Mari Hanafusa

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Mari Hanafusa (花總 まり, Hanafusa Mari)(born February 28, 1973) is a former member of the Takarazuka Revue, in which she specialized in female roles (Musumeyaku).^[1] She is from Tokyo and joined the revue in 1991 and retired in 2006. She is the first and the only musumeyaku of her class to receive top billing.

Troupe membership history[]

• Star Troupe: 1991–1993
• Snow Troupe: 1993–1998
• Cosmos Troupe: 1998–2006

Facts[]

Considered the "Mary Pickford of Takarazuka", she gained audiences' attention during her first years in Star Troupe, and three years after her debut, in 1994, became top musumeyaku of Snow troupe. Having performed with five different stars as partners, (of the Snow troupe), Fubuki Takane (Snow), Yū Todoroki (Snow), (Cosmos) and Yōka Wao (Cosmos)--the latter her partner the longest—over the course of twelve years, Hanafusa enjoyed the longest run as star musumeyaku in the Takarazuka's history.

Also, upon her participation in the 1994 new actor production of Gone with the Wind as Scarlett O'Hara, Hanafusa became the only musumeyaku to have her own billing (top billing usually goes to otokoyaku; so this was an exceptional case).

Along with (of Star and Snow troupes) and Rei Dan (Moon and Star), she was one of the few musumeyaku to star in two troupes.

In 1998, she founded Cosmos Troupe with , Yōka Wao, Wataru Kozuki and Hikaru Asami with an overseas performance in Hong Kong. She retired in 2006.

In January 2007, she came out of retirement and performed on stage along with Yōka Wao in Wao's concert. Up until 2011, Hanafusa worked as an official representative for Yōka Wao in Wao's company, Wao Enterprise, which they founded together in February 2007. During this period, Hanafusa has regularly appeared in most of Wao's concerts or as co-star in stage plays where Wao has starred. It is unusual for partnering stars who have left Takarazuka to continue to work together so closely. As of October 2011 however, Hanafusa has resigned from Wao Enterprise after participating in Dracula with Wao. Although she had participated as a guest star in a couple of performances with other Japanese artists, there was no official announcements as to what Hanafusa's future career direction will be until June 2012.

In June 2012 it was released that Hanafusa had signed with From First Production, a talent promotion agency. Her talent profile is found here.

Notable performances and roles[]

Takarazuka era[]

As a star[]

• Legend of the Midnight Sun - Mimiru
• Parfum de Paris
• Mayerling (New Actor Show)　- Marie Vetsera

As top star for Snow[]

• JFK - Jacqueline Kennedy
• Elisabeth - Elisabeth
• Glowing Purple Flowers
• Natasha's Rainbow - Natasha
• On a Clear Day You Can See Forever - Daisy Gamble
• Midnight Ghost - Maria

As top star for Cosmos[]

• Excalibur - Rosaline (the first Cosmos Troupe production)
• Elisabeth - Elisabeth
• Passion: Jose and Carmen - Carmen
• Mayerling - Marie Vetsera (First show with Yōka Wao as a star couple)
• Nostalgia Over the Sea - Catherine the Great
• Rose of Versailles: Fersen and Marie Antoinette - Marie Antoinette
• Calaf & Turandot - Turandot
• Pierre the Mercenary - Joan of Arc
• Lightning in Daytime - Vivianne
• Gone with the Wind - Scarlett O'Hara
• Phantom - Christine Daaé
• Boxman - Dolly
• Hotel Stella Maris - Stacy Lancaster
• A Kiss to the Flames - Leonora
• Never Say Goodbye - Katherine McGregor/Peggy McGregor (her last musical with Takarazuka)

Performance after Takarazuka[]

• Dracula, the Musical - Mina Murray (2011)
• The Count of Monte Cristo - Mercédès (2013)
• - Lady Bess, Elizabeth I of England (2014-2017)
• Mozart! - Nannerl (2014)
• Elisabeth - Elisabeth (2015, 2016, 2019)
• 1789 - Marie Antoinette (2016)
• The Secret Garden - Lily Craven (2018)
• Marie Antoinette - Marie Antoinette (2018)

Concert[]

• 2007 Yoka Wao concert
• New Yoka: Rock in' Broadway
• Elisabeth Special Gala Concert (2012)

Television drama[]

• Naotora: The Lady Warlord (2017) - Sana

Elisabeth trivia[]

Hanafusa was the first star to perform as Elisabeth of Bavaria in the musical Elisabeth and the only one to do so twice: first in a 1996 Snow production and then in a 1998 Cosmos production. Thus she was an Elisabeth who was haunted by two deaths ( and ), married to two Franz Josephs (Fubuki Takane and Yōka Wao), assassinated by two Luigi Luchenis (Yū Todoroki and Wataru Kozuki). She crowned four Prince Rudolfs (, Yōka Wao, Hikaru Asami and Sakiho Juri) because Kōju and Asami changed troupes before the Tokyo performance and were substituted by Wao and Juri.

Most of the actresses playing Franz Josephs, Rudolfs and Luigis became stars later on, except Juri, who was moved to Senka.

• Fubuki Takane (Franz Joseph [Snow])--> Snow Troupe
• Yū Todoroki (Luigi Lucheni [Snow])--> Snow Troupe
• (Rudolf [Snow])--> Star Troupe
• Yōka Wao (Rudolf [Snow] and Franz Joseph [Cosmos])--> Cosmos Troupe
• Wataru Kozuki (Luigi Lucheni [Cosmos])--> Star Troupe
• Hikaru Asami (Rudolf [Cosmos])--> Snow Troupe

References[]