This is the poster from the performance I saw! It was absolutely wonderful; can't wait to go again someday! :)
On Monday, my Host Dad took me to the "Takarazuka Revue." It's an all-female troupe of triple-threats! These women can sing, act, and dance! Some even play the coveted role of male characters- very well, in my opinion! In Japan, the Takarazuka Revue is regarded similarly to the way Broadway is in NY. Even though it was a Monday matinee, the house was packed! Since my Host Dad bought the tickets (he's a huge fan), we sat in the 7th row. We were so close I could see the actors faces very clearly; I could practically touch them! :)
The performers are recruited from age 13 (middle school age), and go to a magnet school run by the Revue. By age 18, they are deemed ready to perform as back-ups to the "top stars." Due to its high popularity, the Revue is broken down into 5 different groups: Hoshi (Star), Tsuki (Moon), Hana (Flower), Sora (Cosmos), and Yuki (Snow) Troupes. Each troupe has its own set of stars; and those stars come with an amazingly big following. A woman sitting next to my Host Dad at the Revue started up a conversation with us, and she came all the way from Tokyo just to see the performance! The traveling expense was higher than the actual ticket price! The Revue is just a couple stops from my house and school, so it's not a big deal for me. (Lucky~~!) There was really no need for her to come all the way down to Kansai; there is actually a smaller, temporary Revue that travels to Tokyo. However, she is a die-hard fan and just HAD to see the real thing! haha
These are the "top stars" of each group of the Revue.
All the performers are super talented; I could really tell that they've dedicated their lives to their craft! The "male" actors were surprisingly cool; I actually really enjoyed watching the "male" performers most! haha
Here's a 10min video of a medley of popular songs from the Revue. You might notice a couple of actual guys in there; those are members of the popular Johnny's boy band, SMAP. This video is from their TV show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq4pNyPhHuI&feature=related
Warning: Everything about the Takarazuka Revue is fantasy, so please don't take them too seriously or you might hate it. Watch it like you would watch a Disney movie! :D It'll make you feel warm and fuzzy, I promise! PS- don't worry so much about understanding the Japanese; treat it like an Italian Opera (No one goes to really understand the words. Just listen to the music and watch the artistry)!
