Takarazuka Revue (宝塚歌劇団)

I remember, vaguely, being told of the Takarazuka Revue in one of my university drama courses during the section on world theater. There wasn't much, a brief mention, along with Kabuki (歌舞伎) and Noh (能) and perhaps even Bunraku (文楽). They weren't gone into very much depth, but we were in a world of Shakespeare and Western theater tradition, so perhaps it was to be expected.

The blurb failed to mention how girly the Takarazuka Revue is.

Getting off the Osaka-Takarazuka train, I was immediately pointed toward the Grand Takakazuka Theater with posters of the latest production. I saw these on the train as well, and in all the shop windows along hana no michi ("the flower road") as I continued. And when I bought a ticket, amongst bubbly girls, middle-aged women and obas, with the only men around appearing to have been brought there by their wives and daughters, you can imagine I felt a little out of place. They had the look of men I'd seen only in sitcoms when their wives mentioned the topic of going to the opera for the night.

When I went to sit down, however, I sat next to a guy who must have been around twenty. It was not his first time to the Takarazuka Revue: he'd brought his own binoculars.

Takazakura otaku, apparently.

The play began, and I'll freely admit I had little-to-no idea what was going on. The first act consisted mainly of a 30-minute lavish dance and musical number that was light on plot and heavy on showcasing the talents of the women. The best choreography I'd probably ever seen, though admittedly I haven't seen a lot. Expressive and fluid, it really was a pleasure to watch.

And then it ended and there was a 30-minute intermission were everyone sat down and ate lunch in the theater. This is quite a common occurence at any Japanese event: everyone brings along a little bento box. I fell asleep during this portion.

It did start back up again, and we finally got into the plot (revolving around a Mexican revolution and a blossoming romance, from what I understood) and singing and dancing were toned down a bit. I spent a lot of time during this portion examining the costuming and how striking the women looked, even from the very back row of the theater.

This is were I want to get something clear about the girly part. I felt very out of place. It felt like I was intruding on a grandmother-mother-daughter activity. I saw no young men--save that otaku--anywhere. Where I had hoped to see some interesting sexual dynamics onstage, I got sense that this was a traditional, Japanese feminine passtime. It was rather the opposite of what I'd expected.

It was enjoyable, though. I saw a different side to this type of theater than I expected, and I got a certain sense of how its marketed. There are big names in the Takarazuka company, and those personalities are played up in the promotional materials and all the merchandise. It had a very broadway feel.

Further Clicks:
Wiki
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=lwq6ZfnyNv8
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=OIcWEWSp8mE

I'm Back, Folks

I'm back in the states and headed out to the Ren Fest on Saturday. I'm not particularly keen on the Ren Fest. The last (and only) time I went was when I was 21, and I found it so-so. I was very wishy-washy about it. If I'd gone in junior high or high school, during the time I was really into fantasy, I might have really gotten into it.

I just got in on Monday after spending three weeks traveling around Japan. I'll start sharing those experiences soon. For now, I'm getting my life in order here in the states and beginning the search for an apartment, a job and doing some reconnecting.

Be seeing y'all around!