First-Ever Stage Adaption of Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away' Closes with Critical Acclaim in Tokyo

TOHO CO., LTD. FIRST-EVER STAGE ADAPTION OF HAYAO MIYAZAKI'S MASTERPIECE, “SPIRITED AWAY” CLOSES WITH CRITICAL ACCLAIM AT THE IMPERIAL THEATRE IN TOKYO

Show Now Set to Tour in Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Nagoya

Tokyo - March 29, 2022 - The highly anticipated adapted stage performance from the film “SPIRITED AWAY” was brought to life at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo, bringing in a full house of attendees. This timeless masterpiece was recreated by the director of Les Misérables, John Caird, who brought iconic scenes to the stage with amazing performances with 32 performers and over 50 puppets designed by Toby Olié. The production is now set to tour four additional cities in Japan: Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Nagoya:

· April 13-24, 2022 at Umeda Arts Theater (Osaka)

· May 1-28, 2022 at Hakataza Theater (Fukuoka)

· June 6-12, 2022 at Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru (Sapporo)

· June 22-July 4, 2022 at Misonoza Theater (Nagoya)

Turning “SPIRITED AWAY” into a theatrical production was achieved through the acclaimed performances of Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi both playing the same lead role as Chihiro. Similarly, Mari Natsuki, derived from the original film, and Romi Park, are double-casted as Yubaba, the sorceress who play as many as five performers. Koharu Sugawara and Tomohiko Tsujimoto, who are double-cast as No Face (Kaonashi), play the role with solely body movement until No Face runs wild and the character is magnificently represented by as many as 12 performers. In an iconic scene, Kamaji's arms span 19-feet long and are beautifully performed by as many as six actors.

Due to Covid-19 restraints, all rehearsals were conducted remotely at TOHO Studios, which was developed for film shooting. With impressive set design by Jon Bausor, expressive performances and live orchestra for beautiful original scoring by Joe Hisaishi with orchestration by Brad Haak and Conor Keelan, the stage production earned both commercially and critically acclaimed success as the performances have been well-received and is continuing to run with incredible excitement.

“SPIRITED AWAY” is a timeless masterpiece by director Hayao Miyazaki and has enjoyed worldwide success since its release in 2001, subsequently winning the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. The blockbuster film has been applauded as a spirited masterpiece full of magical moments, immersive characters and brilliant storytelling by critics and fans around the world.

See below for more information including the full cast, creatives & staff list.

LINK: https://www.tohostage.com/spirited_away/en/index.html

Toho Co., LTD. is a leading production company of theatre and film in Japan, internationally recognized for the Godzilla series and for Akira Kurosawa's masterpieces. Its theatrical department has presented numerous original and licensed musicals and plays in Japan, including Broadway and West End imports such as Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage Aux Folles, RENT, Jekyll & Hyde, Fun Home, Next to Normal, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Jersey Boys, Beautiful The Carole King Musical, Waitress and The Producers among many others. Recently, TOHO has co-produced the Broadway musical Tootsie. TOHO has also produced the Japanese versions of musicals from Central Europe, including Elisabeth, Mozart!, and Rebecca the Musical. The company also collaborated to create the original musicals Marie Antoinette and Lady Bess with the creators of Elisabeth, Michael Kunze (book and lyrics) and Sylvester Levay (music). Marie Antoinette was licensed and presented in Germany, Korea and Hungary. In 2017, TOHO presented a new production of Shakespeare's As You Like It directed by Michael Mayer, music by Tom Kitt, choreography by Lorin Latarro. Previous productions with John Caird include Les Misérables, Beggar's Opera, Candide, Private Lives, Daddy Long Legs, Twelfth Night and Knights' Tale.

SPIRITED AWAY is a part of the program celebrating the 90th anniversary of Toho Co., LTD. Please visit https://www.tohostage.com/spirit\ed_away/ for more information.