Fairy Interview is a monthly feature of web women’s magazine With Takarazuka. This interview with Jun Hana, written by Natori Chisato, was posted with the January 2018 issue. (Archive link here.)
Fairy Interview: Jun Hana
The historical musical Path of Light: Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre, which filled the Takarazuka Grand Theatre with emotion through its beautiful songs, and SUPER VOYAGER!, a revue celebrating the debut of a new Snow Troupe, will play in the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre from January 2 to February 11. In this show, the debut of Snow Troupe’s Top Combi of Nozomi Fuuto and Maaya Kiho, Jun Hana, who says with a smile ‘I want to become a musumeyaku who can give people happy feelings,’ takes on the challenge of her first junior heroine role!
Musumeyaku hope of the 102nd class – stands out with her first shinjin kouen heroine
The highly emotional production for the debut of the new Snow Troupe, Path of Light: Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre and SUPER VOYAGER! opened in the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre on January 2 as its first production of the new year. The junior performance of Path of Light: Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre takes place on the 25th, and as in the Takarazuka Grand Theatre junior performance, 102nd class musumeyaku Jun Hana will play the heroine Marie-Anne. The 102nd class entered the Takarazuka Music School in 2014, the year the Takarazuka Revue celebrated its centennial. In the Nippon Seinenkan/Theatre Drama City production CAPTAIN NEMO: Captain Nemo and the Island of Mysteries, which ran in August and September of 2017, she gave a refreshing performance in her first full-show role of Rani, an exiled Indian queen.
‘The day they announced who had the junior heroine role, I received a flood of encouragement from my classmates in the other troupes. Since I received my first heroine role in such an important show, the debut performance of Snow Troupe’s new Top Combi Nozomi Fuuto-san and Maaya Kiho-san, I had a lot of concerns regarding how I ought to treat such an important role, but that changed my feelings right away and I became determined to satisfy the responsibility which had been bestowed on me.’
Jun is from Asahikawa City in Hokkaido. When in the second grade of elementary school, she began taking classical ballet lessons and appearing in dance competitions. At one competition she saw a modern ballet performance, and it had a big impact on her, making her think ‘I want to try other types of dance besides classical ballet’. Her first encounter with Takarazuka was when she had her mother take her to the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre. ‘We saw Flower Troupe’s Ocean’s 11. I was so moved and it made me so happy that I begged my mother to let me see Takarazuka again, so we went to see Star Troupe’s Romeo et Juliette.’
After that, she took the Takarazuka Music School entrance exam and passed in good standing. Her debut took place in spring of 2016, during the Star Troupe performance Fledermaus/THE ENTERTAINER!! ‘The junior lead of Path of Light: Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre, Aya Ouka-san, was a Star Troupe member at the time I debuted, and I remember thinking she seemed like a very warm-hearted person. I’m very happy to perform in a junior performance with her now that she has been transferred to Snow Troupe. I also received assistance from the Top Musumeyaku, Maaya Kiho-san, ever since I debuted.’
Jun Hana’s character in the junior performance, Marie-Anne, is a victim of the revolution whose relatives lost their lives in the Reign of Terror. She tries to kill Robespierre, who is said to be the revolution personified, but ends up falling in love with Robespierre, who until then had only been the target of her hatred. Marie-Anne is deeply involved in the story, so if her change of heart is not portrayed believably, it would be easy to lose the sympathy of the audience. Top Musumeyaku Maaya Kiho, who plays Marie-Anne in the main cast, performed the many wonderful songs written by Frank Wildhorn beautifully with her abundant vocal talent. How does Jun Hana play such a difficult role in only the second year since entering the company? ‘Since I only started to learn singing after entering TMS there certainly are a lot of challenges in this for me. Right now I’m trying not to overthink things and just rehearsing as much as possible in the time I have. However, I love being on stage, and most of all I love acting, and it’s such fun to put together a character. Isn’t the answer to it all enjoying acting? The image I have [for my character] gets more filled out every day.’
Regarding her goals as a musumeyaku, she says, ‘I want to be a musumeyaku who can make the otokoyaku I am close with look even more wonderful. Also, I am working hard to become a musumeyaku who can give happy feelings to the people in the audience.’
Jun Hana’s smile seems to bring a spring breeze. Her calm attitude conveys the atmosphere of a musumeyaku.