This brief interview with Snow Troupe otokoyaku Kiraha Reo was published in the May 2017 issue of GRAPH.

Pick Up Interview – Kiraha Reo

Kiraha has attracted notice ever since she was a junior actress due to her unique aura, sharp dancing abilities, and her sexy onstage appearance. In recent years, she has had wider opportunities for singing and acting, and has grown into an individual that Snow Troupe can’t do without. In this turning-point year for Snow Troupe, she hopes to soar even further.

Your thoughts after the end of the Chunichi performance of One Night of Stargazing/Greatest HITS!…

My role changed from the original production, and I played Hosokawa Yoshikatsu, Amano Haruoki’s (Sagiri’s) rival. It was my first time having a face-to-face acting scene with Sagiri in a while, and also it was after she had announced her upcoming retirement, so I felt really thankful that in this limited time left I was able to perform with her in this. I felt like every day there was give-and-take with her in the acting scenes, and as we talked over all of the important points while putting those scenes together I really learned a lot. And in the revue I was given a solo in one scene… Although recently I’ve had more opportunities to sing, such as in Bow Singing Workshop – Snow and such, I was really nervous about singing all by myself every day for a month, so I felt internally that this was my time to challenge myself. Also, if I messed up, it would ruin the energy for the rockette that followed me, and I never imagined that the feeling of ‘I can’t get this wrong!’ and being pursued by all that pressure and responsibility would be so hard… In the next show, Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate, the play begins with my character Shiji Monta’s lines so I feel a huge responsibility there as well, but I want to believe in my previous experience and perform properly.

Are there shows or scenes that have left strong memories with you?

One thing that I’ve been thinking I’d like to take on again properly is the role I played in the junior performance of Romeo et Juliette, ‘Death’ (main cast: Ayakaze Sakina). Although at the time I really enjoyed expressing everything through dance, I feel ‘How it would be if I tried it again now that I’ve had so many more years of learning?’ Recently I’ve felt really strongly that I’d like to try some extremely challenging choreography again, something that makes me think ‘This is too much! I can’t dance this!’ Also, the main cast actress in my very first junior performance after joining Snow Troupe, Gaori-san (Karyou Shizuru), showed me anything and everything including how to use my voice, so I’ll never forget my gratitude from that time. And even after that she always saves me with her solid advice… While she is retiring with this next performance, in her last revue there is a scene where we dance together in symmetry, so I’m very happy about that. Gaori-san is really such a valuable person to Snow Troupe. Although I’m still a long way from achieving that level of strength, I feel like it would be wonderful if I could become that kind of person in the future, so I want to learn from her until the end.

What are your dreams and goals for the future?

I want to be someone people feel is indispensable as a Snow Troupe otokoyaku, and a senior actress who the junior actresses will follow, so from now on I’m also going to do my best while holding that responsibility. After everyone retires with this performance, I will be the 8th most senior otokoyaku in the troupe. This coincidentally is happening at the same time as I achieve my 10th year as an otokoyaku, so I feel like this may be a turning point for me. Also, I hope to take the otokoyaku model I have created up until now and with new feelings establish the appeal that only ‘Kiraha Reo’ can have.