Adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki anime returns to two Japanese cities, first performances to be held this summer.
Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away has left a lifelong impression on its fans, and many of them were no doubt sad when the live-action stage adaptation of the anime masterpiece only ran from February to July of 2022. That short time frame especially stung for overseas fans, since Japan was largely closed to international tourism for the duration.
Sure, you can watch a recorded version online, but the full charm of stage productions can really only be conveyed by watching the actors perform live. So it’s great news that the Spirited Away stage play is returning to Japanese theaters, with live shows scheduled in both 2023 and 2024, with the first coming this summer.
While the exact dates are yet to be revealed, the producers have announced that Spirited Away will be performed this August at the Misonoya theater in Nagoya. Nagoya, perhaps not coincidentally, is also the nearest major city from the Ghibli Park theme park, which is about an hour east of the city center.
Tokyo will also be getting a new batch of performances, with the play heading to the capital’s Imperial Theater, also known as the Teikoku Gekijo, in the Marunouchi district in March of 2024.
Actresses Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi will reprise their shared role as protagonist Chihiro, continuing the production’s “double cast” system of having the actresses alternate between the part of different days.
Also announced is a Blu-ray home video release of the play. Versions featuring only Hashimoto or Kamishiraishi (which include their respective program pamphlets) are priced at 11,000 yen (US$84), and for comprehensive fans there’s a deluxe box set that bundles both complete performances of the play with a bonus disc featuring extras like interviews and fan greetings, for 33,000 yen. English subtitles are included for the play itself, but the extras seem to be without translations.
▼ Preview for the Spirited Away Blu-ray
The Blu-ray goes on sale July 29, with preorders open now through Toho Mall online store here. Tickets for the play’s new performances have not gone on sale yet, but when they do can be found through the official Spirited Away website here.
Source: Spirited Away official website via IT Media
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: Spirited Away official website, PR Times, Toho Mall
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