Rehearsal talk from the program of the January 2018 Tokyo International Forum production of West Side Story. Featuring: Makaze Suzuho (Tony), Hoshikaze Madoka (Maria), Serika Toa (Bernardo), Sakuragi Minato (Riff), Kazuki Sora (Anita), Joshua Bergasse (Guest Director/Choreographer), Inaba Daichi (Director)
NOZOMI: When I thought about who I want as my talk partner, you popped right into my head…
RANJU: You thought of me?
NOZOMI: Yes. I was incredibly indebted to you in Hanagumi, but we never really had the opportunity to talk leisurely about performances and things like that, so I’d been thinking that I definitely want to ask you sometime.
From Personal Book 2015 Vol. 1: Nozomi Fuuto
Height: 169 cm
Eyesight: Both eyes are about 0.1. I wear contacts.
Ring size: I think it’s probably 11. For otokoyaku accessories I look for ones a little larger.
Shoe size: 25.5 cm
Strong point: Probably my positivity.
Weak point: If something unexpected happens I can’t calm down.
Past life: I’ve been told both an English aristocrat and a Chinese shopkeeper (haha).
Catchphrase: “Beyond myself.”* It’s the 4-kanji idiom I came up with during Sengoku Basara for publishing in the program.
Letter of the alphabet: Maybe A. Because my blood type is A, and the initial of my real name is A.
Number: 5. Because I’ve been told 5 is very good luck for me.
Country: Italy. Because lately I’ve been playing one Italian character after another.
Color: White and Black. Because I have both inside me.
Season: Autumn. Because I was born in the fall, and I feel like that’s when I’m most like myself.
Animal: Because I have a ferret, people around me always tell me that my movements and reactions resemble one.
How much sugar you put in your coffee and tea: I don’t really put in sugar. However, if I feel like drinking something sweet I’ll add some…
Favorite cuisine out of Japanese, Chinese, and Western: Japanese. Like natto with rice or miso soup. If there’s something on top of rice… if there’s ikura it’s the best (haha).
Color clothing you usually wear: I have a lot of different black, gray, and monotone things. I wonder if monotones look best on me.
How you like your interior decoration: Gray carpet with white furniture. But the thing I’m most particular about is my television, it’s gotta be big. When I’m watching Takarazuka shows, the impact is greater on a large television, and if I can see people’s faces, in old performances when the rockette comes on I can go, “Ah! It’s so-and-so!” So a big one is more convenient (haha).
Things you never go on a trip without: A memo pad. In the evening I write down where I went etc. I also bring one along on national tours, and I like to write down things I notice.
Your specialty at karaoke: Ishikawa Sayuri’s Amagi-goe. Then, Ikimonogakari’s songs.
Your lock screen: I change it fairly frequently, but right now it’s Winnie the Pooh. Sometimes I also change it according to the season or the role I’m playing.
Line stamps you use frequently: A stamp of this character “planking,” laying horizontally across a pedestal. It’s a fad to do this pose in reality and take a photo, and it looks like that made it into a stamp, but I’ve also tried this pose and had a picture taken in the rehearsal room (haha). I also use the animated Stitch ones.
Your sideshow talent: I don’t really have a specialty, but if I wanted to participate in a sideshow, I feel like I’d do whatever was decided for me. A lot of people are do impressions of the staff and instructors connected to the current performance.
Animals you like: Ferrets, sea otters, and hamsters. I’ve kept ferrets and hamsters.
Places you like: In Takarazuka, where the air is clean, there are mountains, you can see the stars, and there’s a river, I feel refreshed. After that, the area around my home. Then department stores.
Foods you like: Anmitsu, yaki onigiri, ikura.
Foods you hate: Spicy things, garlic, eel.
Scary things: Earthquakes, horror stories, thunder. I want to live peacefully.
Things you’d ask of God: World peace. I’d want earthquakes and natural disasters to be lessened. Then, I want Takarazuka to expand worldwide!
You childhood nickname: Aya-cha, Ayako-chan
A hairstyle you frequently wore: A full ponytail (haha). That was probably my trademark.
A game you frequently played: I’d make roadways in the park sandbox, and then flow water through them. I’d also go on really far bike rides with everyone, I really liked exploring… anyway I just loved to play outside.
A TV show you liked: In elementary school, I loved the drama, “I am Reiko Shiratori!” and I’d mimic it even in school. When someone would take a picture I’d always put my hand near my chin and make that “hoooohohohohoho” laughing pose (haha).
An idol you liked: Miyake Ken from V6
First love: If I think about it now, early on in elementary school, it was probably this kid who I always used to fight with. We’d fight and he’d make me cry, then I’d provoke the next fight, and I bet that was probably my first love (haha).
Clubs you were in: In elementary school I did a lot: band, kotekitai, badminton. In middle school I joined student council, and I started as secretary, and I ended up vice president. In high school I was a drummer in the pop music band, but I didn’t actually participate.
Sports you were good at: In dodgeball, my specialty was the discus throw. The real thrill of dodgeball was how happy I got when I was able to make a catch (haha)
What you wanted to be when you grew up: Ever since my 4th year of elementary school or so I wanted to join Takarazuka and be an otokoyaku.
The longest amount of time you spend on your smartphone: Since I’m always looking up things related to our performances or things that are on my mind, I feel like I’m always on it.
Longest bath: About an hour while I’m reading a book.
How long you’ve kept the TV on in your house in a single day: If I’m home it’s always on.
Up till now, your #1 favorite…
Song: Yume wo Uru Hito from when I played Benedict in Ocean’s 11
Dance: A group dance from Canon choreographed by KAZUMI-BOY called “Passion Negro.” It was a dance scene where during rehearsal when I got to see Mayu-san (Ranju Tomu) do it, I thought, “wow, she can dance like this?!” like I’d seen the light.
Scene: The Elisabeth prologue. The part where after I make my appearance as Lucheni, all the spirits come out, and I call on Der Tod. During rehearsal the moment when everyone’s voices became one left a huge impression on me.
Costume: Liu Wei Qiang’s outfit from BUND/NEON Shanghai.
That costume’s back story is it’s the character’s one good suit bought for him by his boss Du Yue Shen, then he has a bit of success, and places an order for a fabric better than everyone else’s (haha).
Still photo: The current Cagliostro one from Lupin III. If I look back at photos from this time or that time my face has gradually changed, so when I look at old ones I’m like WAH! (haha), that’s why the current one is best.
Line: In Love and Death in Arabia I played the boy Yesim, and on the silver bridge he says the line, “There is only one God.” The concept of a child giving this powerful interjection was difficult, it took a lot of time before I was able to say it well.
Role: I really like all of my roles, but especially Lucheni from Elisabeth and Benedict from Ocean’s 11. In both cases I didn’t like the role at all during rehearsal, but when I got on stage, before I knew it I was enjoying myself every time.
*TN: It’s 真面目越, if anyone can offer something better.
Interview with Makoto Tsubasa & Aika Mire, from Takarazuka Revue Splendor of 100 Years
MAKOTO: It’s been a while, but it doesn’t really feel like it’s been that long. The two of us have close birthdays, we both debuted in 1985 and were assigned to Hanagumi, and although I moved to Tsukigumi in the middle, we were always together until we retired in 2001.
AIKA: I think two people walking the same path like that might be rare even for classmates.