Japanese Musicals

[nightmare]

40 pass test to enter Takarazuka


KOBE (Kyodo) The Takarazuka Music School announced Monday that 40 girls passed its highly competitive entrance exam to receive training to become a member of the famous all-female acting troupe.

Japanese idol: Successful candidates of the prestigious Takarazuka Music School celebrate Monday in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture. KYODO PHOTO

"I'll do my best to become a star," said Fumiko Marubashi, 18, a Saitama resident who passed the exam, which she had taken for the fourth time.

"I couldn't believe my eyes because I didn't expect to pass. I want to be an actress who can give joy to the audience," said Aya Takakura, 15, from Fukuoka Prefecture, the oldest daughter of Aya Tsukushino, a Takarazuka Revue actress playing female roles.

The school in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, did not conduct dancing and singing tests in the first screening this year as it tried to look for "a diamond in the rough." Due to the change, 1,600 girls took the exam, up 252 from last year. The competition was 28 to 1 this year to enter the school.

The successful candidates will be trained in singing and ballet for two years.

Takarazuka History
The Takarazuka is the first troupe to introduce the revue to Japan. "Mon Paris", staged in 1927, heralded the arrival of the revue era. All performers are women - a unique feature, considering the composition of other revue companies around the world. The first performance of the Takarazuka was in 1914. The troupe changed its name to The Takarazuka Revue Company in 1940, and divided into separate groups called "Flower", "Moon", "Snow", "Star", and "Special Course" which have performed predominantly at the home stage in Osaka, the Takarazuka Grand Theater.

In 1938, the Takarazuka held its first overseas performance in Europe, then continued to win the admiration of audiences in United States, Canada, China, and the other countries. Moreover, the troupe introduced such Broadway musicals as "West Side Story", brought to the stage masterpieces like "Gone with the Wind", and in 1974 made a great hit of "The Rose of Versailles".
The women who provide this wonderful entertainment learn the necessary acting skills and etiquette fitting of their high-profile place in society at the Takarazuka Music School which was founded in 1913.

For the first time in 65 years, the fifth revue troupe "Cosmos" was born in 1998. The new Takarazuka Revue's performance will continue to be concentrated at the Grand Theater while recitals for top stars and performances training for younger company performers will be held at Bow Hall, Tokyo Takarazuka Theater and at other venues abroad. The Takarazuka Revue Company continues to provide dreams and inspiration.

[Mizuki]

I knew Takarazuka Music School reading a book by K. Ichiguchi. It's a very hard school! But for girls be allowed is a great honor!