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Galaxy Express 999 Stage Play's Visual, Matsumoto Illustration Unveiled
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website for Ginga Tetsudo 999 Galaxy Opera, the new stage play adaptation of Leiji Matsumoto's Galaxy Express 999 manga and anime franchise, revealed the visual for the play and a new illustration on Thursday. The visual (seen below) features Akinori Nakagawa (left) and Haruka (right) in costume as their respective characters, Tetsurō Hoshino and Maetel.
Matsumoto drew the below illustration for the stage play. Thursday is Matsumoto's 80th birthday.
In addition, the site revealed that the stage play will get a new theme song. Nakagawa will compose the song, and is also writing the lyrics alongside scriptwriter Fumi Tsubota.
The play will run at Tokyo's Meijiza theater from June 23-30, at Kitakyushu's Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center on July 21-22, and at Osaka's Umeda Arts Theater Drama City from July 25-29.
The play stars:
- Akinori Nakagawa as Tetsurō Hoshino
- Haruka as Maetel
- Toshiyuki Someya as Count Mecha
- Yōko Yazawa as Ryuzu
- Kei Miyahara as Shadow
- Miyu Irino as Tochiro Oyama
- Omiya no Matsu as Conductor
- Hikari Ono as Tochiro's Mother, Tetsurō's Mother, Queen Prometheum (voice only)
- Daisuke Tsukahara as Antares
- Kaname Ouki as Queen Emeraldas (special performance)
- Genki Hirakata as Captain Harlock
Matsumoto is credited with the original work, and he is serving as the chief supervisor for the play. Fumi Tsubota is writing the script, Akiko Kodama is the director, and Mucho Muramatsu is credited with video production. Age Global Networks is producing the play.
The story of the anime and manga follows a young orphan named Tetsuro as he travels with a mysterious woman named Maetel through the galaxy on a space train, in the hopes of obtaining a cybernetic body. The train stops at many planets along the way, often leading to adventures for the two.
The 113-episode television anime series aired from 1978-1981. An anime film alternate retelling premiered in 1979. The franchise then spawned multiple other movies, specials, and OVAs. The original 18-volume manga ran from 1977-1981. The upcoming Matsumoto Leiji - Mugen Sōzō Kidō book will include a new chapter for the manga on February 28.
Source: Comic Natalie
