Raphaelly

From The Rose of Versailles: Oscar and Andre Star Troupe 2001 Program

The Rose of Versailles was first staged by the Takarazuka Revue in 1974.

This marks the third staging, since the first Heisei era production of The Rose of Versailles. When the show first premiered, not only the leading characters such as Oscar, André, Fersen, and Marie Antoinette, but also the supporting characters like Rosalie, Girodelle, Alain, Louis XVI, and the nanny were played by Takarazuka performers who were my age or just a little older than me.

Since then, each one has gone her own way, some have settled into life as devoted wives and mothers. Others, didn’t quite settle into the role of wife, but have successfully balanced motherhood with a career as an actress. Some have become politicians. Some have pursued careers in directing, some have dedicated themselves to mentoring the next generation and others are still active as Takarazuka Revue members to this day…

Even though our paths have diverged, since we are all from the same generation, whenever we meet, it’s just like a class reunion, we all get excited sharing old memories. Surprisingly, for this new revival, from our perspective, most of the cast are young enough they could be our children.

The original cast members and I used to share our dreams with one another, saying "someday, when we are old we should open a shop called 'Berubaba', so fans of Takarazuka Revue and The Rose of Versailles will always have a place stop by".

At that time I was still in my 20s and assumed it would be a very long time before I'd be referred to as a 'Berubaba'. Despite that, I have come to realized that all of us have reached the age, that if anyone did call us 'old ladies', we would simply laugh it off with a hearty ''hahaha". Indeed, it is not at all surprising that the performers of this production are of an age where they could be my own children.

Although I was never able to have my own children, when I watch the performers of this production, I feel as if I am watching my own child's big moment. I feel like a proud parent, my heart pounding with excitement. In a sense, for an author, each work is like a 'child', and I also have many other beautiful and wonderful 'children'.

Orpheus, filled with grief, journeys to the underworld to take her back. He charms this three-headed dog, Cerberus. He beguiles Hades until finally… he’s allowed to take his love back with him to the world of the living but… under one condition. She must follow behind him, and he must not turn around to look at her. Now, as they begin their ascent, Orpheus can’t hear her footsteps, so he listens… and listens and listens and listens. But all he can hear is the sound of his heartbeat. And the rest is silence. And as he approaches the gates of the underworld… he can’t contain himself any longer. He turns around to look at her, and she is… trapped in the underworld forever.