As one in a series of special productions to mark its centennial, Takarazuka — Japan's longest-standing theater company with all-female casts — is reviving "The Rose of Versailles — Oscar," its 1972 hit adaptation of an acclaimed manga series by Riyoko Ikeda that, in numerous productions since, has clocked up a total audience of more than 4.8 million.
In his program notes for this staging by Cosmos Troupe, the newest of the company's five resident ensembles, director Masazumi Tani points out that this show has inspired countless aspiring actresses to audition for a place in the Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture-based Takarazuka Music School — and that "it is also a show that fans approach with especially high expectations."
In part, this is certainly due to the show's canonical status in the Takarazuka repertory, but also because the 1972-73 manga on which it is based, commonly known as "Beru-bara," is so well known through different media, including a TV series that started in 1979.