This short article on the opening of Red River/Citrus Breeze: Sunrise was published in Nikkan Sports on March 16th. The original article can be found here, with some photos. (Archive link here.)
Takarazuka Revue Cosmos Troupe’s new Top Combi performs in home territory debut – original creator also in attendance
Makaze Suzuho and Hoshikaze Madoka, the new Top Combi of the Takarazuka Revue Cosmos Troupe, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, began performing in their home territory debut, The Sky on the Banks of the Red River/Citrus Breeze: Sunrise, on the 16th, in the Takarazuka Grand Theatre in Hyogo.
The play, Red River, is a musical based on the original comic by Shinohara Chie. It is set in the 14th century BC, in the ancient Near East, and tells a story of upheaval in the Hittite empire. Makaze plays Prince Kail, who is third in line for the throne, and Hoshikaze Madoka plays a modern girl, Yuuri, who ends up in a timeslip. Together, they fight to create an ideal country.
The new Top Star, Makaze, stands at 175cm and gave an excellent performance as a dashing prince. Today, at the opening performance, the original creator Shinohara Chie also saw the show. ‘I was wondering how it would turn out to have a living human playing [the ideal man] from a shojo manga, but she was so cool. I was spellbound at once,’ she said, although her beaming smile had already told the whole story.
Regarding Hoshikaze Madoka’s performance as the heroine who takes up a sword in order to fight herself, and in the end resolves to remain in the Hittite empire, Shinohara said ‘she’s rather a boyish character and I was wondering whether a Takarazuka musumeyaku could say the sort of things she does…but she was very cool!’ She gave Hoshikaze full points.
Shinohara’s original comic was serialized starting in 1995, and she has always been a fan of Takarazuka. ‘Around the time I was writing Red River, I would gather (spreading hands like a fan) this many tickets and go see Takarazuka [over and over]’ she said. ‘This is the first time [I’ve been to see Takarazuka] in a while, but I think I’m going to fall for it all over again.’
The revue is a remake of Citrus Breeze, the 1998 revue from Cosmos Troupe’s inaugural performance which has become representative of the troupe. It is the 20th installment of the ‘Romantic Revue Series’ created by Okada Keiji, one of Takarazuka’s master revue directors. For the new Top Combi’s debut he incorporated the themes of ‘birth’ and ‘taking flight’ to create a revue in a noble tradition.