Adaptation of magical girl anime/manga has a VERY international cast.
It’s weird that there’s never been an official Sailor Moon ice skating show, isn’t it? A cast of lanky characters, with penchants for flowing fashions and dramatic poses, set to a sweeping score…all of it sounds like it’d transition effortlessly from anime screen/manga page to ice rink.
And yet, it’s never happened. That’s going to change soon, though, with the Sailor Moon Prism on Ice skate show set to open in Japan.
“Wait,” you might be saying. “I know I’ve seen a professional figure skater dressed as Sailor Moon before.” If so, you’re probably thinking of Evgenia Medvedeva. The Russian skater and two-time world champion is indeed a huge fan of Sailor Moon, and even got to meet series creator Naoko Takeuchi on a trip to Japan a few years back. Medvedeva is about to take her superfandom to the highest possible level, though, since she’s the one who’ll be portraying Sailor Moon in Sailor Moon Prism on Ice.
Medvedva recently made her first in-costume appearance at an event promoting the opening of ticket sales for the show. Officially, she’s credited for the roles of both Sailor Moon and Usagi Tsukino, the heroine’s ordinary-schoolgirl alter ego. That suggests that Sailor Moon Prism on Ice will contain recreations of the series’ iconic transformation scenes when Usagi has to spring into action.
Of course, Sailor Moon is a story about a team of friends who help each other in their fight against evil, so the other Inner Sailor Senshi will be taking to the ice as well. The international core cast will also include Japanese figure skaters Satoko Miyahara as Sailors Mercury and Americans Mirai Nagasu, Alissa Czisny and Becky Bereswill as Sailors Mars, Jupiter and Venus.
▼ Clockwise from top left: Miyahara, Nagasu, Bereswill. And Czisny (not in their Sailor Senshi costumes).
The male cast is multi-ethnic as well. The role of Tuxedo Mask/Chiba Mamoru belongs to Canadian Andrew Poje, while villainous Jadeite will be portrayed by Japanese skater Takahito Mura, whose countryman Seiya Hashimoto will skate as Zoisite. Rounding out the quartet of antagonists will be Canadian Dylan Moscovitch as Nephrite and American Jason Brown as Kunzite. No word as to whether original-arc archnemesis Queen Beryl will be part of the plot, but singer Anza is slated for a special (ostensibly non-skating) appearance as Queen Serenity.
▼ Another photo of Medvedeva as Sailor Moon, taken at Tokyo’s permanent Sailor Moon restaurant
The ice show’s script is being written by Takuya Hiramitsu, whose resume includes over a dozen of the Sailor Moon stage musicals, stretching back to 1994, as well as adaptations of Shakespeare’s Richard III, Macbeth, and Othello. And for those hoping for a direct connection to the anime series, Mitsuishi Kotono, Sailor Moon’s anime voice actress will be lending her vocal talents to the show, as will the other voice actresses for the Inner Senshi from Sailor Moon Crystal.
Sailor Moon Prism on Ice will be performed five times over three days in June (twice on June 5, twice on June 6, and once on June 7) at the Kose Shin Yokohama Skate Center in Yokohama, roughly 30 minutes south of downtown Tokyo. Tickets are on sale now for members of the series’ official fan club, Pretty Guardians, and go on sale to the general public on March 16 through Lawson Ticket service.
Related: Pretty Guardians
Source, images: Press release
Sailor Moon ©NaokoTakeuchi」
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