TAKARAZUKA, here we come!

[ellenkushner]

I've been wanting for years to see this all-women theatre troupe (there's a documentary about them, "Dream Girls") - and, for tomorrow's matinee, we finally make it! It's a double-feature: Valencian Passion and Space Fantasista (sic). The descriptions of both are here. You must see them. They include such gems as
A pompous soiree is held at Prince Lucanor’s castle. In a corner of the hall, Prince Lucanor’s second wife Sylvia is with the prince’s nephew Rodrigo Granados, who was her lover. Sylvia’s father had been arrested for treason, and was released in exchange for her marrying the prince[...]. Fernando, who is also present at the soiree, notices the burning hatred against Lucanor in the eyes of his friend Rodrigo, and invites him to the downtown bar El Patio. [Kinda sounds like something Jo March might have written, doesn't it?]
and
Scenes 7 – 8: COSMIC 3 (Moon): In the beautiful lunar world, the moon goddess Rhea sings longingly for a lover she has not yet met. while her ladies-in-waiting, including Basin, elegantly dance.

I can hardly wait.

Comments

[oracne.livejournal.com]

EEE, so exciting!!!

[belledewinter.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine is absolutely obsessed with Takarazuka. I am sure you'll love it. :)

[snakey.livejournal.com]

...Basin?

[contrarywise]

Very cool! I saw posters for their production of "Guys and Dolls" when I was in Kyoto back in 2001, but didn't actually get to see them perform. Enjoy!

[caithion.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I've never commented before, although I find your journal very interesting, and love your writing. But I'm such a Takarazuka fan these days that I had to say something now! I hope you enjoy the Cosmos Troupe show. I've heard the revue half is pretty spectacular.

For the curious, there are photos up from the show here (http://www.sankei.co.jp/enak/sumirestyle/2007/aug/kiji/valencianpassion/00.html).

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

There's an excellent book about them, too-- _Takarazuka: Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan_ by Jennifer Robertson (which is how I became interested). And if you find that you've become a fan, there are a couple of LJ communities. Have a great time!

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

Oh, envy, envy! I'd love to see Takarazuka, and I'm not even much for musicals. What can I say, their otokoyaku are hot. ;D

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

We saw them while in Tokyo..>Pretty amazing. Las Vegas, here I come!!!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Looks like the same show we saw. I'm really curious what you think of it. The "drama" had a quite mish-mash of Italian swordplay, spanish flamenco, Prussian costumes, etc etc. Bizarro. (We didn't know the plots at all -although Ted Chiang told me a little of what her remembered of the synopsis during intermission.)

[gaedhal.livejournal.com]

I have that book, too, and it's really good.

If you watch the old movie "Sayonara" with Marlon
Brando, the female lead is a "male" star of the
Takarazuka.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I keep meaning to re-read the original Michener novel and see whether it has more or less Takarazuka content.

[alethea-eastrid.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's just me, but I can see at least the first scene on a stage in Riverside. :)

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Just so.

[gaedhal.livejournal.com]

It kind of does.

Actually, for Mitchner, who is pretty reactionary
in most of his books, has a lot of gender stuff
going on. There's another character who is a
male "actress" in the Kabuki theater (played
by Ricardo Montalban in the film).