Takarazuka, the all-female musical theater company based in Hyogo Prefecture, made its first-ever trip to South Korea last month with a revival of the troupe's most popular musical, "The Rose of Versailles." Riyoko Ikeda's 1970s manga, upon which the musical is based, has been translated into 10 languages and turned into an animated TV series that's been shown in 20 countries.
This week, NHK's documentary series "Project X" (NHK-G, Tuesday, 9:15 p.m.) looks back at the first Takarazuka production of "The Rose of Versailles" -- back in 1974. At that time, the company, which was founded in 1914, was barely surviving. Television had become affordable and widespread in the '60s, which meant popular stars could be seen easily and often. Takarazuka, which also maintains a school to train young girls to sing and dance, was for many years Japan's main source of female singing stars, but by 1970 the stage shows themselves were deemed to be out-of-date.
However, "Versailles," which is set during the French Revolution, brought the company new fans with its evocatively romantic plot and rococo set designs and costumes. During a two-year run, more than 1 million people saw the musical.