Big name stage actors Jung Sung-hwa and Yu Jun-sang take on the role of Beetlejuice, who calls himself a “bio-exorcist.” “I have starred in various comedy musicals, but the Beetlejuice character is at the peak of my comedy musical career. Beetlejuice is rude and humorous. He is like a strategist, a mix of good and evil,” Jung said. Yu mentioned the cast members are practicing 12 hours a day. “...

Korea’s first generation mime artist looks back on his 50-year career

The sound system has been improved, too. The new Immersive Sound System featuring 132 speakers installed around the hall allows for balanced sound to be heard throughout the theater. The sound reverberation time, which refers to how long the sounds stay in the space, was previously 1.35 seconds, but has been extended to 1.65 seconds. But even without the new sound system, the newly renovated the...

Musical “Dracula” has postponed its opening by two days, following a string of infections involving four of its cast members. Actor Son Jun-ho, who performs in the musical, was confirmed with the virus infection on April 23, followed by more infections among its main cast members such as Shin Sung-rok, Jeon Dong-seok and Kang Tae-eul. “To put on a performance of better quality, the opening date...

The “Les Miserables” concert by K&P Entertainment, slated to take place this month in Seoul and Busan, has become mired in a copyright dispute. On Monday, Les Miserables Korea, which holds performance rights to the Korean-language version of the English musical in Korea, claimed that the upcoming concert is an unauthorized production that violates the musical’s copyrights. K&P Entertainment on ...

A local production of the musical “Midnight Sun” will be screened live at cinemas in five Asian countries, including Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. According to the production company Shinswave on Friday, it is the first time a local musical will be screened live in cinemas abroad. On Friday, the performance will be screened at 29 CGV branches in Korea, 15 cinemas in Indones...

Hit by a series of COVID-19 infections, the musical scene is bracing for perhaps another virus crisis, following earlier shutdowns in March and August last year. Four cast members of the musical “Dracula,” set to run from mid-May, have confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus, sounding an alarm for musical productions. “Son Jun-ho has not been feeling well recently, so he voluntaril...

With the daily number of new COVID-19 cases almost reaching 800, the musical industry is on high alert as actor Son Jun-ho who is to appear in the musical “Dracula” next month tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. “Son Jun-ho wasn’t feeling well recently, so he voluntarily tested for COVID-19. He tested positive and went into self-quarantine,” Son’s agency Sidus HQ said. “All staff who ...

LG Arts Center to show works from past festivals

The 20th Uijeongbu Music Theatre Festival is to take place May 7-16 throughout the city north of Seoul. This year’s theme, “Colorful Tradition,” highlights the unique value of traditional culture. The annual festival held in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, by the Uijeongbu Cultural Foundation, features performances that combine music and drama. Some 20 performances will be featured this year. Ope...

Ballerino Kim Ki-min will not perform at the staging of “La Bayadere” in Seoul in April, as the organizer said on Wednesday he was not granted an exemption from a mandatory two-week, self-quarantine in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim, the principal dancer of the prestigious Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, was to perform in the Korea National Ballet’s “La Bayadere“ scheduled for next month, along...

The musical “Phantom” reveals another layer of the tragic, ghostly character who lives at the Paris Opera House, and who has stolen the hearts of many for ages. Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit’s “Phantom” -- long overshadowed by Andrew Lloyd Weber’s smash hit “The Phantom of the Opera” -- opened Wednesday in Seoul at the Charlotte Theater in Jamsil, eastern Seoul. The Korean-language version of t...

Choreographer Ahn presents new project, involving Asian Gen Z dancers

The original French concert version of the musical “Les Miserables” will go onstage in South Korea on April 30 and run for about a month. The concert is inspired by the musical “Les Miserables,” adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name. Since its French premiere in 1980, the musical has been performed in 44 countries before 70 million audience members. The concert version was stag...

Though the COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict many aspects of our lives, the local musical scene has been striving to bounce back. After the government relaxed the social distancing rules for performing arts venues in early February, local musical productions have been recording sell-outs with musical fans returning to theaters. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information...