Takarazuka Revue

Elder and Sister Powell had invited us to attend this theater event when we first arrived in Japan, and we were excited and intrigued to see how the Japanese would interpret Irving Berlin! The Takarazuka Revue is a theater company where all the performers are women. As I researched online, I was surprised to learn it was founded over a hundred years ago by the president of a railway, Ichizo Kobayashi, who wanted to "boost train ticket sales and draw more business to Takarazuka. Since Western song and dance shows were becoming more popular and Kobayashi considered the Kabuki theater to be old and elitist, he decided that an all-female theater group might be well received by the general public." (What would I do without wikipedia? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takarazuka_Revue)  (Also -- wasn't there a similar interest in the development of the early U.S. national parks by the railroad? To boost train ticket sales?)

The train ride (speaking of it) to the theater was adventure enough. Fortunately, Elder Powell served a mission in Japan as a young man and speaks the language -- and this is their second senior mission here, so they know their way around pretty well. We just followed and tried to do what we were told! We arrived at the theater and waited outside in the rain -- incidentally, remember how in Olympia we always said that people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists? Well, here we feel like both! But everybody carries an umbrella, so we're in good company.

I managed to take one picture inside the theater before learning that, yes, the usher does speak English and was able to communicate to me quite effectively that taking pictures was not allowed! So I'll have to share the rest of the show with you by way of narrative.

"Top Hat" by Irving Berlin, was a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie back in the 1930s, I think, and has been revived as a Broadway show in recent years. I didn't know the story, but there were certainly some recognizable songs that we enjoyed. The performance was all in Japanese with the exception of a few lines of familiar songs. For example: "Heaven, I'm in heaven, And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak. And I seem to find the happiness I seek, When we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek." The italicized words were all in Japanese! Other familiar songs: "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails", "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket", "You're So Easy to Dance With", "Let's Face the Music and Dance". The title or familiar lines would be in English, the rest in Japanese. And to my uneducated ear, it just sounded really funny! But the voices were good and the dancing was spectacular!

It was very interesting (and a little weird) to watch the women playing the men's parts. I of course couldn't understand what they were saying, but watching their posture, the way they walked and sat, gestures and mannerisms, they really acted like men! Strangely fascinating and a little disturbing..... :-)

The best part for me was of course the musical numbers, and the curtain call was the culmination of all of them. At that point, all credibility was tossed aside, and the players came out in even more lavish costumes, performed reprises of the most familiar songs with even more elaborate dance routines. The quality and precision of their dancing was amazing! 

After the final curtain call and applause, the lead actor stepped out and spoke very informally with the audience (as if this wasn't a huge theater!). Afterwards, Elder Powell told me she had thanked everyone for coming, said they just wanted to share happiness and hoped the show had made the audience happy, and she apologized that it was raining!

All in all, it was an evening we won't soon forget! After the show we took the train back to the New Sanno, where we and the Thunells were staying for another night. The Powells and the Slades had early morning commitments, so had to go home late that night. We had breakfast Wednesday morning, then caught our bus back to Yokota, where we were happy to find our car right where we left it (because you never know...). 

I've been self-conscious and a little embarrassed about some of our activities here -- I told Sister Madsen, we've been here less than two weeks and we're acting like tourists, what with the Matsumoto Castle trip, the New Sanno, the theater....  She said you have to take advantage of these opportunities when they come, because pretty quick you'll be so busy!  We have not gotten as involved in the ward as we will shortly, because of spring break here and General Conference right at the time of our arrival. But -- now it's time to go to work like missionaries!