flourish was a GRAPH feature where Musumeyaku talked about things like their favorite scenes and costumes, and showed off handmade stage accessories. Maaya’s was published in October of 2017.
flourish – Maaya Kiho (Snow Troupe)
Stage makeup that had to be Just Right
Guys and Dolls (junior performance) – Adelaide (main cast: Rei Makoto)
I was very conscious of my character being a ‘showgirl’, so I was determined to make it very showy. I used lots of colors together, like pink, purple, and light blue, when doing my eyeshadow. One of the senior actresses taught me that large grain glitter would show up better on stage, so I used the glitter from MAKE UP FOR EVER to make the area around my eyes really sparkly1. In order to make the look just a little messy, like Adelaide, I made the space between my eyebrows wider than I normally would.
Roles that had a big impact on you
A Song of Love and Revolution – Andre Chenier (junior performance) – Judith (main cast: Asazuki Kiwa)
This was the first role I received in a junior performance, so I have a lot of memories from it. How would she have lived, in her painful situation as a young girl who was caught in the revolution and lost her parents… I really struggled with it, but even though I was so desperate every day as the most junior member of the cast, that ended up overlapping with my role and helping me build up Judith as a character. Since I had to start singing at a really quiet moment, when it came time for the real thing my mind was totally blank from a mixture of nerves and excitement, but I still was totally focused. When I exited into the wings, it was like all the nervousness was released all of a sudden and I collapsed… Therefore, even though I have a lot of strong memories of it, I don’t remember at all how I was actually performing (laughs).
Fledermaus (junior performance) – Adele (main cast: Hinami Fuu)
It was the heroine role in the junior performance, and on top of that, an operetta, so it was quite the challenge to say the least. I was doing a lot by trial and error, so the vocal coach, Minakaze Mai2, advised me “If you open your eyes wide and always use a happy voice, you will end up with a proper musumeyaku singing voice”, and really encouraged me in my singing practice. Although I’m actually the type to get really nervous, I was able to really go for it in the acting since I thought ‘It will really be a waste if I don’t enjoy this one-time-only performance!’ and it was a lot of fun.
A revue scene that had a big impact on you
Dramatic “S”! – Sapeurs3 (Paris)
I was able to perform together with Nozomi-san in a scene that had a bit of a story to it. Ever since I was a fan I had loved watching scenes that stir up the imagination like that, so I was so happy. The expression in Nozomi-san’s voice was different every day, and she would give me a clear lead, so I enjoyed expressing myself as well. I want to do my best for the national tour as well.
A hairstyle that you have strong memories of
Elisabeth – Rondo of Love and Death (junior performance) – Madame Wolfe (main cast: Taiga Rin)
Basically, I wanted to make it really gaudy, so that I would look like a prostitute. One thing I was really particular about was having red highlights in my hair to match the fur on the costume. It’s mixed in with brown and black. I wanted it to look really over the top, so I was putting a lot of care in to see how high I could get the back section and how much of a sweep I could get into my bangs.
Hand-made item presentation
This is an accessory I made for my junior role of Edna Smith (main cast: Senna Ayase) in Last Tycoon – The Hollywood Emperor’s Eternal Love. The necklace was to be worn with a short hairstyle, so there are stones dangling down the back as well. I thought making it in a V shape to match the V-neck of the costume would be too on-point in terms of style, so to suit the character I made it in a U shape. I made this barrette in my favorite butterfly motif, and I used green stones to match the color scene of the costume. It was my first time making accessories with a character in mind, so I consulted a lot with Senna-san, in the main cast, and I kept thinking ‘Being a musumeyaku is so nice~’ as I was making it, so it really brings back memories for me!
Technical pointers
First, make sure all your tools, like your pliers and your glue gun, are properly arranged on your work space. If you do that, you’ll be surprised at how you’re able to make anything. After that, it’s good to get inspiration from magazines, and consult with staff people in the craft shops, and I think making something you like exactly how you like it is the most fun!
1 – I think she means this line of products: https://www.makeupforever.com/us/en-us/make-up/artistic/glitter-strass
2 – Former Top Musumeyaku of Star Troupe (1985-1988)
3 – Sapeurs are a Congolese-originating dandy subculture that inspired the fashion of this scene.