Mari Hanafusa

Mari Hanafusa is a Japanese actress and former member of the Takarazuka Revue. She held the position of Top Musumeyaku in both the Snow and Cosmos troupes, holding the longest tenure in Takarazuka history at 12 years and 3 months. She’s best known for playing Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the Japan premiere of the musical Elisabeth and is currently active under Blooming Agency.

Troupe membership history

Star Troupe: 1991–1993
Snow Troupe: 1993–1998
Cosmos Troupe: 1998–2006
Personal information

Mari Hanafusa quickly gained audience attention during her early years with the Star Troupe. Only three years after her debut in 1991, she was appointed as the Top Musumeyaku star of the Snow Troupe in 1994. During her career, Hanafusa partnered with five different Top Otokoyaku stars—Maki Ichiro, Fubuki Takane, Yū Todoroki, Asato Shizuki, and notably, Yōka Wao, her longest-running partner. Her tenure remains the longest in Takarazuka history for a musumeyaku, with 12-year and 3-month.
In 1994, she became the first musumeyaku ever to achieve Top billing during a newcomer performance as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Traditionally, such billing had exclusively belonged to male-role actors, marking her performance as a notable exception.
Hanafusa’s portrayal of Elisabeth in the Japanese premiere of the musical Elisabeth in 1996 became one of her signature performances. She subsequently continued to take on numerous significant roles, such as Carmen in Passion: José and Carmen, Marie Antoinette in The Rose of Versailles, and Christine in the Japanese premiere of Phantom.
In 1998, she transferred to the newly established Cosmos Troupe, becoming one of the few musumeyaku—alongside Hitomi Tsukikage, Rei Dan, Yuri Shirahane and Madoka Hoshikaze — to serve as top star in two different troupes.
Hanafusa retired from Takarazuka in 2006 alongside Yōka Wao after the production Never Say Goodbye. She returned shortly afterward, co-founding Wao Enterprise with Wao in February 2007, serving as Wao's representative and frequent co-star until 2011.
After leaving Wao Enterprise, Hanafusa resumed her stage career with From First Production in 2012, later joining Blooming Agency. She continues performing in musicals, with notable main roles in The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Bess, Mozart!, Elisabeth, 1789: Les Amants de la Bastille, Romale, Marie Antoinette, The Odd Couple, Galaxy Express 999, Sunny, and Beethoven. In addition to her stage career, she has appeared in television dramas such as NHK's historical drama Onna Joshu Naotora, Berabou, and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.
Her distinguished career has earned numerous awards, including the Yomiuri Theater Award, the Kazuo Kikuta Theater Award Grand Prize, an Austrian national honor, and the Matsuo Entertainment Theater Excellence Award.

Performances and roles

Takarazuka era

Sources:

Debut

Troupe rotation

Star Troupe era

Snow Troupe era

Snow Troupe Top Musumeyaku era

Cosmos Troupe era

Performance after Takarazuka

Source:

2010: Dietrich – Edith Piaf
2011: Dracula, the Musical – Mina Murray – Heroine
2011: LOVE LETTERS 2011 21st Anniversary – Melissa
2011: MODEA Winter Live 2011 – Guest vocals
2012: Elisabeth Special Gala Concert
2013: No Words, No Time
2013: Eien Monogatari – Yoshioka Yoshiko – Heroine
2013: Broadway Musical Live
2013: The Count of Monte Cristo – Mercédès – Heroine
2014, 2017: Lady Bess – Elizabeth I – Lead role
2014: Mozart! – Nannerl
2015, 2016, 2019, 2023: Elisabeth – Elisabeth – Lead role
2016: 1789 – Marie Antoinette
2018: Romale – Carmen – Lead role
2018: The Secret Garden – Lily Craven – Heroine
2018, 2021: Marie Antoinette – Marie Antoinette – Lead role
2020, 2023: The Odd Couple – Florence Unger – Double Lead with Daichi Mao
2021: – Teruko – Lead role
2022: The Little Prince – The Rose
2022: Galaxy Express 999 THE MUSICAL – – Maetel – Heroine
2023: SUNNY – Nami – Lead role
2023: Beethoven Secret – Antonie "Toni" Brentano – Heroine
2024: The Tiny Wife – Stacey – Lead role
2024: Ōten no Mon - Shouki - Special appearance
2025: Bagdad Cafe the Musical - Jasmine - Lead role
2026: Musical Pagwa - Chogak - '''Lead role'''
Concert
2012, 1016: Elisabeth Special Gala Concert
2016: 25th Anniversary Hanafusa Mari First Concert ~ Especially For You ~
2020: Premium Symphonic Concert ~ Hanafusa Mari: Stories of the Queens
2020: Premium Symphonic Concert ~ Hanafusa Mari: Stories of the Queens ~ Xmas version
2022: Premium Symphonic Concert ~ Mari Hanafusa: Stories of the Queens Vol.2
2025: Imperial Theatre Concert - THE BEST New HISTORY COMING
Television drama
2017: Naotora: The Lady Warlord – Sana
2017: Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit – Yuuka
2021: Meiji Kaika: Shinjuro Tanteicho – Kanou Atsuko – Episode 1
2024: Black Forceps Season 2 – Toshima Kazuko – Episode 4, 5
2025: Unbound – Hōren-in
2025: News Anchor - Odonera Motoko
''Elisabeth'' trivia

Hanafusa was the first star to perform as Elisabeth of Bavaria in the musical Elisabeth and the only one to do so twice: first in a 1996 Snow production and then in a 1998 Cosmos production. Thus she was an Elisabeth who was haunted by two deaths, married to two Franz Josephs, assassinated by two Luigi Luchenis. She crowned four Prince Rudolfs because Kōju and Asami changed troupes before the Tokyo performance and were substituted by Wao and Juri.
Most of the actresses playing Franz Josephs, Rudolfs and Luigis became stars later on, except Juri, who was moved to Senka.

Fubuki Takane --> Snow Troupe
Yū Todoroki --> Snow Troupe
Tatsuki Kōju --> Star Troupe
Yōka Wao --> Cosmos Troupe
Wataru Kozuki --> Star Troupe
Hikaru Asami --> Snow Troupe