Suzuho Makaze stars in “Casino Royale – My Name’s Bond –”, presented by the Cosmos Troupe of Takarazuka Revue Company.
1:00 JST, June 9, 2023
A performance by the famed all-female Takarazuka Revue Company will be streamed live to overseas viewers for the first time on Sunday.
A performance by the company’s Cosmos Troupe on Sunday will be streamed live in more than 200 countries and regions with subtitles in 10 languages. The project aims to showcase the unique Japanese revue culture around the world.
In addition to regular performances at the Takarazuka Grand Theater and the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, the company has toured abroad 27 times since 1938, visiting 18 countries and regions in the West, Asia and elsewhere. Based in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, it will celebrate its 110th anniversary next year and has decided to stream shows abroad to expand its international popularity.
Live domestic streaming of Takarazuka performances began in movie theaters around 2007. Since FY2020, fans in Japan have been able to watch select productions live on TVs, PCs and other gadgets.
Partly as a result of the pandemic, 610,000 people used the service in fiscal year 2021, representing 22% of all those who watched performances, online or live on stage. This provided additional encouragement for the global streaming project.
Sunday’s show can be viewed on Beyond LIVE, a streaming website with many performances, including concerts by K-pop groups. The dialogue and lyrics in Japanese are subtitled in English, Korean, Vietnamese and other languages.
The company will examine usage data for the first streaming show and consider further international streaming.
“For us this is a first attempt. We will research the international market and then plan the next step,” said an official from the Takarazuka Revue.
