Sora Kazuki, a former member of the Takarazuka Revue, held her first solo concert "Sora Kazuki Billboard Live 2024" at Billboard Live Yokohama and Billboard Live Osaka in November last year. The second stage of the concert held at Billboard Live Osaka on November 20th will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 9pm on February 22nd. "There are many options, such as live shows and dinner shows, but I wanted to do Billboard Live," said Kazuki. We asked her about her impressions of the concert at the venue, the intention behind the set list, her feelings one year after leaving the troupe, and her outlook for future activities.
◇The set list was created so that fans of all ages could enjoy it.
When asked about his impression of Billboard Live, where his wish came true, Kazuki commented, "I also love watching the shows at Billboard Live, and it's a wonderful, sophisticated, adult space where customers can enjoy one thing in a compact setting, including drinks and food." He savored the joy he felt at the time, saying, "I was so happy when it was decided that I would be able to do it."
When asked about her impressions of performing on the Billboard Live stage, she smiled and said, "It was fun. So many fans came, and I was happy to be able to perform in such a warm, homey space. At Billboard Live, I could see each and every face in the audience, which was nice and I really enjoyed it."
The set list is filled with a wide variety of songs, but this was chosen with the intention of "creating something that people of all ages and types of fans could enjoy."
"I included songs from the Showa era, songs that people will say are nostalgic or that they've heard before, as well as songs from Takarazuka, so that people who have been supporting me since my days with Takarazuka can enjoy it. I also included songs from '9 to 5' (the musical I starred in) so that musical fans and people who have only recently discovered it can enjoy it."
The concert began with the band appearing from the audience to the song "Touch," the opening theme to the anime "Touch." Kazuki explained his aim, saying, "People will be surprised to see 'Touch' on the billboards (laughs). When I do my own concerts or dinner shows, I like to include something that makes people think they never expected it. I wanted the element of surprise, and I also thought it would be nice to be able to interact with the audience through Touch."
When asked about the highlights of the program, he said, "We put a lot of effort into the flow of the set list, so I hope you will enjoy it while keeping that in mind. During the MC, the conversation with the audience will progress rapidly, so I hope you can keep up with the speed of the MC (laughs). We put a lot of effort into packing it all in, so I hope you can feel that from the video."
◇The plan for future activities is to "do things that excite me and make my heart flutter"
Kazuki has continued to be active in a wide range of fields since leaving Takarazuka, and when asked about the year since he left he summed up, "A year has passed in the blink of an eye. I have had a variety of experiences and it has been a very rich and happy year."
When asked if there had been any changes, he laughed and said, "Actually, not much has changed," and analyzed, "I've always been the type of person who has a strong core of what I want to be, so maybe that's why that hasn't changed much."
The origin of Kazuki's way of thinking is his ability to see things in a positive light, when choosing something, saying, "I have a hunch that 'this is better' or 'this is more fun,' and I'm also lucky."
"I've always thought of myself as lucky, and that my intuition when making choices is usually right. Rather than being right, I think it's more like, 'I'll show you how to do it' (laughs). I don't take things negatively that much, since it's a waste to do so. Even if I did, the outcome would be the same. I just enjoy life (laughs)."
When asked about his future activities, Kazuki commented, "When I make choices, I always choose things that excite me and make my heart flutter, so I want to continue doing that."
"It's important to think about what you want to do, and of course I want my fans to be happy, and I also have to consider what they think, but rather than thinking negatively, like, 'What if they think this?' I want to have a positive, excited attitude, thinking, 'If I do this, they might think this.'"
When asked what he would like to challenge himself with, he reminisced, "There are many things, but if I only think about it on my own, I feel like it will inevitably be limited to a certain scope and become biased, so I am really enjoying and happy that I am now being presented with things that I would never have thought of on my own, and I would like to continue taking on challenges while imagining what would happen (if I do them)."
"Some of the roles I was given after leaving the company seemed like they would allow me to make new discoveries, and in my first production after leaving the company, "9 to 5," there were parts that I would not have been able to reach unless I tried something new. Even the tone of my voice and my mannerisms turned out to be characters I had never imagined. It was fun and interesting, so I would like to continue to try different things in the future without being too set in stone." (Interview and text: Endo Masaki)
Hair & Makeup: Satomi Kurihara (Three PEACE) Stylist: Kanako Nakamura
