(no subject)

The Hankyu-Toho Group describing Takarazuka:

Founded in 1914 by Mr. Kobayashi, Takarazuka (it means "treasure mound") is an extremely popular type of Japanese theatre comprised of all-female performers who play both the male and female roles in musicals and revues. Mr. Kobayashi wanted to create actresses "more suave, more affectionate, more courageous, more charming, more handsome, and more fascinating than a real man." The result is a cultural fixture equivalent in popularity to the American soap opera. The Takarazuka Revue is perhaps Japan’s premier musical theatre company, drawing an annual attendance of 2.5 million people. It’s challenging three-year training program (The Takarazuka Music School) is a hybrid of the Julliard and a military academy. Roughly 400 15 to 18-year-old students endure grueling course loads in ballet, modern dance, choral singing, traditional Japanese music, and the art of the tea ceremony.