This interview featuring statements from the directors and stars of the 2008 national tour of Rose of Versailles – Giroudelle Side Story/MIROIRS was published in the May 2008 issue of Kageki.
Unlike other cast/director interviews which take the form of roundtable talks, some small theatre shows will instead have the directors and the main stars give separate statements about the show and their roles.
Participants in this feature were: Ueda Shinji (writer/director of Giroudelle Side Story), Nakamura Satoru (director of MIROIRS), Mizu Natsuki, and Shirahane Yuri.
Snow Troupe Performance Interview: Rose of Versailles – Giroudelle Side Story/MIROIRS (National Tour)
Ueda Shinji (Script/Direction, Giroudelle Side Story)
I’m very grateful that the Rose of Versailles shows are loved by so many and are known even now as significant assets to the Takarazuka Revue. However, it has now been over 30 years since the first production, and as one of those still living among the many playwrights from back then who have since passed away, I have begun to think about what I have done until now and what I should be doing… So, when I was given this opportunity of three troupes doing National Tours, that was the start of my thinking that what I wanted to do with ‘Versailles’ this time around was this “three-part side story series”. Also, since I wanted to adapt aspects from the original work that were even more fun, and deeper, and with a totally different point of view, I decided on Giroudelle, Alain, and Bernard as the protagonists.
In order to create this Rose of Versailles Side Story 3-part series, Ikeda Riyoko has written outlines for the stories, moving forward up until the time when Napoleon was becoming emperor. Therefore, the focus is in how those three survivors lived in that turbulent era of French history, and in this show, the Giroudelle Side Story, I’ve written a mature love story of a nobleman and noblewoman who secretly harbour their love for each other. I think Mizu is perfect for this new concept of Giroudelle, who is completely different from those up until now. As Ikeda wrote the role of Sofia with Shirahane as inspiration, I hope Shirahane can produce that image.
None of the songs, choreography, or sets from prior ‘Versailles’ productions will be used1, and this Rose of Versailles Side Story will be created entirely by us staff and cast members living now. I want to make this show completely different from before, and a ‘Versailles’ that could only happen in a national tour, so, everyone, please come and watch.
Nakamura Satoru (Creation/Direction, MIROIRS)
“Miroirs” means “mirrors” in French. The theme of this show is the strange atmosphere of mirrors, and how they make you feel as if there’s a completely opposite world on the other side of them. Although it has been performed in Takarazuka and Tokyo, for the national tour, I want to keep the image of that, but make yet another MIROIRS. The cast is drastically reduced, but I’m hoping that due to that, the whole show can seem even tighter.
The stage sets will also be somewhat different from those used in the grand theatre. For example, I want to use LED light decorations on everything in the show this time. I think the concept of the prologue, where the lit-up decorations are visible through the silk curtains, will also change, so I’m excited for it.
“Medusa’s Mirror” is a scene with a story to it. Medusa accidentally changes even the girl he has fallen in love with to stone, and then in despair he looks in the mirror and turns into stone himself… When I was thinking about a scene that would be perfect for Mizu, I thought of this story based on Greek mythology, and immediately thought I just had to have Mizu do it. In the Grand Theatre, Medusa entered from the orchestra pit, so I hope you’ll look forward to seeing where he appears from this time.
In the finale rockette, I am having Shirahane perform as Rockette S. I think it would be nice to increase the scenes where Mizu and Shirahane are dancing together, and the intensity of their dancing. I’d like to strengthen the feeling that the two of them are really leading the show. I think that being beautiful, fun, entertaining, and moving, is the motto of Takarazuka, so that is my aim for the new MIROIRS in this national tour.
Mizu Natsuki (Giroudelle)
Rose of Versailles is a work that has been so beloved down through the years, and despite the passage of time it doesn’t grow old at all. Each new production in Takarazuka continues to be so moving, and I think it is because the background of all the characters is written with thorough grounding in historical fact. In this show, Giroudelle, I hope you all will come to see how he really lived… his secret thoughts, and his real self. Although he is a fictional character, I want to bring him to life as someone from that world. With the new elements being written for this Side Story, the world of Rose of Versailles is expanding; I’m personally very excited, and I hope you the audiences will enjoy it as well.
Giroudelle and Sofia both share their pride as members of the nobility as the foundation of their characters, and it is because of that that they cannot convey their feelings to each other directly. I hope their love will show clearly and with deep longing. The new theme song, ‘Shape of Love’, has a wonderful melody, and I think everyone in the audience will be able to remember it right away. I want to really get the ball rolling, so that everyone in the audience feels “I have to see all 3 shows in the Side Story Series”. The world of The Rose of Versailles feels like a tangible thing. Working under Director Ueda makes me feel like I still have a lot more to learn, so I hope to continue making new discoveries about myself.
I hope that MIROIRS, which features the cast going into the audience, will be a very fun show with great synergy between the stage and the audience. It has a splendid prologue, a mature feeling middle ensemble number, and comical scenes as well. It’s a very Takarazuka-esque revue show. Everyone in the cast is onstage for “Mirror of Aqua”, so I think that scene especially will convey a feeling of unity. Now that the show has been reborn, I want to make sure it’s even more powered up. In this national tour, we’re going north all the way to Hokkaido and south as far as Nagasaki. I hope you will all come to enjoy Takarazuka through this play and revue.
Shirahane Yuri (Sofia)
When I first heard I would be performing in this Rose of Versailles Side Story, I was really surprised, but at the same time very excited. Sofia is Fersen’s younger sister, and feels deeply towards Giroudelle. The two of them never actually meet in the original source material, but what Ikeda Riyoko and Director Ueda wrote for this makes me so happy… I hope you all will look forward to seeing Takarazuka’s masterpiece, The Rose of Versailles, from a new angle. When I first read the script, my impression of Sofia is that she was a very strong person. Even though she had such strong feelings for Giroudelle, she couldn’t state them openly… Perhaps because she knew about Giroudelles feelings for Oscar, or because of her awareness of her station as a Swedish noble. I hope that I can convey Sofia’s unwavering feelings for Giroudelle as she struggles with her rationalism and her internal discord.
MIROIRS is a show that I personally love. While it has the one theme, ‘mirrors’, it’s full of such variety…I hope you all can enjoy that aspect of the show. Something new this time is that I was selected as Rockette S… (laughs). Since I’ll be doing a line dance, I hope you will all watch that too. During national tours, we are very close to the audience, so I’m really looking forward to all of your reactions…
I’m also looking forward to trying all the delicious regional foods, and going to famous locations. The play and revue show are both splendid Takarazuka-esque productions, so I hoping that people who haven’t seen Takarazuka before, or men, or all kinds of people, will come to watch. All of Snow Troupe is going to be giving it their all in hopes that this tour can be the reason for someone going to a show at the Takarazuka Grand Theatre for the first time.
1 – While there are songs that were used in both the Side Stories and main franchise Rose of Versailles productions, these travelled from the Side Stories to the main franchise, and not the other way around. (However, note that he doesn’t exclude scripts from re-use; many previous script excerpts were used in the Side Stories.)