A localized version of the popular performance “Miso” kicked off in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, earlier this month.

Organized by Chongdong Theater in central Seoul, Gyeongju Metropolitan Government and Gyeongju World Culture Expo, and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the musical titled “Miso II ― Silla, The Land of Gods” offers a compact presentation of everything Gyeongju first-timers could wish for. 

The original show at Chongdong Theater, which has exclusively staged “Miso” since 2010, is based on a well-known folktale, “The Tale of Chunhyang.” In Gyeongju, the second “Miso” which means “beautiful smile,” presents the dazzling culture of the Silla Dynasty (B.C. 57 to A.D. 918), which lasted for over a thousand years with its capital in Gyeongju.

Highlighting the lives of “hwarang,” or Silla chivalry who excelled in beauty, bravery and military arts, the musical covers the period from the establishment of the Silla Kingdom to its unification of the three kingdoms ― Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla.

Various Korean traditional music, dances, games and rituals create spectacular scenes and over 200 Silla traditional costumes worn by the performers catch the eyes.

More than 650,000 people have watched the original “Miso.” It has been very popular especially among foreign theatergoers ― last year, 77 percent of the 79,640 people who saw the show were non-Koreans.

“The musical will become a must-see show for visitors to Gyeongju,” said the organizers.

“Miso II ― Silla, The Land of Gods” is on an open run at Gyeongju World Culture Expo’s Cultural Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call (054) 740-3800 or visit www.sillamiso.com.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)