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New Utena Stage Musical Covers Black Rose Arc
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
The official website for the stage musical adaptations of the Revolutionary Girl Utena (Shōjo Kakumei Utena) anime announced the new Shōjo Kakumei Utena ~Fukaku Hokorobu Kuro Bara no~ musical on Wednesday. The musical will run at Theatre G-Rosso in Tokyo from June 29 to July 7.
The musical will center on the Black Rose arc from the anime. In the story, Utena's friends and acquaintances release the darkness in their hearts and duel against her.
The cast members for Utena, Anthy, Juri, Nanami, and Wakaba are returning from last year's musical. The new musical's main cast includes: (clockwise from upper left in image above)
- Nogizaka46's Ami Nōjō as Utena Tenjō
- Yuka Yamauchi as Anthy Himemiya
- Tsubasa Yoshizawa as Kyōichi Saionji
- Riona Tatemichi as Juri Arisugawa
- Yume Takeuchi as Wakaba Shinohara
- Arisa Suzuki as Nanami Kiryū
- Yūta Higuchi as Miki Kaoru
The anime's director Kunihiko Ikuhara is returning from the previous musical to supervise the production. Kōtarō Yoshitani (Dansui!, Hetalia ~in the new world~ musical) is again writing and directing.
Last year's La fillette révolutionaire Utena ~Shiroki Bara no Tsubomi~ (A White Rosebud) musical marked the 20th anniversary of the anime. The musical ran in March 2018 in Tokyo at the CBGK Shibugeki theater.
Be-PaPas — a group of industry professionals including Chiho Saitō, Yoji Enokido (Bungo Stray Dogs, Star Driver), Shinya Hasegawa (Golden Time, Taboo Tattoo), Ikuhara (Sailor Moon, Yuri Kuma Arashi), and Yūichirō Oguro (Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie) — developed the Revolutionary Girl Utena manga and anime at the same time. Saito's manga debuted in Shogakukan's Ciao magazine beginning in 1996, and Shogakukan published the series in five compiled volumes. Viz Media licensed and sold the manga in North America, and also released a collector's edition.
The 39-episode television anime adaptation from director Ikuhara originally aired in 1997. Central Park Media and later Nozomi Entertainment released the television series on DVD in North America, and Nozomi Entertainment is releasing the series on Blu-ray Disc. Nozomi Entertainment's YouTube channel is streaming the series. Central Park Media also once released the 1999 film retelling.
Sources: Revolutionary Girl Utena stage musicals' website, Comic Natalie
