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Moyoco Anno's Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen Manga Inspires Broadway Musical

Manga author Moyoco Anno's official Twitter account announced on Tuesday that her manga Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen (Bikachō Shinshi Kaikoroku) is inspiring an American Broadway musical adaptation. Tony Award-winning stage director and choreographer Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Curtains, Frozen) is directing and choreographing the musical, which is also planned for a "worldwide release." Devin Keudell of Bespoke Theatricals is credited as general manager. Izumi Takeuchi is credited as producer.

To celebrate the musical's announcement, Anno's official YouTube channel is streaming the anime short that Studio Khara (headed by Moyoco Anno's husband Hideaki Anno) released in 2015 as part of the Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition's (Japan Animator Expo) project.

Cork publishes the manga in English, and it describes the manga:

Beginning of the 20th century. Colette works in a brothel and entertains clients with "perverted" desires. She is leading a life without prospects. Her only happiness consists of the secret meetings with gigolo Leon, whom she feels helplessly attracted to. Even though he is visiting other women... "Perverts are people who have explored and put a shape to their desires. Just like a blind man using both hands to carefully trace the contours of a vase of flowers..." Who are these perverts Moyoco Anno brings to life in Paris, the city of flowers? This is the first new series by Moyoco Anno in eight years! After "Sakuran" and "Buffalo 5 Girls" comes another story about the strong lives of prostitutes.

Anno launched the manga in the magazine in 2013 in Shodensha's Feel Young magazine, and ended in March 2018. Shodensha released two volumes for the manga. Crunchyroll has also released the first 16 chapters of the series in English. The Japanese government's Ministry of Cultural Affairs honored the manga in the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival Awards this year.

Viz Media published Anno's Flowers and Bees manga in North America, Del Rey published her Sugar Sugar Rune manga, and Vertical published her Sakuran manga. Anno also designed characters for her husband Hideaki Anno's Cutie Honey live-action film adaptation, which Bandai Entertainment released on DVD.

Sources: Moyoco Anno's Twitter account, Comic Natalie