Beth Winter

I saw this show one and a half times (the half being the revue, before fleeing Bow-Hall-wards), both times from toujitsuken seats - the very back of the balcony. I remain in love with those seats: they're perfect, you can see everything and opera-glass everyone you choose, and they cost so little compared to the rest. Plus getting in early enough to queue up for same-day toujitsuken means you can watch the actresses arrive as well. (Incidentally, I am in love with Suzumi Shio's dress sense.)

( Revue )

( Officer and a Gentleman )

Tom. Tom. Evil, evil woman.

At least I wasn't the only person sobbing in the intermission of Onegin. Tom and Hiromi just about did me in.

There is a full review upcoming (with an extra-special section for Ayanagi Shou, because yes, I have a new favourite), but this show is one of those that mean I love this revue, this wonderful theatre that goes straight for your heart without bothering with mundane things like words you can understand. I was sitting in Bow Hall with my face in pain from grinning and tears in my eyes.

(And Pushkin! They put Pushkin in it! In bed with Onegin! And Tatiana was perfect, so strong, and Maihane Mimi is my choice for Yuki Top, hands down, and I saw Miho Keiko live, and did I mention HIROMI yet?)

Snow Troupe. Yukigumi. ♥

We got toujitsuken (same-day tickets) to see this show, and I was surprised to find them still available when we arrived at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater at 10 AM, since it was only a few days before the end of the run and the joint graduation/retirement of both Top Stars and eight other performers. The same-day tickets are the very back row of the balcony, and I can confirm that even from there, the view is stellar - binoculars helped, of course.

( And here I thought it wasn't possible for me to be impressed by a Cosmos show )

Out of all we saw during our stay in Japan, this was the show for which I had the least expectations. I'm happy to report I was very pleasantly surprised.

The actual show report will take a few days, or until I get back home (because it only gets better from here), but we did end up staying for our first demachi.

(For the non-Takarazuka: demachi is official stagedooring. When the stars come out, they take letters from their fanclub members, but they generally don't talk to other people, and you're not allowed to bother them. Not so much with the Kevin Tarte style of "who wants to glomp Krolock? :D)

( Demachi report )

( And this would be what never happens at demachi )