Takarazuka Revue was unlike other popular performance venues in Japan, that typically only allowed men to perform in shows. Ichizo created a theatre company and recruited performers by holding auditions. It was quite competitive and difficult to qualify into the Takarazuka Revue. There are four Troupes within the academy: Flower, Moon, Snow and Star. The level of the student’s skill in acting, singing, and dancing, would decide which Troupe they would be assigned.
The Takarazuka Revue performs traditional Japanese and Broadway style shows. They became well know for the reinvention of productions such as West Side Story, Guys and Dolls and The Sound of Music (Singer, 1996). Since the performers were all-female, the females playing the male role in shows are considered the top stars of the show. Typically, the lead performer playing the male role was idolized by fans for years. The male role was fantasied to be every woman’s dream in the show. This gave the female fans an opportunity to escape the reality of their lives as traditional Japanese housewives (Atherton, 2002.)
The Takarazuka Revue became wildly popular throughout the years. It became infamous to its almost exclusively female audience. Often times, three generations of females in a family would attend shows. This was a way to partake in a subculture of keeping the dream alive for generations to come. The Takarazuka Revue has sustained throughout the years and continues to be an escape from reality for women in Japan.
