Top Hat (2015.3.26/27)

[glitra]

Hello lovelies~! It's been a long time I've posted a proper review, because I'm a lazy turd in my off time. But I am buckling down tonight and going to finish this *ganbaru pose*

Per usual, I'm going to start this review with my standard line. I am not a casual fan. I am not a rainbow and sunshine only girl. I have opinions, so just keep that in mind before you delve into my reviews expecting rainbows. That being said, this review is going to be largely rainbows... because oh shit son, this is a fab show.

The story follows Jerry Travers (Asaka Manato), an American tap dancer performer as he is brought to the UK in secret by producer Horus Hardwick (Nanami Hiroki). Once hidden away in Horus's hotel suite in London, He meets and attempts to impress beautiful model, Dale Tremont (Misaki Rion), who is parading around London dressed exclusively in Alberto Beddini (Aizuki Hikaru)'s design. Beddini is a fashion designer in love with Dale himself. What happens could only be found in a depression era RKO Radio screwball musical. For anyone who is interested, the original play is up on dailymotion, which I am linking to guilt free... because 1935. Click here to view the fabulous musical. They didn't official adapt the film, they adapted the West End production, which was based off the 1935 movie. This was directed by Saitou Yoshimasa, which as anyone who talks to me regulary, knows is one of my favorite directors. Saitou-sensei hasn't really don't anything I haven't loved. His projects include, Jirokichi, Jin, Takarazuka Mugen, Trafalger and El Halcon. That's right, there's a lot of my favorites in that list. Man does fantastic work, and this was no exception.

Overall, this was a really polished show. From the underclassmen hanging out in the background ordering drinks, to Maa-kun and Mirion eating up the stage with their fantastic chemistry in the dance numbers. It was well paced, well-acted, and surprisingly well tapped. I have no major complains, in fact, they really brought the A game and shored up some weaknesses in the actresses that were cast in this show. I'm all for this, please continue with this trend hankyu. The show itself opened with old-school video credits. Saitou sensei is a big fan of this. He really enjoys using video whenever possible, and I like it. He went from super questionable El Halcon, to Jirokichi and this show. 10/10 Saitou-sensei. When the curtain goes up, it goes up on Jerry Travers performing on Broadway in one of his shows. I love that they did this, because it's a trend that they use throughout the show. They open with a performance, they end act 1 with a performance and the entire show itself ends with the Takarazuka-style mini-revue. I enjoyed it. The set design was perfect. It was thoughtful, well done and perfectly suited to the time period. The casting was spot on. I don't know what to keep saying other than it was stunningly thought out and executed. Please buy the DVD.

Now, by actress:

Asaka Manato: Maa-kun was beautiful as Jerry. She obviously spent a lot of time really thinking about the character and getting down the nuances, her protrayal was witty, playful and honestly, just so much fun. She clearly enjoyed every single moment of this production, and I mean, every single moment. She had the perfect little smirk as she snapped the newspaper in Thresher, the famous silent club in London. This was the opening scene following the New York dance performance, and it set the tone. She sits there, shifting uncomfortable, stodgy 'old' men glaring at her as she makes small noises shifting in her chair. She then gives that smirk and snaps the newspaper, knowing full well she's upping the ire of the men surrounding her.

Her face when Dale slaps her. Perfection.

Oh the dancing. So we all know I'm a sucker for dancers. Case and point being Tomu, who and the end of the day just clearly loves to dance with all her heart. I see that same light in Maa-kun. She in totally in her element in this show, even if the tap dance was keeping her up at night with nerves. She nailed it. From the tap dance scene where she is waking the sleeping Dale  in the apartment below, to the gazebo scene with Mirion. She is all grace and perfect lines and good tap dance.

She also uses a lot of english in this. A Lot of Really Good English. Which, for anyone who knows me IRL, knows that I am the pickiest when it comes to english in Takarazuka. Maa-kun was legitimately really good. She was obviously worried about the amount of English in this show, and must have recruited Maya to help get her pronunciation native sounding. It was better than "I just listened to this song on repeat for weeks on end".

Maa-kun's run as top star is going to be beautiful. Beyond beautiful.

Misaki Rion: Mirion, my dear god. It's like the fire has been placed back in her eyes. She was shining as Dale. She too spent a lot of time getting the nuances of this role correct. She PERFECTED the slinky 1930's sexy walk. Like, she was a dead ringer for the time period as she sashayed across the stage. She rocked the makeup, the hair, the sass. DEAR GOD THE SASSY LINES. The way she volleyed these wicked lines with Maa-kun was drool worthy. I do so love me a real sassy woman who isn't afraid to give you a piece of her mind.

I know that I've been going on and on about how beautiful Maa-kun and Mirion on are. And they are. My favorite scene is "Isn't this a lovely day". See this scene on youtube here. This scene was just so emblematic for me of how much the future of soragumi is bright and shining. These two kids are wonderfully matched, and in every sense of the word partners. They finished the big tap sequence and you could totally see real honest smiles at each other, honest smiles that screamed "we did it again... and it was so much fun".

"Cheek to Cheek" was a close second favorite. They were just so stunning moving together as one. Like... oh dear god. Somebody hold me, I'm overwhelmed with my feelz.  Well... feels and the desire to laugh about Astair's comment on the original dress, which he didn't see until filming day, "It was like a chicken attacked by a coyote, I never saw so many feathers in my life.". This dress shedded as well... but less than the original. Thankfully. Also this LIFT. THIS LIFT GOES ON FOREVER AND IS FLAWLESS. I saw this and then saw hanagumi the next day, and mentally laughed like crazy to myself. Bless you and your strength training Maakun. <3

Mirion's English was not perfect, nor even really good. But we can't win them all guys.

Nanami Hiroki: I always forget how oo she is at comedy until she is thrown into it again. She plays the bumbling west end producer who is trying to keep Jerry's location in London a secret until  his show debuts. I found this character a touch different from the movie, which wasn't bad. In this play it works well. They played him as spacy and nervous in the play, which worked. Kai-chan obviously worked hard to sell this role, this was not her usual. She had a mustache ... I mean... Kai-chan, in a mustache, it should be a crime, but it worked. The voice trainder (whose name I forget, but is apparently super famous) did FABULOUS things for Kai-chan. She sounds so much better As I mentioned in my Gustav review, she didn't sell her vocals. She downplayed them like she didn't have the faith her voice wouldn't let her down. Boy, did she own them this time. I loved her protrayal and am in denial that she is getting transferred out.

Junya Chitose: Chitose was the snarky, put-out wife of Horuse (Nanami Hiroki). I am still so confused about how Chitose went from one of the musumeyaku who irritated me to one of my favorite ones, in all the troupes. She is such a talented actress that she becomes her character. It's uncanny how good she is. She was rocking the older woman with too much money and time. She even used this nasal voice, which wouldn't normally ever work for me. but for Maude, sooo perfect.  She was STUNNING as Madge.

For my non-combi scenes, Chitose and Kai-chan''s duet takes the gold star award. Their song is called, "I hate you". It is indeed as fabulous as you can imagine.

Kotobuki Tsubasa: Susshi-san was Bates. Oh, how I've missed her. Comical genius. Maa-kun has consistently named her introduction scene was one of her favorite ones out of the entire production. "I can't see her not take the coat, but the audience loves it! I want to see it~!"

Aizuki Hikaru: Ai-Ai was the orange (insert my sigh of sadness right here. can you hear it? because I still feel it in my soul) gay, emotional italian fashion designer who is in love with Dale. This is unlike a role that I've seen Ai-chan in before, and she was really surprisingly good. Like, I've never been on Team Ai-Ai in the while Team Riku/Team Ai-Ai fight but that may change. Ai-Ai really beneifited from bringing in kitarou and being assigned challenging roles.  She's still rocking her Willy-Wonka glasses/hair offstage, but onstage she is moving into dangerous territory. Like, she strips down to her pajama's and daaaaaaaaaamn. It is both hilarious and sexy. I'm confused just thinking about it.

Other underclassmen of note:
Kazuki Sora is killing it as every role under the sun. She plays a flower vender, a fisherman, a dancer in Italy. She is everywhere and has this aura of charisma. She will not be kept down. Hoshibuki Ayato continuous to not grown into her face, but she is making it work. Haruka Mitsuki continues to slay with her Kaname-face outline and her fantastic voice. She is dangerous onstage and I wish she was getting pushed more. She was fantastic as both the director and the sexy waiter Roberto. 10/10. Plus her tap-dancing is criminal. Hanayuki Rira continues to keep her title of my 'soragumi angel" because she is just so tiny and angelic. Haruse Ouki continues to be confused by my existence. Why is my luck so bad?

Okay.

I think that's all.

For now.

Oh~! And in other news. I've been spending a lot of time with soragumi these days. It's like coming home after a really long vacation... but my derpy shinko babies are now all grown up and starring in New Wave. Where has the time gone?