On the 27th August, Maeda Atsuko will be performing for the last time in the AKB48 Theater and the number of applications for the tickets was totally overwhelming.
On 8th of December 2005 only 7 audience showed up for the first concert - which was also Acchan's first theater performance - when the theater can actually hold 250 people. Over time as AKB48's popularity grew with Acchan as the 'face of AKB48', demand of tickets for each concert grew till a state where applications have to go through lottery to see which lucky 250 applicants get to watch the concert in the theater.
The concert on 27th of August 6pm, which will be Acchan's graduation concert, received a whooping number of 229,096 applications - more than 30,000 times of Acchan's first performance in 2005. Acchan wanted to at least greet those fans who failed to be selected in the lottery and thus plans of her parade were made, to say goodbye to her fans.
(Due to security concerns, the parade is cancelled.)
And also due to the high demand for the tickets to watch the theater performance on that day, it was decided that the concert will be streamed live via the group’s Google+, YouTube and Fuji TV’s ‘Hey! Hey! Hey!‘, starting at 6pm JST.
Additionally from today, fans are able to use their Google+ accounts to send a personal messages to Maeda by submitting a message via your Google+ account (registration required) with the hashtag '#maeda0827'. A flower petal-shaped confetti printed with the message and Google+ profile name will fall onto the stage during the show.
UPDATE (23rd August):
Acchan's parade in Akihabara cancelled due to security concerns
UPDATE (26th August):
List of performing members revealed
岩佐美咲 (Iwasa Misaki)
多田愛佳 (Ota Aika)
大家志津香 (Oya Shizuka)
片山陽加 (Katayama Haruka)
倉持明日香 (Kuramochi Asuka)
小嶋陽菜 (Kojima Haruna)
篠田麻里子 (Shinoda Mariko)
高城亜樹 (Takajo Aki)
高橋みなみ (Takahashi Minami)
仲川遥香 (Nakagawa Haruka)
中田ちさと(Nakata Chisato)
仲谷明香 (Nakaya Sayaka)
前田亜美 (Maeda Ami)
松原夏海 (Matsubara Natsumi)
武藤十夢 (Muto Tomu)
板野友美 (Itano Tomomi)
峯岸みなみ(Minegishi Minami)
大島優子 (Oshima Yuko)
松井珠理奈 (Matsui Jurina)
宮澤佐江 (Miyazawa Sae)
横山由依 (Yokoyama Yui)
河西智美 (Kasai Tomomi)
柏木由紀 (Kashiwagi Yuki)
北原里英 (Kitahara Rie)
渡辺麻友 (Watanabe Mayu)
松井玲奈 (Matsui Rena)
指原莉乃 (Sashihara Rino)
