. One author states, "It was not masculine sexuality which attracted the Japanese girl audience but it was feminine eroticism". Another theory is that the girls are not drawn to the implicit sexuality of Takarazuka, but instead are fascinated by the (the women who play male roles) "getting away with a male performance of power and freedom". Favoring the first theory, American Jennifer Robertson observes that lesbian themes occur in every Takarazuka performance, simply by virtue of the fact that women play every role. The audience clearly picks up on it and responds. Within the first ten years of Takarazuka's founding, the audience was vocally responding to the apparent lesbianism. Female fans wrote love letters to the . In 1921 these letters were published and several years later newspapers and the public rallied a cry against Takarazuka, claiming it was quickly becoming a "symbol of abnormal love". In order to combat this, the producers kept its actresses in strict living conditions; they were no longer allowed to associate with their fans. Robertson mentions a phenomenon of "S" or " Class S" love, a particular style of love wherein women who have been influenced by Takarazuka return to their daily lives feeling free to develop crushes on their female classmates or coworkers. This type of romance is typically fleeting and is seen in Japanese society as more of a phase in growing up rather than "true" homosexuality. Robertson sums up her theory thus: "Many
omen An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...
are attracted to the Takarazuka because she represents an exemplary female who can negotiate successfully both genders and their attendant roles and domains."Robertson, Jennifer. "Takarazuka: Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan." Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. The other theory, supported by Canadian
Erica Abbitt Erica or ERICA may refer to: * Erica (given name) * ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus * Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America * ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game * ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus * Eric ...
, is that the female audience of Takarazuka is drawn not exclusively by lesbian overtones, but rather by the subversion of stereotypical gender roles. Japan is a society notorious for its rigid conception of gender roles. While the original goal of the show may have been to create the ideal good wife and wise mother off stage, on-stage gender roles are, by necessity, subverted. The must act the way men are supposed to act. Abbitt insists that a large portion of the appeal of Takarazuka comes from something she calls "slippage", referring to the enjoyment derived from a character portraying something they are not, in this case a woman portraying a man. While not denying the presence of lesbian overtones within Takarazuka, Abbitt proposes the cause for the largely female audience has more to do with this subversion of societal norms than sexual ones.Abbitt, Erica Stevens. "Androgyny and Otherness: Exploring the West Through the Japanese Performative Body". Asian Theatre Journal 18.2: 249-256. In essence, the role of presents a type of androgynous freedom that embraces slippage and a non-constrained continuum of gender. While the actual female performer's masculine persona or "secondary gender" was disapproved of outside of the theatrical purposes of Takarazuka, female fans were able to embrace the full gender-fluid continuum otokoyaku provided, as well as engage with Takarazuka in the context of a gender-sex political discourse.


Fan clubs

Some fans demonstrate their loyalty to a particular performer by joining her fan club. Club members can be identified by their wearing scarves of a particular color or even jackets colorfully embroidered with the star's name. Following performances at the Takarazuka Grand Theatre or Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre, as many as several hundred fans congregate in their various club groups and stand in orderly ranks on either side of the street in front of the theatre. The clubs are arranged by actress seniority within the troupe. Theatre officials set up barricades and oversee the assembly. Whenever an actress exits the theatre, the frontmost group will sit and all the others follow suit (much like the "
wave In physics, mathematics, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more quantities. Waves can be periodic, in which case those quantities oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium (r ...
" seen in athletic arenas) with subsequent intervals of standing and sitting. The fans wait patiently, with little conversation, for their favorites to exit the theatre. An almost eerie ritualistic calm prevails. As the stars come out of the building one by one, some alone but most accompanied by staff members of their club, orderly quiet continues to prevail. The glamorous performers, now mostly in slacks or jeans with high heels and wearing oversize visored "newsboy" caps to hide their hair (and some with sunglasses even at night), move along to their own particular fan clubs. Rather than requesting autographs, the fans proffer cards, which are gathered efficiently by each star, who may say a few words but then waves and moves on. Once the last stars have emerged and departed, the clubs disband quietly.


Influence

Takarazuka has had a profound influence on the history of anime and manga, especially manga.
Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him suc ...
, a highly influential manga creator, grew up in the town of Takarazuka. His mother knew many of the Takarazuka actresses, and as a child he knew them and watched many of their performances. Based on their stories of noble princes played by female actresses, Tezuka created '' Princess Knight'', the first manga aimed at a female audience, which tells the story of Princess Sapphire, a girl born with both a male and female heart who struggles between the desire to fight as a noble prince and to be a tender, gentle princess. The great success of ''Princess Knight'' and other Tezuka stories began the tradition of manga written for a female audience, especially the very influential '' The Rose of Versailles'' and '' Revolutionary Girl Utena'' series, both of which borrow directly from ''Princess Knight'' by including specific Tezuka images, character designs and names. ''The Rose of Versailles'' is one of Takarazuka's best-known musicals. Women in masculine roles continue to be a central theme in manga and anime, as well as in some (boys') series, and Tezuka himself explored the theme in many of his later works, including , and . While the influence of
Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him suc ...
and Takarazuka on anime and manga is general, there are still many series which show more specific influences. The Takarazuka Revue inspired the plot of the original ''
Sakura Wars is a Japanese steampunk media franchise created by Oji Hiroi and owned by Sega. It is focused around a series of cross-genre video games. The first game in the series was released in 1996, with five sequels and numerous spin-off titles b ...
'' video game, along with additional inspiration from Takarazuka's one-time competitor the Shochiku Kagekidan (Shochiku Revue).Interview with Ouji Hiroi
partially translated at th

. With regards to ''Sakura Wars'', not only did the Kagekidan inspire the plot for the series, it also strongly influenced the organization of the characters, namely the . Retrieved on 19 July 2007
The Zuka Club in '' Ouran High School Host Club'' is based on the Takarazuka Revue. The lesbian characters Haruka Tenou and
Michiru Kaiou is a fictional lead character in the ''Sailor Moon'' media franchise. Her alternate identity is , a teenage Japanese schoolgirl. Michiru is a member of the Sailor Soldiers, female supernatural fighters who protect the Solar System from evil. ...
of ''
Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine '' Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The s ...
'' were loosely based on the actors of the Takarazuka Revue. ''The Virgin's Mask'' by Jūrō Kara, a significant work of post-war theater, features an aging "-girl" attempting to reclaim her youth through ritualistic bathing in a tub of virgins' tears. The musical anime series ''
Revue Starlight is a Japanese media franchise created in 2017 by Bushiroad, Nelke Planning and Kinema Citrus. It primarily consists of a series of musicals, debuting between September 22 and 24, 2017 at the AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo; a 12-episode anime t ...
'' has elements based on the troupe, including uniforms, the school seal, and theater style, and makes use of these elements to present a critique of Takarazuka practices, particularly the Top Star system. The Tokyo theater group ("Fur Tribe") has produced homosexual parodies of classic Takarazuka shows like ''Gone with the Wind''. The manga and anime series follows two teenage girls enrolled in a fictional version of the Takarazuka Music School. There, they train in singing, acting, and dancing, in hopes of joining the infamous all-female theatre troupe. One of the girls, Sarasa, dreams of playing Oscar François de Jarjayes in the theatre's production of ''Rose of Versailles''. The one episode of the anime series '' Stop!! Hibari-kun!'' features Wataru Otori, an eccentric drag king who takes on the role of
Rhett Butler Rhett Butler (Born in 1828) is a fictional character in the 1936 novel ''Gone with the Wind'' by Margaret Mitchell and in the 1939 film adaptation of the same name. It is one of Clark Gable's most recognizable and significant roles. Role Rhe ...
for the ''Gone with the Wind'' play.


Takarazuka and homosexuality in Japanese society

After the scandal of women writing love letters to the and the revelation of an actual lesbian relationship between a and a , the revue greatly limited itself in order to do away with the lesbian image. Women wore militaristic uniforms, heightening the attraction even more among some audience goers. There was another scandal in 1932 when, for the first time, one of the cut her hair short (previously all of the actresses had their hair long and the simply hid their hair under hats). In August 1940, the actresses were even forbidden to answer fan mail and socialize with their admirers. In the years since then, the regulations have relaxed but not by much.


Legacy

In the 1957 film '' Sayonara'', set largely in neighboring Kobe, the all-female "Matsubayashi" theater troupe bears many similarities to the Takarazuka Revue. A 1996 black-and-white photograph of a Takarasienne, taken by Daido Moriyama, appeared on the October 1999 cover of ''
Art in America ''Art in America'' is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world in the United States, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It ...
''.


See also

* Films from Takarazuka Revue produced by Takarazuka Eiga *
Breeches role A breeches role (also pants role or trouser role, or Hosenrolle) is one in which an actress appears in male clothing. Breeches, tight-fitting knee-length pants, were the standard male garment at the time these roles were introduced. The theatri ...
* Cross-dressing *
Drag (clothing) The term "drag" refers to the performance of exaggerated masculinity, femininity, or other forms of gender expression, usually for entertainment purposes. A drag queen is someone (usually male) who performs femininity and a drag king is someone ...


References


General references

*
The Politics of Androgyny in Japan: Sexuality and Subversion in the Theater and Beyond Jennifer Robertson American Ethnologist, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Aug., 1992), pp. 419-442


Further reading

* Leonie R. Stickland, ''Gender Gymnastics: Performing and Consuming Japan's Takarazuka Revue'', Melbourne, Australia: Trans Pacific Press, 200

* Makiko Yamanashi, ''A History of the Takarazuka Revue Since 1914. Modernity, Girls' Culture, Japan Pop,'' Leiden: Global Oriental & Brill, 201
Review of ''A History of the Takarazuka''
* James Roberson and Nobue Suzuki, ''Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Japan: Beyond the Salaryman'' Doxa, London and New York: Routledge Curzon, 2003 * Alisa Roost.

. ''Theatre Journal''. Vol 60.2. *

—Article on the Takarazuka Revue from th

of ''
The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...
'' (20 April 2005). *
Welcome to Romance Theatre
, by K. Avila, ''Jade Magazine'', March 2004. * Anan, Nobuko (2016). ''Contemporary Japanese Women’s Theatre and Visual Arts''. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. * *


External links

* Official website
Japanese versionEnglish version


mdash;A 1996 article originally published in ''Polare'' magazine

tr. by K. and L. Selden, introduced by A. Groos in ''Japan Focus'' 14, 14, 7 (July 2016) {{Authority control Theatre companies in Japan Tourist attractions in Hyōgo Prefecture Musical theatre companies Theatre in Japan Performing arts in Japan Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Musical groups established in 1913 1913 establishments in Japan Women in theatre Women's organizations based in Japan Women's musical groups Takarazuka, Hyōgo