Ichizō Kobayashi
Only unmarried women can perform on the Takarazuka stage. Kobayashi wanted to present his audiences with a dream world far removed from everyday life, and this rule remains even today. Performers also had to undergo two years of hard training at Takarazuka Music School, based on its motto, “Purity, Honesty, Beauty.” This is the fundamental difference between Takarazuka Revue shows and western operas and musicals, which hold auditions for each new production.