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Takarazuka Revue Celebrates 100 Years
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Japan's famous all-female Takarazuka Revue musical troupe is celebrating 100 years on April 1. The group launched their celebrations with the "TAKARAZUKA Flower Poems 100!!" show on March 21 featuring 100 dancers dressed in pink-rose inspired costumes at the Takarazuka Grand Theater.
The iconic Revue has put on shows based on anime and manga properties with its all-female cast including Legend of Galactic Heroes, Sengoku Basara, Jin, and The Rose of Versailles.
The theater troupe's centennial was technically last year. The group was founded in 1913 in Takarazuka, Hyogo by Hankyu Railways founder Ichizo Kobayashi. Kobayashi wanted to bring more visitors to the hot-spring town with the promise of an all-female singing and dancing group and thus raising his own profits through selling more train tickets. The group would perform its first number, "Donburako" based on the folktale "Momotaro" — and the rest is beautiful, costumed history.
Source: Asahi Shimbun, The Japan Times
