Musical "Anne of Green Gables" National Tour to 15 Cities, 17 Performances; 14-year-old from Nagano Selected as Lead through Audition

In the summer of 2026, IMAGINE Inc. (Tokyo, Mitaka City), which has continuously produced original musicals for over 40 years, has decided to hold a national tour of the musical "Anne of Green Gables." Among these, three performances in Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo will be organized by the General Incorporated Association Family Musical Association.

This tour is scheduled for 17 performances in 15 cities nationwide and also serves as a project aimed at nurturing next-generation musical actors and promoting cultural arts.

"Anne of Green Gables" is a beloved story across generations, about a girl who overcomes difficulties with her imagination and positive spirit. These performances aim not only to be entertainment enjoyable for children and adults alike but also to deliver courage and hope to the hearts of those who watch.

The main cast includes Yuki Matsumura, who has been active on the front lines for many years, as Matthew Cuthbert; Nao Mitsuya, who leverages her Takarazuka experience to train younger generations, as Marilla Cuthbert (Matthew's sister); Rira Maikaze, former top musumeyaku (female role specialist) of the Takarazuka Revue Snow Troupe, as Miss Stacy; and Ryo Miyauchi, the 4th generation "Uta no Oniisan" (song brother) from NHK Educational TV's children's program "Okaasan to Issho," who continues to shine as a musical actor. A lineup of talented cast members is set to appear.

Lead Role Selected from National Audition
This time, Aimei Suzuki, a 14-year-old resident of Nagano Prefecture, was selected for the lead role of Anne Shirley after winning a national audition (with approximately 500 applicants). Her fresh sensibility, close to the original character's age, her solid expressive power, and high-level skills applicable even in a professional environment were highly evaluated.

The auditions were held last August in four cities: Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo. After vocal, dance, and acting evaluations, callback auditions were conducted for candidates selected from each venue. During the callbacks, more practical selections were made, including acting evaluations using actual scripts and song performances. Comprehensive evaluations were conducted, including expressive power, understanding of the role, and future potential.

The level of applicants was very high, and the selection process was difficult. In the final selection, with extremely close decisions, Ms. Suzuki's presence, which made her feel "alive as Anne" on stage, was the decisive factor, leading to her selection as the lead.

One of the judges commented, "The major criterion for this selection was not just technical skill, but whether one could 'exist as that character' on stage."

This audition is also positioned as a venue for discovering and nurturing next-generation musical actors.

Similarly, national regular cast members were also selected through auditions. Yukie Yamazaki (Okayama, 21 years old), who auditioned at the Osaka venue, showed high completeness in both singing and dancing, drawing the attention of the judges. In the callback audition, her passion and aspiration also resonated with the judges.

Additionally, Yuka Yayoshi, Ami Kozai, Ayaka Shimazaki, and Yukina Chibu were selected from the national auditions as young talents with promising futures.

––––Next year, you might be Anne Shirley.

[Performance Information]

[Fukuoka Performance]
July 20, 2026 (Monday, Holiday)
Fukuoka Civic Hall Main Hall
Doors open 13:00 / Start 13:30

[Osaka Performance]
July 28, 2026 (Tuesday)
Toyonaka Performing Arts Center
Doors open 17:30 / Start 18:00

[Tokyo Performance]
August 10, 2026 (Monday)
Nakano ZERO Hall
Doors open 16:30 / Start 17:00

Tickets go on general sale from May 22 (Friday)

Organized by the General Incorporated Association Family Musical Association

Performance details and ticket information here
https://family-musical.net/anne2026/

[Performance Schedule including chartered performances]

July 19 (Sun) Kagoshima Hozan Hall*
July 20 (Mon) Fukuoka Fukuoka Civic Hall
July 21 (Tue) Kitakyushu Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center*
July 22 (Wed) Kyoto Uji City Cultural Center*
July 23 (Thu) Hiroshima HBG Hall*
July 24 (Fri) Ehime Matsuyama Civic Hall*
July 27 (Mon) Okayama Okayama Art Creation Theater*
July 28 (Tue) Osaka Toyonaka Performing Arts Center
July 29 (Wed) Osaka Toyonaka Performing Arts Center*
July 30 (Thu) Wakayama Wakayama Prefectural Cultural Hall*
August 3 (Mon) Yamagata Yamagin Kenmin Hall*
August 4 (Tue) Niigata Nagaoka City Theater*
August 5 (Wed) Gunma Shoken Gakuen Maebashi*
August 6 (Thu) Tokyo Nakano ZERO Hall*
August 7 (Fri) Saitama Westa Kawagoe*
August 8 (Sat) Ibaraki The Hirosawa City Hall*
August 10 (Mon) Tokyo Nakano ZERO Hall

*Chartered performance (協 - likely means collaboration or special arrangement)