Muscle Musical

The Muscle Musical was a group made of multi-talented performers to showcase physical abilities without actual singing. As stated by the Muscle Musical website, "their body is the greatest weapon."

Overview
The performers are mainly domestic and foreign champions (including those who have experienced the Olympics), athletes or Guinness record holders of various sports such as gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining, artistic swimming ,MTB (mountain biking), cheerleading, etc. Many performers who specialize in things such as dancing, juggling, yoyo, and unicycling have also appeared.

The early days
In 2001, "Muscle Musical" was born from an attempt to create a completely new performance that combines sports and entertainment with the concept of "playing sound with muscles". The idea and concept came through the programs Kinniku Banzuke and Kane The Muscle.

Try-outs originally occurred at the Saitama Arts Theater on December 9, 2001. As a one-time performance with Nakamura Ryoji directing and Shōei leading, tickets sold out within 5 minutes. The Muscle Musical grew in popularity extremely fast. It was decided that they would continue performing and local performances would start.

Ushio Higuchi eventually left TBS became independent. the planning and production of the Muscle Musical was undertaken by Higuchi, with him as the general producer and TBS as the organizer of the show.

Golden age
The Yokohama Muscle Theater was completed in 2004 with the full cooperation of Yokohama City, and soon expanded overseas in 2006 through performances in Las Vegas.

The second Muscle Theatre was completed in 2007, this time located in Shibuya. At the same time, the Muscle Musical would hold a tour through Japan every year.

The Muscle Musical around this time received their own show, titled Muscle Channel and soon would get another show called Muscle World, in addition members would get prominent features on VIKING. They also made regular appearances across TV through programs such as SASUKE and KUNOICHI.

In 2009, the third performance in Las Vegas started at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino. The first long-run performance in the history of Japanese musicals was being held.

Problems
Despite the increase in the number of audience members, it was publicly shown that the performers were in a harsh situation.

Several performers of the Muscle Musical formed a labor union in search of an industrial accident certification for an injury (rupture of the left knee ligament ) inflicted on a performer during TV recording, and asked the Labor Standards Inspection Office for guidance regarding management. Since the contract between the performers and the Muscle Musical is through an appearances based contract and not an actual employment contract, labor accidents are usually not applied, but the labor union side has nearly 2,000 hours of detention time per year and absolute obedience to the management side of the Muscle Musical.

After a year and eight months of controversy, the case was settled after being certified as an industrial accident in February 2009, but the reality that was happening behind the scenes was revealed, Ushio Higuchi had started to gain a lot of criticism for his improper means of running the Muscle Musical.

Furthermore, after summer performance in 2007, when Nakamura Ryoji, who has been involved in the composition and direction, retired, popular performers began to drop out one after another to follow Nakamura after each performance. Later, Nakamura professed that he had quit due to a difference in direction, and launched a separate organization, "Nakamura JAPAN Dramatic Company," with the performers who left the board.

The end
After the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in 2011, performances slowly became canceled over time. Later in November 2011, the groups funding had deteriorated through Monster 9's bankruptcy. With that, the Muscle Musical was officially over.

Resurrection
Even after the Muscle Musical, popular performers whom had once been apart of the group continued on to do muscle performances in their own respective groups. These groups now exist to be known as Samurai Rock Orchestra, PADMA, Huscle Muscle, and energy muscle.

On February 18, 2018, it was revived for one day as "Muscle Musical 2018". Umeda Ayaka of AKB48, actor Nakamura Seijiro, and comedians Natsu Ando greet at all performers.

Performers
TBD