The stage adaptation of Moyoco Anno’s Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen is officially heading to New York City. The production, billed as the first English-language original musical based on a Japanese manga, will hold its public premiere on October 15 at The Night Egg, a new Chelsea-based theater named after the brothel featured in the original work. Previews for the show are scheduled to begin on September 25, with the run continuing through January 3, 2027.
Leading the cast as Colette is Sophia Anne Caruso, known for her role as Miss Goldenweek in the live-action One Piece series. She joins a high-profile creative team led by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Rob Ashford, with music and lyrics by Spring Awakening composer Duncan Sheik. The production is a significant milestone for Anno’s work, which was previously honored at the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival.
To build anticipation, Studio Khara has released an English-subtitled version of the short animated film based on the manga, which originally debuted at the 2015 Japan Animator Expo. While the manga—originally serialized in Feel Young magazine—explores the lives of women in a 20th-century Parisian brothel, this musical adaptation aims to bring that narrative to a global stage following an industry-only presentation held in early 2025.
