Yet, the successful run of “The Man Who Laughs,” taking place during COVID-19 pandemic, was likely impossible without its star actors. Unlike Broadway and the West End, which rely heavily on tourists attending theater, South Korea’s musicals depend on star actors. “The Man Who Laughs” features top actors in its lead and supporting roles. In a concept familiar to Korean audiences, the lead role i...

SIDance Festival will also feature rising and established local and foreign dancers. Local dancers making an appearance at the festival include Ubomanli, Kim Yun-jung, Blue Elephant Dance Company and Kim Paik Bong Fan Dance Preservation Society. Performances by overseas participants include German dance troupe Mouvori’s “Hello to Emptiness,” “To come (extended)” by Denmark’s Mette Ingvartsen an...

Park will be accompanied by nine ballet dancers, including four étoiles -- Dorothée Gilbert, Valentine Colasante, Germain Louvet and Paul Marque. The Paris Opera Ballet‘s ballet master Lionel Delanoë said that the program includes both classics and contemporary pieces. Classical works include the pas de deux from “Sleeping Beauty” Act 3 (Rudolf Nureyev), Divertissement pad de deux from “Midsumme...

Musical “Mrs. Doubtfire,” based on the 1993 hit movie with the same title, will hit local theaters as the first licensed production of the Broadway show, according to its production companies, Sem Company and Studio Sunday. The Korea production will feature three actors for Daniel Hillard - versatile singer Im Chang-jung, comedian-turned actor Jung Sung-hwa and musical actor Yang Joon-mo. The pl...

The Quad, a public theater operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, opened in Daehagno on Wednesday, with a goal to revive the local arts scene hit by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and gentrification of the theater district. The Quad is a transformative black box theater that can accommodate as many as 258 seats and offer several types of stage settings, according to the SFAC, a ...

Actor Kim Seon-ho on Wednesday publicly apologized over controversies involving his former girlfriend while making his first public appearance in about nine months. “I’m deeply sorry for bad news that has caused concerns to many people. I’ve looked back on my past times and reflected on my conduct,” he said while sobbing during a press conference for the play “Touching the Void.” “Many people h...

Now, she hopes those experiences can be translated into more works not only in South Korea but also outside the country. Her children support her new adventure. “My kids saw me becoming happier and more energetic, and realized that I am meant to act,” Lim said. Support from her family means the world to her, she said, adding that she welcomes any role -- big or small. “I will do my utmost for a...

US composer asks BTS’ V to play a role in 'Jekyll & Hyde'

DAEGU -- The iconic Daegu International Musical Festival kicked off Friday, returning in full blast for the first time in three years. The opening event took place at Kolon Bandstand Stage, joined by generation-spanning musical actors as well as aspiring students, including Nam Kyeong-ju, Choi Jung-won, Michael Lee, Park Gun-hyung and Kim So-hyang. This year’s iteration brought back foreign mus...

The musical features actors that are not only talented in singing and dancing, but also with taekwondo abilities of a competitive level. Twenty-two actors went through six months of training to prepare for their roles. Among the actors, five are professionally trained taekwondo athletes. For former taekwondo national athlete Um Ji-min, in particular, who is a part of the World Taekwondo Demonstr...

The Blue Man Group, a nonverbal stage show that blends art, technology, music and comedy, finally returns to South Korea after a pandemic-induced delay, marking their first time back since 2008. The show “that is not meant to be taken too seriously” will provide a pleasure and fun to Korean audiences as the three bald and blue characters with a special vision explore the world without words. Th...

Stagnant ‘K-musicals’ Perhaps aiming for a global stage back in 2007 was going too fast at the time. It was less than 10 years after the first licensed musical was introduced, and South Korea’s musical industry was still growing. Now, Park believes Korea’s musical industry, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the revenue generated in the performing arts sector in the country, has great p...

The bold backdrop and extravagant costumes that portray the Belle Epoque and the theatrical setting provide great visual pleasure. Two actors lead the musical as Mata Hari -- Ok Joo-hyun, who appeared in the previous two productions in 2016 and 2017, and Solar of K-pop girl group Mamamoo, who makes her debut as an actor in a musical with “Mata Hari.” Armand, a French pilot and Mata Hari’s lov...

”Smart,“ ”unique” multiple casting Along with Jeon, two other actors -- Yoon Gong-joo and Kim Soo-ha -- take on the role of the musical’s namesake, a concept exclusive to Korea and Japan. This unique style of casting was initially a novel concept to both Corea and Jeon. With the revolving door of actors, audiences can experience a unique version of “Aida” nearly every night. This gives a renewe...

Actor Song Kang-ho became the first Korean male actor to win an acting prize at the Cannes Film Festival, grabbing the award for best actor for his role as a “baby broker” in Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Broker” on Saturday. This marked the 55-year-old’s seventh invitation to the prestigious film festival, but it is the first title the veteran actor has won at Cannes. Song starred in s...