I do get Baron/Ballerina as the Top star roles! Something about Tamakichi doing a Kuze Seika role make me happy and Chapi as a ballerina just makes sense 😀 . Rurika in a Suzukaze Mayo role also seems right. Akatsuki Chisei and Asami Jun in Amami Yuuki's female(lesbian) role will be interesting.

Definitely looking forward to this.

So my guess that the OG Grand Hotel staging would lead to a new Takarazuka version turned out to be correct. :-)

It landed with new Tsukigumi which wasn't part of my fantasy casting line-up. But with Rurika and Kacha staying on it should be a good show for the new Tsukigumi line-up (but I still expect transfers.)

If they go with the same role ( Read more... )

Best news: They will air Chapi's "Wonder of Love" show on Sky in May! I hope I can get my hands on a recording but even if I don't: Yay, Chapi!The casting news for Soragumi's Vampire Succesion mainly reminded me that I really need to watch more Soragumi to see if I can catch up on the performers a bit. So if this turns out to be a decent show I ( Read more... )

This must be the only “proper” bootleg takarazuka recording I have (unlike copies of Sky Stage recordings.) It seems to have been filmed with one single camera from the balcony. I’m kind of assuming that it is done with the knowledge of the company since the camera has a free view of the stage and the sound is surprisingly good. Picture quality ( Read more... )

Yes, she is young but with 5 shinko leads and 3+ non top leads (the + is the New Wave show where I’m not sure if there were no lead or a leading quartet) under her belt when she debuts she is hardly inexperienced. *And* she will have an experienced top musumeyaku by her side who is only one(!!) year “younger” than her. So by today’s standards their ( Read more... )

The Hanagumi (takawiki) and Tsukigumi (takawiki) New Wave shows have been my goto viewing the last 1-2 years when I want a dose of zuka without having to focus on a story. They are kind of like a one troupe TCA Special with the highest ranked stars removed ( Read more... )

A Tsukigumi show seems appropriate this week so lets take a look at The Man from Algiers

This review comes with a good sized spoiler warning if you don't want to know who lives or dies in the play you should not click on the link.
( On to the review... )

This is an operetta so no grand drama or deep story but easy going fun and romance.
I liked

* having the more composed-through choir numbers.
* a larger set of characters and secondary characters that actually gets some (at least for a music theatre piece) character depth and   that several of them are musumeyaku.
* that we have several couples with ( Read more... )

Someone on niconico have taken the two Scarlet Pimpernel DVDs and made some joined clips that play both versions of the songs simultaneous. Kind of hard to listen to but it makes for some interesting comparisons.

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12036302

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12046446

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12057930

http://www. ( Read more... )

Tsukigumi's Pimpernel rehearsal clip showing them rehearsing the parade:

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm10554631

And we get an answer to the question on how they will do the parade with alternating Chauvelin/Armand casts since they rehearse both versions.

(And the show "digest" in case you haven't seen it already: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/ ( Read more... )