Translations of Takarazuka Scripts
I've now completed four scripts - two plays and two revues (I also have quite a few songs from Elisabeth, Rose of Versailles, and some other shows in my song translation section.) My first script took me about 4 years of working on-and-off to finish, my second just over a year, and... we'll see where it goes from there.
There are a couple other shows I'm working on, or considering working on. Scripts take me so long that I don't take requests at all - I have to really love a show to spend a year or more with it.
Arch of Triumph
Part 1 Part 2
This was a musical play performed a few years ago by Snow Troupe, and it's based on the novel by Remarque. It's one of my favorite Takarazuka plays. I am also exceedingly proud of myself for having actually finished the whole thing - though it did take me about 4 years, which is pretty ridiculous.
Passion: Jose and Carmen
Part 1 Part 2
My second completed script! Compared to the four years on Arch of Triumph, this one just sped along - a mere 12 months! Another one of my favorite Takarazuka plays.
Cocktail
Well, in some ways this was way easier than a play script, but in others it was harder. It was way *faster*, but without clear character names or action, I think the result becomes very confusing. Also, note that I didn't include furigana lyrics in this one - I usually do that for songs in my scripts, but in the case of a revue like this, that would have meant basically reproducing the *entire* original Japanese script, and I felt a bit funny about that... Sorry to anyone who was hoping to do a Cocktail sing-along! :)
Romantica Takarazuka '04
Another revue - I did this one as a five-day challenge over Golden Week for the first draft, then took awhile on edits. No furigana on this one either.
Where to Find (Japanese Language) Takarazuka Scripts
I get asked this surprisingly often. It's not always possible to find a particular script (adapted foreign shows, such as Elisabeth or Phantom, are almost never reproduced). But here's what I know:
1) For many years scripts were often included in the play's Program - I have programs as early as the 1950's with scripts. They seemed to have stopped doing this in the mid-90's, and I'm not sure it was consistently done every year.
2) Then, for about two years, they published scipt collection books, for both the regular and Bow Hall shows. They stopped doing this in 2002.
3) For Takarazuka written plays, the scripts are in the "Le Cinq" (Takarazuka stage photo mag) special editions for the show. This is NOT true for the revue or adapted outside plays ("Elisabeth").
4) When revues are released on CD, often most of the lyrics and dialogue are included in the CD booklet. But often not for particular songs that were "borrowed" even if the lyrics were changed. And if the whole thing was originally a non-Takarazuka show (i.e. "Elisabeth", "Guys and Dolls") there are usually no lyrics at all.