Moyoco Anno's 'Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen' Manga Moves to Musical Stage in New York
Japanese mangaka Moyoco Anno's critically acclaimed work Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen is set to meet art lovers this autumn with an ambitious musical adaptation that will be staged in New York. This significant production will go down in history as the first English-language American musical adapted from a manga graphic novel. The musical will be staged in a brand new venue located at 530 W. 27th Street in the Chelsea area, named 'The Night Egg' in reference to a club in the manga.
The creative team of the musical includes renowned names from the theater world. Tony and Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik (known for his musicals Spring Awakening and American Psycho) will handle the music and lyrics, while Tony, Olivier, and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford (known for his choreography and directing work in productions such as Thoroughly Modern Millie and Parade) will serve as director and choreographer. Peabody Award winner Leah Nanako Winkler will write the musical's book. This powerful cast comes together to bring Anno's unique story to the stage.
Moyoco Anno's manga Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen was serialized in Shodensha's josei manga magazine Feel Young between November 2013 and March 2018, and collected into two tankōbon volumes. Set in early 20th-century Paris, the story follows the life of young Colette, who works in a brothel. Colette discovers her own power by transforming her clients' 'perverse' fantasies into art, while also struggling with her destructive devotion to her childhood love, the gigolo Léon. Anno is known for her works that delve deeply into the psychology of her characters, are inspired by the fashion world, and are quite popular among young women in Japan. Previously, works like Happy Mania, Sakuran, and Hataraki Man
