Big lights, loud music, action, excitement, and lasting memories compose that which is show business. Broadway is to some a mystery, and to others an addiction. We love it, or we hate it. Still, even those who love it miss out on some of the more unique performances available when we travel to a foreign country. This is one of them.
Takarazuka is the term used to refer to that group of over 400 women, split up into five troupes, who perform various shows both inside of Japan and overseas. These women, all of which train for years to perfection in a ruthless acting school, lead a life of stardom and popularity, appearing on television frequently and without reserve. Each troupe, and there are five of them, have a few members who are considered the top stars and remain so for as long as they can maintain their fan base.
Actually, probably the most surprising part of the whole concept, which has been going on for nearly one hundred years, is the concept behind the troupe. Upon entering the troupe, each member is required to choose a gender. For the remainder of their career, members will dedicate themselves entirely to becoming that gender onstage. They do it with impeccable accuracy, and from high up in the seats I found myself pulling for the feminine traits in the male actresses, and not finding any. It wasn’t just me, either. News report after news report, interview after interview people keep saying the same thing: if it weren’t for the general knowledge that the cast is all female, people would have no way of distinguishing the difference between genders in Takarazuka.
If the reader has a chance to experience a performance by this troupe, I would highly recommend it. They always provide an English synopsis of the storyline and so even with a low comprehension rate of Japanese, the performance will move and enthrall you.
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