Acclaimed Spirited Away stage play is headed for America

The acclaimed Spirited Away stage play is finally coming to North America. After debuting in Tokyo in 2022 and performances in London in 2024, the adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s celebrated anime film is coming back for a 2026-2028 world tour that includes Los Angeles and Toronto.

Spirited Away: Live on Stage is coming to the following destinations: Taiwan’s National Theater (December 2026 to January 2027), Tokyo and a Japan National Tour (March to August 2027), Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto (May to August 2027), Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (September to October 2027), and the London Coliseum (March to July 2028). Casting for the production hasn’t been announced yet.

As you can imagine, this production is quite intricate, with complicated puppetry, a company of 50 actors, and a live rendition of Joe Hisaishi’s theatrical score. The show is performed in Japanese with English surtitles (projected transcriptions).

Toho commissioned the play in 2021, with production overseen by Toho Theatrical Department. John Caird (Les Misérables) was brought on to direct the project, adapting the script alongside Mako Imai. Brad Haak (Mary ​​Poppins) arranged Hisaishi’s score for the stage; Jon Bausor (Bat Out of Hell) did the set design; Toby Olié (Pinocchio: National Theatre) handled the puppet design; Shigehiro Ide (NODA MAP Series) created the choreography; and Sachiko Nakahara designed the costumes.

The play’s official website summarizes the story as follows:

Spirited Away tells the enchanting tale of Chihiro who while traveling to a new home with her family, stumbles into a world of fantastic spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. When her parents are turned into pigs and she is put to work in a magical bathhouse, Chihiro must use her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents, and return to the normal world.

For those interested in the show who don’t live near the world-tour destinations, there’s a silver lining: A filmed version of the production is available through GKIDS. It was released in North American movie theaters in April 2023 and later came out on Blu-ray. It is also available to stream on Prime Video and Apple TV.

The announcement comes a few weeks before Spirited Away‘s 25th anniversary on July 20. In the years since its release, the film has undoubtedly become one of the most influential animated movies of the 21st century, forcing viewers to reconsider the possibilities of animation writ large. It greatly increased Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s global recognition while making many realize that animation can tell mature, nuanced stories that play for both children and adults alike.