This will explain the strange photo of me.

I saw Takarazuka theater today. 

Takarazuka is an all female acting group in Japan that has a huge fan following. It is most famous for the women who excel at playing male roles. 

The performance I saw was their  version of Phantom of the Opera. It was modeled after the book and included none of the Rogers and Hamerstien music. 

This was an original show in every sense of the word. It featured an original Japanese score and script. The music was one part broadway, one part Vegas, and a pinch or Opera thrown in. The costumes were flamboyant and beautiful. 

The entire performance was about three hours long with a thirty minute intermission in between. There was a cast of 70 people at least. Everyone had their part to play. The woman who played the Phantom had such an amazing voice and presence. Everyone in the performance had the triple threat down. They could all act, sing, and dance extremely well. 

While the talent was abundant, the scenery alone would have been worth the admissions price. Never have I seen such a technical stage. There were moving parts everywhere. Trap doors, hanging candles, hidden stairwells, and moving platforms all working together with the dancers, actors, and musicians. 

If I could sum up the acting style of this type of theater in three words they would be dramatic, disciplined, and cheesy( in the best way of course). 

The show did not end with Phantom; instead it continued with a line of chorus girls laden with feathers and sequins. They made a line along center stage and started kicking their legs like the Rockets at Radio City Music Hall. Las Vegas would be jealous. 

 Just when I thought the show had finally come to a close, the cast all came group by group to take a bow.

Feathers, lots and lots of feathers. Sequins, lots and lots of sequins. Yes, a disco ball as well. 

This aspect of Japanese culture was so fun to investigate and experience. I was intrigued by the original ideas and the dedication that the woman in this production demonstrated. 

After the show, their was a photo booth. The ladies dressed me up in the outfit of one of Takarazuka's most beloved characters. Oscar, a courageous gentleman and a solder. It was quite an ordeal and everyone including myself was giggling all the way through it. 

The costume was really heavy and being in front of the camera was nerve kicking but I would do it again in a heart beat.