Avex Entertainment Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President, CEO: Katsumi Kuroiwa) will be staging the world tour of FASHION FREAK SHOW, a musical that features involvement of world-renowned fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier. The world tour kicks off in London in July 2022, and is scheduled to continue in 15 countries in regions worldwide including Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America. The tour is scheduled to arrive in Japan in around spring 2023.
The company entered the theater business in 2007, and to date it has planned and produced over 100 original works including theater, musical shows, and 2.5D musicals*1. Jean Paul Gaultier has recognized the strengths of the Avex Group--which includes involvement in a wide range of businesses such as music labels, live shows, management, and anime and videos--as well as its track record in numerous stage shows. The FASHION FREAK SHOW marks the first time the company is organizing the world tour of a foreign musical. For this world tour, in concert with UK-based RGM Productions, Avex is producing all business aspects of the shows including contracts, production, and promotion.
This show, which recounts the life of world-renowned fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier from his childhood to his career as a designer, will feature over 200 wardrobe pieces designed by Gaultier himself. Gaultier is also helping direct the show. Creation of the original score is headed by music producer Nile Rodgers, who produced such global hit songs as Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and David Bowie's "Let's Dance". After the first performances in 2018 in Paris that attracted a total of approximately 250,000 people, praise from around the world led to the decision to stage this world tour.
Moving forward, Avex will proactively develop theater entertainment targeting not just a domestic audience but also a global audience, to deliver an emotional experience globally*2.
FASHION FREAK SHOW World Tour Overview
Dates: Starting in July 2022
Locations: Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America, and more
Organizers: Avex Entertainment Inc., TS3 (A Fimalac Entertainment Company), and RGM Productions
* Japanese Production performance details will be released as needed from official websites (scheduled to open in the fall of 2022) and other media.
About the FASHION FREAK SHOW
The show recounts the life of world-renowned fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier from his childhood to his career as a designer, and features over 200 wardrobe pieces that Gaultier himself designed. Gaultier is also helping direct the show. Popular and select pieces from Gaultier's precious collections will be on display, as well as numerous new designs made specifically for this show, which is certainly one of the show's highlights. In addition, creation of the original score is headed by music producer Nile Rodgers, who has produced global hit songs such as Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and David Bowie's "Let's Dance". The choreography is led by French choreographer Marion Motin, who has experience choreographing dance numbers for Madonna, Christine and the Queens, Stromae, and the musical Resist. The show will feature a variety of dance styles ranging from contemporary to street and jazz. Since the first performances in Paris in 2018, Gaultier's various messages as someone "who loves himself the way he is" has resonated with modern societies, garnering praise from around the world and leading to the decision to stage a world tour.
About Jean Paul Gaultier
He made his splashy debut in 1976 with a ready-to-wear collection under his eponymous brand. In the early 1980s, he signed a licensing contract with Onward Kashiyama, and he has been regarded as a Japanophile since then. He has also been a designer for Hermes since 2004. As a fashion industry leader and wardrobe designer for global stars such as Madonna, he has released his collections while always being at the forefront of his generation. In 2020, he announced the retirement of his collections. His final show, a beautiful and colossal show based on the idea of transitioning from a funeral to a celebration, attracted celebrities, stars, and top models from countries around the world. Even after his retirement, he has collaborated with sacai and continues to be active.
*1 To date, Avex has invited and helped bring to stage the Japanese versions of Broadway shows "Monty Python's Spamalot" and "Elf - The Musical"; circus entertainment of Las Vegas' "Empire"; West End musical "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"; and South Korea's show "NANTA". In addition, Avex in tandem with foreign companies developed and brought to stage worldwide the circus show "Le Noir - The Dark Side of Cirque".
*2 As part of its initiative to create strong IP content to be successful in a new generation, Avex is developing and cultivating IP content that can be rolled out globally. This initiative will accelerate the company's global strategy in the theater industry, and aims to expand business. IP is an acronym for intellectual property. In the entertainment field, IP refers to artists, talent, music, animation and video works, characters and games among others.
Avex Website and Social Media
Corporate site: https://avex.com/jp/ja/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/avex_pr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avex.official
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