Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter focuses on the all-female musical theater troupe Takarazuka, based in the Kansai region of Japan, which has staged adaptations of Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, and Tristan und Isolde. The last of these holds particular significance due to the opera’s innovations in harmonic practices and gender roles. Brooke McCorkle Okazaki examines the unique case of Tristan und Isolde within Takarazuka’s repertoire, considering its relevance to the Revue and concepts of gender performance. Although the Revue’s first rendition of Tristan emerged in 1951, it was not until the subsequent decade that the story firmly established itself in the troupe’s repertory. Following the Bayreuth tour, Takarazuka debuted a new adaptation of Tristan in the summer of 1968. In this production, the famously sensual narrative, featuring two actresses, offered predominantly female audience members a means to envision and desire romantic relationships on their own terms, despite the fact that the show was penned and directed by men.</jats:p>