Black Butler's Jack the Ripper Arc Gets Stage Musical

Yūya Matsushita, Nayuta Fukuzaki star in manga's 3rd musical in September, October

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The official website for Musical Kuroshitsuji ―Chi ni Moeru Licorice― (Musical Black Butler: Licorice that Burns in the Ground), the third musical adaptation of Yana Toboso's supernatural manga Black Butler, launched on Saturday. The musical will adapt the manga's Jack the Ripper arc and run in Tokyo's Roppongi Blue Theater from September 5 to September 23. The musical will then run in Osaka's Umeda Arts Theater in the Theater Drama City hall from October 2 to October 5.

The 24-year-old singer Yūya Matsushita will reprise his role as Sebastian Michaelis, while 13-year-old actor Nayuta Fukuzaki (Tonbi live-action television series) will star as Ciel Phantomhive. Former Takarazuka Revue all-female acting troupe member Akane Liv will play Madam Red, and Prince of Tennis musical performer Motohiro Ōta will play Charles Grey. Sengoku Basara stage play actor Yūsuke Hirose will play Charles Phipps. D☆DATE pop music unit member and actor Hirofumi Araki will debut in the musical. Yuka Terasaki will take over Saki Matsuda's role as Mey-Rin.

Returning cast members include:

Takeuya Uehara as Grell Sutcliff
Yoshihide Sasaki as Viscount Druitt
Teruma as William T. Spears
Noboru Washio as Baldroy
Takuya Kawaharada as Finnian
Shun Takagi as Fred Aberline
Takeshi Terayama as Sharp Hanks
Shūhei Izumi as Undertaker

Nobuhiro Mōri (Kamen Rider Gaim) is directing off scripts by Yoshiko Iseki (Hunter X Hunter's Pakunoda).

Tickets for the Tokyo performances will cost 8,500 yen (about US$83) and go on sale on July 29. Tickets for the Osaka performances will cost 8,800 yen (US$86) and go on sale on August 3.

Sono Shitsuji, Yūkō (That Butler, Friendship), the first Black Butler musical, ran in Tokyo in 2009. The second musical, Musical Kuroshitsuji- The Most Beautiful DEATH in The World- Sen no Tamashii to Ochita Shinigami (Musical Black Butler: The Most Beautiful Death in The World – A Thousand Souls and The Fallen Grim Reaper) debuted in 2010 and had a second run in Tokyo in May 2013 and in Osaka in June 2013.

The original manga revolves around a noble English boy named Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaels, Ciel's butler who is more than he seems. The manga already inspired a television anime series in 2008, a television anime sequel in 2010, several original video anime, and a live-action film. The manga is also inspiring the Black Butler: Book of Circus television series that will premiere on July 10.

Source:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-06-07/black-butler-jack-the-ripper-arc-gets-stage-musical/.75299

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