.All casts and staffs of "Elisabeth" get Grand-prix of KIKUTA Kazuo Drama Award, and KASUGANO Yachiyo & MATSUMOTO Yuri get special prize.
The appearance number of Mr. MATSUMOTO Koshiro who plays the leading role of "A Man of La Mancha" had the 901-st time by a performance on 2/2(Fri).
It is a new record of a Japanese musical actor/actress who plays a same leading role of a musical play. An old record was 900-th time of Mr. MORISHIGE Hisaya of "Fiddler On The Roof"
It's a last day of a half and a year performances.
MITANI Kouki's musical play "Okepi!", a comedy which describes various human relations of musicians in an orchestra pit, is selected as Kishida Kunio Stage-Drama Award. Kishida Kunio Stage-Drama Award is a very famous award about stage plays in Japan. The ceremony of awarding will be done in April 6. Congratulations !
Shiki's new theater will be open on Dec. 1, 2002 and its capacity is 1200 seats. It is placed in the new head-quaters building of Dentsu Corp. at Shiodome, Tokyo.
SHIBUKI Jun will be a top star of Moon Troupe in August and KOUJU Tatsuki will be a top star of Star Troupe in November, the company publicly released on Jan. 19.
MINORU Ko, who is the top star of Star Troupe, will resign on "Versailles no Bara"("A Rose of Versailles " in English) at Takarazuka Grand Theater in Oct. 1, 2001.
MAKOTO Tsubasa, who is the top star of Moon Troupe, will resign on the performance "Bara no Kishi" ("Kight Of Rose" in English) at Takarazuka Grand Theater. (this news is released on Suponichi Web.)
The public web site of Musical-za is now opened. The contents, which are written in Japanese, are very substantial and worth to read.
Three new actresses are press-released on Aug.22, who are ADACHI Yumi, tohko, HORIUCHI Keiko.
ADACHI Yumi is a famous actress on many TV dramas. "tohko" is a singer. HORIUCHI Keiko resigned Shiki Theatrical Company last year, and I think she is a wonderful musical actress.
The schedule on next year is 2001/3/30(Fri) - 4/28(Sat) at Emperial Theater (Tokyo). Advanced ticekts will be sold from 12/16(Sat).
And, other schedules are press-released on Aug. 23 as follows:
The last day of Lion King in Osaka is on Jan. 14, 2001 and the last day of Cats in Nagoya is on Jan. 28, 2001. Lion King makes a long-run record which is 22 months (674 stages). So far, it was 18 months (550 stages) of Beauty and the Beast.
URL is http://www.shiki.gr.jp/. Almost all pages are written in Japanese, only except a part of the site info.
It is announsed that all 10 second and third male-role star is moved to "Senka" (specialist group). Senka was constituted by veterans, but its meaning will be change. In addition, there is an advantage which they can do things over a troupe or outside the company. I feel this reform will open a vent in the top star system which is called seniority.
The new Tokyo Takarazuka Theater will be open on Jan. 1, 2001, so brief description of the opening performances are press-released. They are performed by Moon Troupe, and one is a Japanese show "Ima Sumire Saku" [Now, Violets Bloom] (book and staged by UEDA Shinji) and another is a western revue "Bara no Kishi" [A Knight of Rose] (book and staged by KIMURA Shinji).
Almost all web contents at biglobe are transfered. Old pages at biglobe remains as mirror pages.
May 2001 at Chunichi Theater and August 2001 at Umeda Koma Theater
In next performance of "BIG", AKASAKA Noboru who was one of Hikaru-GENJI (male idol star group) takes a role as Joshu, and MIYAZAKI Yuko as Susan. MIYAZAKI Yuko is the same as KAZAHANA Mai who was a top female star of Takarazuka Moon Troupe.
A stage magazine "Soiree" was stopped last year, but it gets re-birth as "REPLIQUE" by Hankyu Books which is a part of Hankyu Railway Co. It is released every month on 7th and costs 680yen. First cover person is KUSAKARI Tamiyo who is a famous ballerina.
Additionally, the web pages are made, so its URL is http://www.replique.ne.jp/.
ASARI Keita says in "La Harpe" that Shiki will open public web site on July 14.
was performed at Nihon Seinenkan Grand Hall. I think it was not perfect but it will be better day by day. The preview performances will be also done tomorrow.
SHIZUKI Asato, who is the top star of Takarazuka Revue Company Cosmos Troupe, will resign next year. Her last performance is planned on Takarazuka Grand Theater from Jan. 1 to Feb. 7 and TAKARAZUKA 1000days Theater from March to May.
Ticket Saison, one of ticket resellers in Japan, will stop its activity on October 31. It is because of restruction of Saison Group. And Ginza Saison Theater will also stop on November 30 with the same reason.
Asahi Newspaper on Auguest 26 says the casts of "Elisabeth" as follows:
| Elisabeth | ICHIRO Maki |
|---|---|
| Death | YAMAGUCHI Yuichiro, UCHINO Masaaki (double cast) |
| Franz Joseph | SUZUKI Souma |
| Luigi Lucheni | TAKASHIMA Masahiro |
| Rudolf | INOUE Yoshio |
| Archduchess Sophie | HATSUKAZE Jun |
| Duke Max | TERAIZUMI Ken |
| Duchess Ludovika | ACHIWA Satomi |
Directed by KOIKE Shuichiro
Schedule: 2000/6/6(Tue) - 8/30(Wed)
Theater: Emperial Theater (Tokyo)
Advanced tickets will be sold from December 12 (Sun).
Ones Art, a company in Japan producing many musical plays such as "Lady in the Dark", "Yours", and so on, will stop its activity because of too much money loan.
1999/9/17(Fri)7:00, 18(Sat)12:00/5:00 Nihon Seinenkan grand hall. Advanced tickets will be sold from August 7 and the price is 7800 yen.
This autumn, Takarazuka Revue Company and Shiki Theatrical Company will perform musical plays in China.
| Schedule | Theater |
|---|---|
| 1999/9/22(Wed),23(Hol.) | Chunichi Theater(Nagoya) |
| 1999/10/8(Fri) - 17(Sun) | Theater Drama-City(Osaka) |
| 1999/10/22(Fri) - 11/7(Sun) | Tokyo Art Theater, middle hall |
Some tabloid papers revealed that Toho Corporation will perform "Elisabeth" in June - August, 2000 at Emperial Theater (Tokyo) and in 2001 at Osaka. Main roles is planned, ICHIRO Maki as Elisabeth, YAMAGUCHI Yuichiro as the Death, ICHIMURA Masachika as Lucheni. And it will be staged by KOIKE Shuichiro (Takarazuka Revue Company).
KOHZUKI Noboru (called "Gonchan"), who was a male-role top star of TakarazukaRevue Company, died with cancer.
She was in Takarazuka from year 1960 to 1970. After she resigned Takarazuka, she appeared in many musical plays, such as "42ND STREET", "Fiddler on the Roof", "A Man of La Mancha", "Annie", "Zorba", and so on.
This is her first stage after she resigned Takarazuka Revue Company last October.
Cast is as follows.
| The Phantom of the Opera | IMAI Kiyotaka |
| Christine Daaé | IRYO Rumi |
| Raoul,Vicomte de Chagny | YANASE Daisuke |
| Carlotta Guidicelli | KAWAI Kazuyo |
| Meg Giry | AKIMOTO Minako |
| Madame Giry | NISHIJIMA Yoshiko |
| Monsieur André | AOYAMA Akira |
| Monsieur Firmin | SAGAWA Morimasa |
| Ubaldo Piangi | HANBA Shunichiro |
Toho released that KOUZUKI Noboru cancel it for a medical treatment after a operation. Substitution is KOTOBUKI Hizuru.
KAZAHANA Mai, who is a female role top star of Moon Troupe and a wonderful dancer, resigned today. Her next schedule is Anne of "La Cage aux folles" at Theater Hiten in April.
On November number of the public magazine "Kageki", next year's schedule is revealed.
A new theater "New MBS Theater", after current MBS Theater was closed, starts to be built. The theater is located to Osaka Business Park at Chuo-ku, has two floors, and the capacity is 1,100. And it is limited in 5 years. First performance is "Lion King" in April, 1999.
In Nagoya, a new theater "New Nagoya Musical Theater" , after current Nagoya Musical Theater will be closed this December, will be built at Nayabashi, Naka-ku. The theater has three floors and is limited in 5 or 6 years. First performance is "Song & Dance - Bouquet of Musical - ", and "CATS" will be started from July, 1999.
Resigners' parades were performed in the lobby of 1000days theater, who are NATSUHO Akira, SAKURAGI Emi, SHINO Yuka, SEN Hosachi, and MAYA Miki.
It was first resign of a top star at the 1000days theater, but a new idea, which resigners' fan club members and some other fans are aligned in the lobby, went well.
"Musical Ri-Koran starts.
It is revealed KOJOH Mebae, the female role top star, will resign on the last day of the next performance Musical Revue "Bara no Machi no Romance" [A Romance at Town of Roses].
was revealed to Shiki fan club members today. The real one is performed tomorrow for press.
SHIMURA Yukimi, who is an actress of Shiki Theatrical Company, died of a sickness on August 21. She was one of wonderful soprano singers, for example, in Grizabella("Cats"), Light("Dreaming"), Airen("Ri Koran), Mrs. Pot("Beauty and the Beast), and so on. It is very regretted that we can't hear her song.
The female-role top star of Flower Troupe, "SEN Hosachi " will resign on next performance "SPEAKEASY" "SNIPER" simultaneously with MAYA Miki. The press conference will be done tomorrow, August 5.
Tonight's play is 1422-nd performance. It was very enthusiastic.
KAGA Takeshi said in a curtain call that "Les Miserables" would be performed 4 months from next May.
On May 30, 1000 days Theater will open, of which first performance is Moon Troupe's "West Side Story".
The female-role top star of Moon Troupe, "KAZAHANA Mai " will resign on next Feburuary.
It will be opening of Shiki's new theater "Spring".
It is one of division of Hankyu Railways Co., Ltd. so far, I think it will be a subsidiary company of Hankyu.
Almost of casts are singers, UTSUNOMIYA Takashi (TMN), YAMAMOTO Koji, HAMAGUCHI Tsukasa (The KIX S), WATANABE TADASHI, etc. Schedule is Sep.24 - Oct.4 at Akasaka BLITZ, Nov.20 - Dec.6 at Tokyo Art Theater. (5/13)
A top star "ASAJI Saki" of Star Troupe will resign on the last day of the next performance at 1000days Theater.
The fifth troupe of Takarazuka Revue Company, Cosmos Troupe, starts the first performance at Takarazuka Grand Theater today.
will be sold on May 5 (April 25 for public fan club) for the schedule from September 1 to December 27.
will be performed from July 1.
Localized "BIG" will be performed at Tokyo International Forum from July 18. Main casts are KARASAWA Toshiaki and SAKAI Noriko.
Cast of "Prince" and "Flier" was scheduled to be decided with audition. These casts are double and one pair was decided to DOI Yuko and KONDO Masaomi. Another pair is decided to IMADU Tomoko/KAZUMI Naoki. (3/6)
is published on the Toho public web page(Japanese).
Opening Seremony was staged by ASARI Keita (Shiki Theatrical Company). Many musical numbers are used in Figure skate. SHIMADA Kaho's "On My Own" was used in the exhivition.
Last day of "Les Miserables" on Emperial Theater is moved from July 31 to July 30.
The top star "MAYA Miki" of Takarazuka Flower Troupe will resign. Last performance is "Speakeay" and "Sniper" and a recital will be performed at Nihon Budokan on July 22 and 23.
is revealed.
Last Event before renewal of the theater was performed by Takarazuka Revue Company.
5th Troupe of Takarazuka Revue Company is decided to
"Sora-Gumi". Kanji character of "Sora" is
.