Japan’s all-female Takarazuka Revue to perform in U.S. this summer

That mannequin looks so real.

Hope the Takarazuka Revue will achieve great success in the U.S.

This is very interesting cultural news. Since it's been several decades since the T ladies have visited the USA for a show, and since in the past 20 years the USA has made great progress in its acceptance and understanding of gay women in show business like ellen de generes and lily Tomlin and the actress who was in in the movie taxi driver ...I think the T shows will become part of social media conversations in the summer and in a good positive way. My sister is gay and she once lived with her Japanese partner in Boston and she told me she's looking forward to the T show this summer. This is a cultural milestone. Bravo for both Japan and the USA for having open minds about gender and sexual identification.

The "drag king" and homoerotic aspects of this are interesting. The history of ambivalence is also fascinating. Probably this adds to the sense of strangeness if it, although, it's possible that the "Japan as weird" projection might be a bit unfair, depending on one's perspective on how gender roles are progressed in different societies. Still, if there is one aspect that seems very Japanese, it's the non-ironic irony involved here, as homoeroticism and homosexuality have always been a part of Takarazuka even while these aspects of the group are carefully suppressed. I've never seen the show but only read about it. I'd really like a chance to check it out. In a way, it seems anachronistic. But that's kind of the fascination of it to me. Japan has a way of incorporating and controlling that which it rejects, even while denying its existence.

@shallots, yes by all means if you are in or near Tokyo go to a weekday show of the T group at their theater in Yurakucho. I went two times. Amazing theatrical and cultural experience beyond words. I loved it.

1.) Why not L.A. as well as New York?

2.) "Chicago"? Not one of my favorite shows.

@Danny Bloom Thanks. I live in Kansai so I really should just head over to Takarazuka, itself. Somehow I never made it. I've done bunraku and Noh...but still haven't caught this or Kabuki. There is something extra fascinating to me about Takarazuka. I had a student once who was devastated about not making it into the troupe. Seems like she focused herself for years solely on that and failed. One thing that's confusing is all the different troupes within it and trying to understand which is best for someone who may go only once or twice. Is there anything like this in any other parts of the world? Does anyone know? How about books in English on the intrigue of it? I see there are lots of academic papers on it. I wonder what it's like on the inside. Again, I fear that Takarazuka probably is a suppressive institution, as far as gender-freedom and sexuality are concerned. But it still looks like fun.

@shallots , then do go yes. It is the theatrical and audience-centric experience of a lifetime. I love Pirandello, Fellini, Beckett, Ionesco...but the T experience I simply drank it in without really understanding it. It remains mysterious to me. But fascinating to the n-th degree. Must go. Do it. Also interesting what you said about one of yr students being so disappointed she did get in. A very very unique Japanese theatrical troupe! Go and report back some day here.

This may spoil some of the fun, but its actually not a group of current Takarazuka members, but of women who have already left Takarazuka Revue Company. Many of them have also appeared in several musicals by for example the Toho Musical Company and TBS theatrical productions before doing the all (or should I say almost all) women performance of Chicago last year. I saw this production twice with all leading roles performed by different actresses each time, and it was quite interesting but not really my taste due to some of the actresses performing their parts in a much to stereotypical way in my opinion. For whos interested, please view one of the news articles about the New York performances in the Japanese media: http://ideanews.jp/archives/16414

http://www.theaterguide.co.jp/theater_news/2016/01/22_06.php

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/entertainment/news/CK2016012202000151.html

Also, you can find the names and info on the performers on the Chicago homepage and as far as I could see, at least the women in the leading roles have all left the Takarazuka Revue Companu at least 5 years ago. I suggest checking the fact before copying a news article from another site.

BTW, they will also do a re-run in Yokohama (July 12-15), Tokyo (August 10-21) and Osaka (August 25-31)

"...not really my taste due to some of the actresses performing their parts in a much to stereotypical way in my opinion." @harusuzumi You mean as compared with the Takarazuka performances or you mean generally as compared with musical theater worldwide?

Ive seen quite a few versions of Chicago, and in the Japanese performances of Chicago, especially the Takarazuka OG performances, some of the roles were performed in a very stereotypical way that was just not to my taste. Everyone has his/her preference of how they would like to see a role performed, but I would for example just much rather have Ruthie Henshal as Roxy than Asami Hikaru as I much preferred miss Henshals style of performing the role. But again, it`s just personal taste and even though I disliked the way some of the actresses performed their role, I liked others such as Shin Chiaki as Mama Morton very much indeed.

Oh, I do have to apologize for mis-remembering 1 thing, the performances by former members of the Takarazuka Revue Company I saw were in November 2014, not 2015.

Well, I doubt many of today's actors in Japan have heard of Stanislavsky. But I'm interested in the camp nevertheless.

Oh goody!

Did I ever tell y'all that I lived not but a seven minute drive from beautiful downtown Takarazuka. One of the great advantages of such an abode, is, -- you guessed it! -- endless opportunities, invites and free tickets (!!) to the amazing all female review!! And yet, somehow or another, I managed for a decade to avoid such a treat.

.

@shallots For books about the Takarazuka Revue Company in English, you could for example try Makiko Yamanashis [A History of the Takarazuka Revue since 1914] (2012) or Leonie Sticklands [Gender Gymnastics; Performing and consuming Japan`s Takarazuka Revue.

Lesbians will be flocking in from all over the Northeast.