Mari Hanafusa

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, Maki Ichiro (of the Snow troupe), Fubuki Takane (Snow), Yū Todoroki (Snow), Asato Shizuki (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 Tsukikage Hitomi (of Star and Snow troupes) and Dan Rei (Moon and Star), she was one of the few musumeyaku to star in two troupes.

In 1998, she founded Cosmos Troupe with Asato Shizuki, 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.

Currently, Hanafusa works as an official representative for Yōka Wao in Wao's company, Wao Enterprise, which they founded together in February 2007. It is unusual for partnering stars who have left Takarazuka to continue to work together so closely. Hanafusa may participate in future Wao concerts.

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 Daae
• 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

Concert

• 2007 Yoka Wao concert
• New Yoka: Rock in' Broadway

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 (Maki Ichiro and Asato Shizuki), 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 (Tatsuki Kōju, 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
• Tatsuki Kōju (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

1. ^ Sands, Ryan; (editor), Ryan Sands. Electric Ant #2: Exquisite Corpses. Electric Ant Zine. pp. 15–. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ts4PoJismWYC&pg=PA15. Retrieved 25 May 2011. 

Preceded by Tomo Murasaki	Top Star (Musumeyaku) for Snow Troupe 1994-1998	Succeeded by Hitomi Tsukikage
Preceded by None (Troupe newly established)	Top Star (Musumeyaku) for Cosmos Troupe 1998-2006	Succeeded by Rui Shijō

Persondata
Name	Hanafusa, Mari
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1974
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death