Yoka Wao
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Yōka Wao (和央 ようか Wao Yōka?) is a former member of the Takarazuka Revue, where she specialized in playing male characters (Otokoyaku). She joined the revue in 1988 and resigned in 2006. She is from Osaka, her birthday is February 15 and her bloodtype is O.
Her nicknames are Takako (from her real name: Ogawa Takako) and Wao.
She is the only Otokoyaku to be top in her class.
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[edit] Troupe History
- 1988 - 1997 Snow Troupe
- 1998 - 2006 Cosmos Troupe
[edit] Trivia
She first attracted attention when she played the role of Oscar in the New Actor Show of 1989 Snow Production Rose of Versailles. Later on, she took the leading role in the New Actor Show of High and Low. After graduating from the New Actor Show cast, she progressed to playing solid supporting roles in the main troupe productions. One of her notable roles during the Maki Ichiro era is Elmer in the 1997 production of Elizabeth. When Kouju Tatsuki, who played Rudolf in the Grand Theater, changed troupes, Wao took the role for the Tokyo performance.
She got her first Takarazuka Bow Hall show (Grand Shanghai) in 1995 and the second one (Wuthering Heights) in 1997.
With the retirement of Maki Ichiro and her successor Fubuki Takane, she became the firm second man for Yū Todoroki in Snow Troupe before she was selected for the new Cosmos Troupe in 1998. She continued to be the second man in Cosmos Troupe until the resignation of Asato Shizuki. She became the top star of Cosmos Troupe in 2000 and when she retired in 2006 had had the longest run ever as male-role top star.
With a height of 172 cm, she was the tallest star among her peer top stars such as Mire Aika (Flower), Hibiki Takumi (Flower), Tsubasa Makoto (Moon), Jun Shibuki (Moon), Yū Todoroki (Snow), Yū Emao (Snow), Kō Minoru (Star) and Tatusuki Kōju (Star).
She is one of the two actresses to portray both Emperor Franz Joseph and Prince Rudolph in Elizabeth (the other is Sakiho Juri) and the only actress to portray Rudolf in two different musicals (Elizabeth and Mayerling)
In December 2005, she injured herself during the performance of W-Wing (her personal concert) but was able to come back for Never Say Goodbye, her last musical with Takarazuka.
In January 2007, she will have her personal concert since she left the company.
[edit] Notable Performance and Role
[edit] Snow New Actor Show Era
- Rose of Versailles - Oscar
- High and Low
[edit] Snow Era
- Elizabeth - Elmer/Rudolph (Replacing Tatsuji Kouju for Tokyo performance)
- Grand Shanghai - Chan (First leading performance at Takarazuka Bow Hall)
- An Invitation from Alice - Michael
- Wuthering Heights - Heathcliff
[edit] Cosmos Era
- Excalibur - Christopher (First show for Cosmos Troupe)
- Elizabeth - Franz Joseph
- Crossroad - Alphonso (Last leading performance before being top star)
- Black Rose of the Desert - Yawan
[edit] Cosmos Top Star Era
- Mayerling (Top Star Debut) - Rudolph
- Nostalgia Across the Sea (Top Star Debut at Grand Theater)
- Rose of Versailles: Fersen and Marie Antoinette - Hans Axel Von Fersen
- Castel Mirage - Leonardo
- Calaf & Turandot - Calaf
- Pierre the Mercenary - Pierre
- Lightning in the Daytime - Albert de Clair
- Boxman - Kevin Randall
- Phantom - Phantom/Erik
- Gone With the Wind - Rhett Butler
- A Kiss to the Flames - Manrico
- Never Say Goodbye - Georges Malraux (Last musical with Takarazuka)
[edit] Personal Concert
- So in Love
- W-Wing
