Masaki has a Hamlet interview in this month's "Musical" magazine. But none of the bookshops in town carry Musical! T_T

The 17th has never seemed so far away......

Just reporting on news. And what news it is!!

Juri-pyon is continuing Yappari GOGO5!? into the second round for each troupe, it seems. First up are Chie, Tomomin and Beni in March!

SETSUBUN ironically I was just looking at my Setsubun pictures from last year which I never posted shush and wondering who would do it this year and it's MAYU-PON and fellow 95ths Kaede Yuki, Manaki Reika and Samomo Satsuki and um, other Tsuki babies. ^^;;; If it starts at 1PM, I can just make it to the first event and stay for almost an hour before I'd have to dash off to work... ^^;;;

... *totally going* faux_semblant, you said you wanted to come this year didn't you? ;)

I am becoming slightly sick of mikans.

Random things I didn't post about before.

If I have to see one more update to the Cafe Break page that DOESN'T have the guests for Casablanca... *shakes fist* But the schedule listed doesn't go past tonight's episode, so they HAVE to update before next week! They have to!! (The official Cafe Break site isn't any better >___<;;;)

I'm also EXTREMELY IMPATIENT for Je Chante chirashi to be released. So I'm hoping now that I've posted about it on LJ after complaining about it to friends ever since the Shangri-La poster, the irony factor will kick in and it will go up in the next day or two?

TamaTama Isolabella concert YAY. She deserves it ♥ But NOT YAY that it's 1) on a Tuesday and Wednesday and 2) TWO DAYS AFTER RAKU. WHAT. WHY must you work everyone so hard, Hankyuu. o_O;;;

Cate posted about this too, but... Daily Sports rehashed all of their pictures from 2009 in a top 10 list covering each troupe and show. Overall the thing I was most impressed with was how many of the photos are of musumeyaku / contain musumeyaku. Especially in the Tsukigumi section. Also, I like how the two best pictures from BaraAme are of That Dance (I wonder if this ranking is based on the highest hit counts?)

Plus, this one is #7 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I might have had something more meaningful to say, but I forgot what it was <--

I expected there to be more Houken pics on Daily Sports today but didn't think we'd get SO MANY so soon!

This is all I have to say:

MUSHROOM HATS ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

DOI-CHAMA DOI-CHAMA WHY

SHIIRAN SHIIRAN THERE IS NOT ENOUGH LOVE IN THIS ENTIRE WORLD♥☆♥☆♥☆♥☆♥

I think I'm finally able to tell Toa Reiya and Sazanami Reira apart, because this is Layla and this is Reiya and then there's also MICHAEL-CHAN THE CUTE ♥ ♥ ♥

Lastly, Makaze. See! Fersen! And I hate to break it to you, Makaze, but the Fersen look really does not suit you. x___x

Passion Blue
Star Troupe, 1996

Stars: Asaji Saki & Shiraki Ayaka

[ TakaWiki ] [ "Who Is Bad?" Review ]

It's been nearly three years since I reviewed "Who Is Bad?", and I knew from the show description, from the cast, and from clips I've seen on various Sky Stage programs that I'd love "Passion Blue", but.... I've never been able to find the VHS in Taka-An. Bad luck, hey? But they finally re-broadcast it last October, so-!

It reminds me thematically of revue shows like "La Bolero Rouge" (another of Miki-Sensei's) and "Blue Moon Blue", but with more primitive costumes. So, a few years before its time, I suppose? Anyway, let's just say that it is indeed in my top ten revue shows, ever. I can't resist Mariko, Rika, and Wataru all dancing together on one stage, and when you throw in my adored combi of Mariko/Ayaka, plus Emao Yuu, Ayaki Nao, Otowa Ryou, and all the other young stars it's impossible to resist. (I enjoy playing spot-the-MatobuSei and spot-the-AsazumiKei, and spot-the-KuonMaya.)

Especially when Rika and Wataru (ken-8! so cute!) are dance-fighting over Tomo Maika in suits and fedoras.

Or Mariko and Rika are dancing together as gypsies♥

Or SO MANY HOT MARIKO/AYAKA PAIR DANCES ngbrkilhbgrbkbj!!!

Let's just say it pushes all of my revue buttons. Even the line dance was entertaining. ;)

I'm procrastinating on writing thank you cards, so you get:

69th Class love.

Star Light Dinner Show
Hotel Hankyu International, 21st September 2009

Members:
Asaji Saki
Izumo Aya
Chiaki Shin

Set List:

"Brazil" - Asaji Saki
"New York, New York" - Chiaki Shin
"It's a Small World" - Asaji Saki & Chiaki Shin
"Only Me" (Elisabeth) - Izumo Aya
"When You Wish Upon a Star" - Izumo Aya & Asaji Saki & Chiaki Shin

69th Class Takarazuka Medley
- various

"Longer Than Eternity" (Map Without Borders) - Izumo Aya & Asaji Saki
"The Spirit of the Samurai" (The Spirit of the Samurai) - Asaji Saki & Chiaki Shin
"Last Dance" (Elisabeth) - Asaji Saki

"Amazing Grace" - Izumo Aya
"The Winner Takes It All" - Chiaki Shin
"All By Myself" - Asaji Saki
"There's No Business Like Show Business" - Izumo Aya & Asaji Saki & Chiaki Shin


( What I Thought: )

Today is shonichi for Casablanca in Tokyo.

I was going to say some things, to restate my opinion on Yuuhi and Sumika -- to point out that I have now seen Sora's new top combi onstage fifteen times and think if they were going to impress me and change my mind they would have done it by now.

But really, I am just really sick of talking about them.

Shonichi in Tokyo and it's going to be better in Tokyo. I didn't post about this because I was too busy talking about taidansha, but Soragumi was on fire on raku. Maybe everyone was exhausted and that was their last burst of energy, but it was like seeing the show for the first time all over again. I started to see the hints of new things developing that I wouldn't get to appreciate because I won't be there to watch it.

Casablanca will be better in Tokyo and everybody will tell me I was crazy for not liking it as much as I could have.

Or, I don't know, maybe people will only see the DVD and agree with me.

Or not. Maybe nobody cares and everyone is sick of my whining.

Whatever, self, whatever... just let it go.

In the mail today: late invite to Kai-chan ochakai in Tokyo. IT'S LIKE THEY READ MY MIND. And I want to goooooooo but I caaaaaaaaan't ;____________;

Well that was... interesting.

Habsburgs managed to do in one act what Taiou did in two. That is, ( completely waste its potential )

I understand that a lot had to be cut and changed from the original source material, but I don't really think reading Jen's summaries ruined me for this play. Since I can't say that my expectations were very high in the first place -- knowing that a one-act musical couldn't possibly contain all of the detail of a two-volume novel, not to mention the things that wouldn't stand up to Zukafication... It's just that at its core it felt like a whole lot of angst over nothing and so much wasted potential.

Bolero:

A pretty darned good show. The supposed love story that runs through the revue doesn't really seem to tie things together, but I'm not going to complain about...

( All of this )

...That was my Houken / Bolero not-a-proper-review-at-all rambling. さすが, self. ^^;;;

Shii-chan!!!

She started a blog yesterday♥

AKA the meme where one shows off by listing all the shows and ochakai one attended in the past year.

Note: I feel that there's little point in me specifying what theater I saw things at, since I basically see all my shows in Kansai, but... I did it anyway. *shrugs*

( Julie-pyon's Year in Revue: 2009 )

...

I'm sleepy. And seeing Habsburgs tomorrow.

Or rather, in 12.5 hours. *goes to bed*

*squints* Is that really... Zunko? You'd think it would be, since she has second billing, but it sure doesn't look like her to me?

http://www.cnplayguide.com/stc/CNK55464.html

And these are the dates that Maori gives (she also says there'll be a tour):

東京　新国立劇場～4月7日～13日
大阪　シアターブラバ　4月27日～30日
東京北千住　シアター１０１０　　5月20日～23日
名古屋　中日劇場　　　　　　　　5月29, 30日

Er.... Ranno Hana isn't above the ~*~*~*~*~ line..... are we counting this as a lead musumeyaku role?

She didn't make it onto the poster either, and it wasn't announced before the rest of the cast, so I'm thinking by Takarazuka rules, that's a "no".

Sorry, a pretty sloppy translation, but I'm sleepy and... well, you know me. Lazy.

Masaki, I knew the hair was 100% your idea♥

[ source ]

@Pia Interview

Takarazuka Revue Moon Troupe Rock Opera "Hamlet!!"

Ryuu Masaki

Moon Troupe's Ryuu Masaki has played the major role of Lucheni in the musical "Elisabeth", and made her presence felt with the opportunity. Thereafter she has been entrusted with a heavy position in both musicals and shows, and it has been decided that she'll play the sole lead in the Rock Opera "Hamlet!!" in Bow Hall and Nippon Seinenkan this February. The show will be a rock musical version of Shakespeare's classic tailored so that singing and dancing are the main focus, and Ryuu (with her recognized skill as a singer) has caught our attention as we wonder how she'll portray the troubled prince.
____________________________________________________________________

---The striking poster has quite a reputation.

"It begins with a tale of ghosts, so as per the director Fujii Daisuke-sensei's instructions, I gave my stage makeup a very light, pallid coloring, to create an image where anxiety is one of the factors. Particularly the scarlet to black shading of the lipstick is for the fact that he was at first a slim and frail youth, who then became wholeheartedly devoted to pursuing his revenge. The hair is to give a slightly modern element for the 'rock' feel, and is something I came up with myself."

---This is a continuation of Shakespeare for you, isn't it?

"Previously not only 'The Two Noble Kinsmen', but the shinjin kouen version of 'Rome at Dawn' (where I was given the role of Brutus) was also Shakespeare, so I feel as if it has history for me. But speaking of Shakespeare, "Hamlet" is much more common, and this is my first time being given the title role, so that also makes me really happy. The theme is love, but there is also hate in it, and trust turning to revenge, so that there are black parts as well, which I think will be difficult to portray, but I'm also looking forward to it. Fujii-sensei also seems very emotionally involved with it, so I want to create it with him, with enjoyment and labor."

---Fujii-sensei's forte is revue shows, so will there be a revue component to this 'rock opera'?

"It seems that 70% will be dancing and singing {laughs}. It has a feel that from the beginning with the ghosts dancing off-kilter the dancing continues until the curtain closes, so I think it's because he's a revue director that he can turn this play into a musical, don't you think? In 'Heat on Beat!' I did rock as well {laughs}, but here the strong image is of a tempestuous blaze aflame, which I'd like to be myself. At least for now with this show, until February {laughs}. The common image when you say 'rock' is one of funky people dancing and singing to pounding beats, but this time there's hard rock to project the hatred, like a quietly burning blue flame, and a rock which is sung while hiding the ferocity, and rock with a ballad feel to smoothly sing my feelings... all kinds, so I don't want it all to end up one shade."

---This year was a year of great progress for you, and next year the new Moon Troupe will make its start with this "Hamlet!!", isn't that right?

"This year was quite a dense one {laughs}. Just as I felt like I was enjoying all the colors of the rainbow, BANG, one color alone struck at me. Particularly, being allowed to play Lucheni was an enormous experence for me, I think. There were a lot of places where I was on stage alone, so I had to develop courage, my way of vocalizing changed, and there were a lot of new things that I realized. Next year I want to continue as always, without getting too worked up."

Reporting: Harada Junko
Photography: Honbou Tetsuharu

Hamlet cast is uuuuppppppp

Ran-chan Opheliaaaaaaa

Toshi Horatioooooooooo

and Tamaki Ryou as Laertes wow ekusudei was close to being right in a lot of ways.

Yurino!Rosencrantz what. ^^;;;;

Both 95ths got role names! (That just means the whole cast got role names, but hey I'm not complaining.) Harune Aki "Audrey" and Asami Jun "Sylvius"?

Ahahahah, Touka Yurino as Rosencrantz.

Life is good.

A little while ago lliri_blanc posted about her "Year in Revue", going through all the theater productions she's seen this year and reflecting on what was the best.

Ever since then I've been thinking about the past year and aaaallllllll the shows I've seen and trying to determine what was the best for me.

Today I saw "Aibou" and it immediately ranked within the top five of that list.

You know shows that are just GOOD? You don't love it just because the actresses are so suited to the characters, but also because the story itself is so GOOD?!

"Aibou" is that kind of show.

I was moved. Not just because there are lots of people I love in it who did well, but because the story had that great blend of complexity and character and plot details but also fun fluff numbers and wackiness and then in the end it's all heartfelt and touching.

I cried. Not simply because I was sad about Ayane-chan, but because the journey of her character was moving.

THAT'S WHAT MAKES A GREAT STORY.

Hats off to Ishida-sensei, seriously. If I had any money to spare I would go to see this again. To enjoy it again, and also to show Hankyuu my monetary support for PLAYS THAT ARE GOOD.

I know I'm just saying the same thing over and over, and that I pestered about five people with post-kangeki emails, but I just had to express how full of good feeling I was.

A FULL REVIEW WILL COME, and that is a promise.

For now enjoy these photos.

In particular I draw your attention to this one.

AMACHAKI PLAYS THE OTHER WOMAN.

IT'S HER FIRST SCENE AND SHE DOES A "NO WE MUSTN'T YOUR WIFE WILL COME HOME ANY MINUTE" SINGING AND DANCING TANGO WITH THE SANBANTE.

ASDFGHJKL AMACHAKIIIIIIIIII

Not to mention the fact that Ayane plays "White Christmas" on the piano AND I SOBBED, A LOT.

I didn't dare to hope. I told myself that the Casablanca summary was just a fluke.

But BEHOLD!

English summary for Habsburgs...

...IS ACTUALLY REALLY DECENT.

Although it looks like they changed things, naturally. ;) Like moving up the time of Franz & Therese's marriage. And sadly,

Noooooooooo eyepatch ;__________; Oh well.

なんだか、楽しそう :D I somehow find myself being excited instead of just laughing at the premise.

There's no point in me trying to write memorials about the people who retired today. I don't have the right words. There's nothing I can say that will make it right or better.

Let it simply be said that I'm thinking of the Tsukigumi fans today.

There's also no point in me saying anything about the poster for Shangri-La. The less I look at it the less I'll complain.

But as Becca pointed out to me, the summary has also changed. ;P

Before:

The near future. A world where water has become polluted due to nuclear war, and people battle endlessly searching for a safe source of water. A tyrant called the Dragon King rules the country with the water source. Sora, a man who lost his memories and was saved by a troupe of traveling entertainers, journeys with one of the troupe's dancers, Miu, to the Dragon King's palace "Shangri-La" in order to know his past. Eventually they develop an emotional bond. However, waiting for the two of them at "Shangri-La" is a cruel fate...

A futuristic musical romance depicting people who stand up to their destinies in a ruined world, with the human necessity of "water" as the theme.

Now:

In a certain Asian country after a nuclear war. It is a world where due to the war water has become polluted, and a king has taken supreme authority and controls the water source. One day, a man who collapsed in the wasteland is saved by a troupe of traveling entertainers. The man has escaped death; however, he has completely lost his memory. The only clue to his past is the blue-green beaded necklace he's wearing. That necklace was sent by Miu, one of the troupe's dancers, to her lover -- who went missing when he set off in search of the legendary realm of the former king, "Shangri-La". Miu gives the man the name "Sora" and together, in order for him to recover his past and her to find her lover, they embark on a journey to search for "Shangri-La". Thus begins their destiny, which will influence the future of the country...

A futuristic fantasy depicting love and friendship set in a ruined world.

Not much different, there are just more details... and the king is no longer a Dragon King?

Solferino roles are out! I butchered some of the names (French, Italian and British...?) Please, anyone, feel free to fix them.

Plus the shinko principles: Sakina x Ayucchi in the leads (CUTE), Hokaze Narumi nibante (okay...) and Gaori sanbante.

Gao-chan... :\

*edits*

The List is not as bad and yet far worse than I'd imagined.

Retiring along with Yumiko are:

Mirai Yuuki
Jin Reika
Ootsuki Sayu

and Takaho Shuu retired today.

Hugs to everyone, but especially the Yukigumi fans, and the musumeyaku fans. T___________T ♥

*edits2* I tried to be pretty detached about this, but the more I think about it the worse I feel.

*edits3* In place of Hamako, Asaki Yumemi will be the next fukukumichou after April 25th.

There was already a huge gap between kumichou and vice-kumichou (Naga-san, you're amazing *______*), but Yumemi is the same year as Kimu. The harsh reality of upperclassmen depletion shows in Yukigumi as well.

And won't that be ironic when Kimu becomes top.