All female Japanese production of Chicago at Lincoln Center

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 7/6/16 at 11:43pm

I was walking around Lincoln Center today and saw posters for upcoming events. As part of the Lincoln Center Festival, they are hosting an all female production of Chicago, in Japanese (with english titles.) Thought this was interesting and thought I'd share. Frankly, I am looking forward to seeing it. I love the show, well the book and score. However, after seeing the Broadway production a few times over the years, I have felt that a majority of the ensemble have been there too long and it shows. So, hopefully, at least for me, this would be a great chance to see a great version of a great musical. 

 

http://www.lincolncenterfestival.org/2016/takarazuka-chicago

[LittleCheno]

Posted: 7/7/16 at 12:13am

Takarazuka Revue shows are definitely an interesting and different experience! I lived in Takarazuka for awhile and was able to get to know many of the students/performers as I taught them English. They are incredibly dedicated and serious performers and are well known around the country. Their training begins as girls and is definitely intense and very regimented from a young age. I was always impressed with the hours that they put in every day (on top of coming for English Lessons). I was able to see a few shows at their theater, one being Phantom of the Opera. And it was pretty darn interesting.

They are quite popular in Japan and have a lot of Super Fans....can't even imagine what a stagedoor would be like with these ladies around!

Would love it if you wrote a review to the show since I won't be able to make it myself!!

Updated On: 7/7/16 at 12:13 AM

[gimlet2]

Posted: 7/7/16 at 8:03am

I was flipping through the 54 Below calendar today and noticed that one of the people playing Velma, Yoka Wao, is also doing a show on Jul 21 with her husband, composer Frank Wildhorn.

https://54below.com/events/takako-wildhorn-frank-wildhorn-friends/

[Susanswerphone]

Posted: 7/8/16 at 6:34pm

Received a mailing about this a few months ago and jumped on a ticket for this production. Very much looking forward to it! Also bought The Merchant of Venice and Golem. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/8/16 at 7:19pm

I don't have LittleCheno's personal experience, but I have read extensively about the troupe while studying sexual constructions in Japanese theater. LittleCheno does not exaggerate: the Takarazuka has a long tradition and significant numbers of devoted fans in Japan.

Unless things have changed since I was in grad school, they don't perform outside Japan all that often. If I lived in NYC, I wouldn't miss this opportunity!

(As for Japanese constructions of gender and, again, unless things have changed, the Takarazuka is not considered a "lesbian" or "transgender" (in our senses of the words) theater troupe in Japan, though of course individual audience responses may vary. It is not uncommon, however, for women who specialize in male roles to have legions of adoring female fans, many of whom profess passionate, romantic love. This is not "queer" from the Japanese perspective, which emphasizes "form": because the women playing men take the male form, it is "natural" that they inspire love and desire in females.

Reverse the genders above and the same concepts apply to all-male kabuki troupes.

(I trust LittleCheno will correct me if things have changed in the last 20 years.))

IF I HAVE MADE TARARAKUZA PERFORMANCES sound dry and academic, it is my understanding from research and the one filmed production I saw that they are anything but. The troupe presents highly skilled, POPULAR productions.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 10:53pm

Takarazuka CHICAGO at LINCOLN CENTER tickets are on TDF.

[phan24]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 11:36pm

Caught tonight's opening night performance and wow, what an experience it was, totally a must-see for the experience.

The show itself is a replica of what's on Broadway (except in Japanese) but it felt so fresh and energetic, the dancing was very much on point and I was surprised the male songs remained in the original key! It was absolutely mind-blogging forgetting every 5 minutes that there are absolutely no men* in the show, you truly forget with their mannerisms, truly something to see.

It all felt very well executed, somehow looked in better shape than the Broadway production aesthetically, which makes sense since it was newly mounted.

All the performers seemed to be giving it their all, although their vocals were good, there was nothing to write home about. Tonight's Roxie also fell during her cartwheel in the last song, so it kind of ended in a weird note.

But if you think that's the end you're in for a big surprise! The Encore was absolutely delightful and was full of songs and performances from different composers all staged, danced, and costumed differently. THIS part felt like a huge Vegas spectacle.

If you're able to get tickets (TDF, TodayTix, etc) you should definitely go for the experience. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 11:38pm

I saw the show tonight via TodayTix. It's a very interesting experience. I liked it a lot, though I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had sat closer. It's such an enormous theatre! 

The performers are all excellent, and in general it's such a unique experience to see this show done by a cast like this. For anyone going, be aware that it is close to 3 hours, due to the "Takarazuka Encore" performance after the show - which was great, and made the experience all the more unique. 

How do the rights work for something like this? I've always been under the impression that you couldn't get the rights to do a NY performance of a show that is already playing in New York. Where was the loophole here? Is it that it's just playing for a week as part of a theatre festival, so it doesn't count as a full production? 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 11:43pm

phan24 said: "The show itself is a replica of what's on Broadway (except in Japanese)"

 

Is it really? The same staging, sets, choreography, orchestrations, and everything as the Broadway production? Wow, I didn't realize that. I saw the current Broadway production about 10 years ago, and don't remember much about it, other than the basic aesthetic for the production. Now I'm even more curious about the process of obtaining the rights for this production. 

 

[phan24]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 11:53pm

JBroadway said: "phan24 said: "The show itself is a replica of what's on Broadway (except in Japanese)"

 

Is it really? The same staging, sets, choreography, orchestrations, and everything as the Broadway production? Wow, I didn't realize that. I saw the current Broadway production about 10 years ago, and don't remember much about it, other than the basic aesthetic for the production. Now I'm even more curious about the process of obtaining the rights for this production. 

 

 

Yupp, just saw it on Broadway a couple of months ago and it's virtually the same show, it was exciting to think that both productions started and were going on at the exact same curtain time.

Barry Weissler, the producer on Broadway, was there tonight and is always very involved in all the Chicago productions so I'm sure there was no performance rights issues with this production, but I have no idea on the specifics.

 

 

 

Updated On: 7/20/16 at 11:53 PM

[mcsquared]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 5:15pm

Anyone know if they are touring anywhere else in the US or if they come to NYC regularly?

[kamicokrolock]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 6:14pm

There are no plans for the show to tour the US, this is just a special engagement for the festival. The Takarazuka Company does the occasional international tour but they have been reluctant to come to the US since their last engagement back in the early 90's. With the rise of the internet and greater accessibility to those of us outside of Japan the company has started focusing on their international audiences. They recently toured Taiwan (twice) and they have updated their website with more information in English and have made it possible to purchase tickets for their shows (in Japan) from outside of Japan via Paypal. in the past you could only buy tickets if you lived/were currently in Japan. 

If this show, which is made up of alumni from the company, is well received I would not be surprised if they decide to bring a troop of current members to NY with a show in the future, but as of right now they do not have any plans to do so. 

Updated On: 7/21/16 at 06:14 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 11:47pm

JBroadway said: "...
How do the rights work for something like this? I've always been under the impression that you couldn't get the rights to do a NY performance of a show that is already playing in New York. Where was the loophole here? Is it that it's just playing for a week as part of a theatre festival, so it doesn't count as a full production? 

 

"

It isn't a law, JB, it's a matter of contract. if the rights holders decide to give the troupe permission to perform CHICAGO (for a fee, no doubt), then CHICAGO can perform. As matter of custom and practicality of course, such permission is rarely granted.

 

[mcsquared]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 6:22pm

So worth going even if you don't understand Japanese?

I've seen it before in English in a few times so don't know if it's more for dance and style when seeing it in different language. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 6:41pm

I mean, there are supertitles in English, so yeah, it doesn't really matter if you don't understand Japanese. I don't, and I'm guessing most of the audiences seeing the show don't either (though there did seem to be a lot of Japanese people there) 

 

 

[VirginiaK]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 8:37pm

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/takarazuka-at-lincoln-center

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 9:27am

My review:

 

Takarazuka Chicago at Lincoln Center Festival: All-Female Kander and Ebb Musical in Japanese

 

Bottom line: Definitely worth seeing, but as much for the half-hour "Encore" show after "Chicago" as for "Chicago" itself.

 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 3:04pm

Saw this last night, and it was definitely worth seeing. Our cast (which changes every performance, with each lead actor only performing 2-3 shows during this run) was great. Tons of amazing voices and performances, and even though I don't speak Japanese and I've never seen Chicago before, I found it to be very enjoyable.

And I agree with that review that was posted a couple comments back, it was worth going for the encore just as much as it was for the Chicago segment of the evening.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 9:26pm

Does anyone know if the performer playing Mary Sunshine is lipsyncing her song?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 11:12pm

It's a boy and he's not. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 11:21pm

I know it's a man, haha. It sure looked like he was lipsyncing from where I was sitting! If not, he has an amazing voice.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 11:58pm

Sorry! No shade! Honestly I was like ..is that a boy? No .. It's an all female cast... Wait.. Hm.. 

I was in like row K? But sounded live to me! I mean guys on Broadway do it, no? 

As far as others have said, it's incredible. So much raw energy. It felt very alive! Everything landed! It was fun to revisit the show being a huge Kander and Ebb fan! 

Can someone explain how Velma's entrance works? Is it a trap door? When I saw the tour in my hometown, which usually gets non-Union tours, she still came from the floor, but it doesn't look height enough to have her coming from the set itself? 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 7/24/16 at 9:41am

I found this entire experience so much fun yesterday.  I was completely mesmerized by the surreal review at the end.  I have never seen anything like it before.  Catch this today if you can.  Here's a snippet:

https://mobile.twitter.com/LincolnCenter/status/756234847706898432/video/1

Chicago is one of my favorite shows and I am so glad I got to see all the gender bending yesterday.  I am still swooning for Saki Asaji who played Billy Flynn at yesterday's matinee.

Saki, top center

Caption

 

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 7/25/16 at 9:32am

I saw this on Friday night and really enjoyed it. It really was thrilling to see an all-female cast performing the show and everyone was great (I thought the ensemble members who played the male dance roles were particularly excellent - when they were onstage, my eye was on them). And the Encore was an extremely fun and unexpected surprise. "Chicago" isn't one of my favorite shows (although this cast made it worth seeing), so I would love to see Takarazuka come back to NYC with other shows in the future!

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/25/16 at 1:01pm

It looks and sounds incredible!