Dance musical 'Dream High' gathers K-pop stars to continue story of hit drama

Twelve years after TV drama "Dream High," featuring Kim Soo-hyun and Bae Suzy, gained enormous popularity with the story of six high school students aspiring to be superstars, a new musical attempts to continue their story. Musical "Dream High" is based on the TV series and used some songs from the original soundtrack, but the story shows the story of the main characters 10 years later. Song Sam-song (played by Kim in the TV series) returns to Kiran Arts High School to find

May 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] Indonesian theater director finds inspiration, hopes for future collaboration

Visiting Korea for the first time, Bambang Prihadi, chairman of the Theater Committee at the Jakarta Arts Council, said he is leaving Korea with good memories and new inspiration. Prihadi participated in the “K-Fellowship,” an annual program organized by the Korean Culture and Information Service, which invites prominent cultural figures from overseas to experience Korean culture and network with Korean counterparts. As the artistic director and actor of his own theater company, Labo

May 17, 2023

[Herald Review] 'The Cherry Orchard' reflects loss hidden beneath laughter

People cope differently when society rapidly changes: Some ignore the changes and fall behind while others adapt and thrive. Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard,” set at the turn of the 20th century, contrasts the fate of the declining aristocracy with that of the rising middle class. Currently running at the National Theater Company of Korea until May 28, Chekhov’s final full-length play stars actor Baik Ji-won in the lead role under the direction of NTCK artistic direct

May 17, 2023

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at center of controversy

Beethoven's beloved Symphony No. 9 has found itself at the center of controversy in South Korea in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a Korean-language version of Beethoven's masterpiece was performed for the first time at the Seoul Arts Center on May 7. The performance was led by conductor Koo Ja-bom, who said the symphony was the reason he became a conductor, but that he had refrained from conducting it due to his immense reverence for the piece. Koo, who dedicated two years to transl

May 17, 2023

[Herald Review] 'Slava's Snowshow' brings delightful snowy magic to stage

Entering the concert hall, the audience was immediately captivated by the sight of white confetti scattered and piled on the floor. “Slava’s Snowshow” running at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul until May 21, has transformed a corner of Magok-dong in the middle of May. The mime show created and staged by Russian performance artist and clown Slava Polunin has toured over 100 cities around the world since its premiere in Russia in 1993. In Korea, the Russian troupe last pe

May 14, 2023

Three days of Korean traditional music day and night at 'Day Off'

Young gugak artists will perform at the upcoming “Day Off” concert series, showing various charms of Korean traditional music set outdoors in Namsan Hanok Village. The three-day event will take place in the garden of Seoul's Namsan Gukakdang in Jung-gu, with performances scheduled twice daily at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday. On Tuesday afternoon, four-person samulnori group Variety E-Seo will perform, bringing the sounds of the "kkwaenggwari," "j

May 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Organist Olivier Latry to proudly present French organ music

Renowned French organist Olivier Latry will bring French organ music to South Korea for his first concert here in six years. While Latry has been to his wife and organist Lee Shin-young’s home country of Korea multiple times on private visits over the past several years, this trip will feature his musical talents at the forefront. For the concert next week, he has chosen music from Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Camille Saint-Saens, Cesar Franck and Charles-Marie Widor. In an e-mail intervie

May 12, 2023

[Photo news] Napoleon in Seoul

May 12, 2023

[Herald Review] 'Sejong 1446' offers majestic musical experience at Gyeongbokgung

Sitting outside in a cold and windy night on an uncomfortable plastic chair for 100 minutes might be challenging, but witnessing a musical centered on King Sejong the Great with the majestic hall, Geunjeongjeon, National Treasure No. 233, as the backdrop at Gyeongbokgung truly felt like a privilege. At 7:30 p.m. on May 2, night had already fallen and the show began by illuminating a spotlight on a pansori performer who introduced the historical background of the story. As pansori singer Lee Bong

May 10, 2023

In Papaioannou's 'Ink,' duet turns into duel in flooded universe

Greek contemporary theater director Dimitris Papaioannou is scheduled to premiere his latest project “Ink” in Asia at the National Theater of Korea’s Daloreum Theater from Friday to Sunday. Premiered at the Torinodanza Festival in Italy in September 2020, "Ink," a two-person performance, embarked on a world tour in January with some modifications and enhancements, and new music by Greek composer Kornilios Selamsis. Papaioannou, who describes the performance as one abo

May 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] Joshua Bell to perform Vieuxtemps, Chausson with SPO

Renowned American violinist Joshua Bell will make his debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra with two very special "old fashioned violin pieces" as he returns to Korea in May for the first time in five years to meet his favorite audience in the world. The 55-year-old chose Vieuxtemps’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37, a piece not frequently performed over the past 40 years, he explained in an email interview with The Korea Herald. Chausson’s Poeme for Violi

May 10, 2023

Reinterpretation of 'Chun-hyang' embraces modern style in traditional Korean dance

The National Jeongdong Theater of Korea is set to open the season with “Chun-hyang: Bird with Broken Wings.” Initially scheduled for a 2022 premiere, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Chun-hyang” is a modern retelling of the 17th-century Korean folk tale which was orally handed down through the pansori “Chunhyangga.” It tells about the love story between Seong Chun-hyang, the daughter of a retired courtesan, and Yi Mong-ryong, the son of a noblem

May 9, 2023

Universal Ballet's 'Shim Chung': a blend of filial folk tale and classical ballet

The Universal Ballet’s iconic original repertoire “Sim Chung: A Legend from the Far East“ returns this week for the first time in four years. The piece is based on the classic Korean folktale of Sim Chung, who sacrifices herself to the King of the underwater world in a desperate attempt to have her blind father's sight restored. The neoclassical choreography is the work of UBC’s first artistic director, Adrienne Dellas. Since its premiere in 1986, “Sim Chung&rd

May 9, 2023

[Herald Interview] Born to perform: For Choi Jung-won, musical theater is not a job, but a calling

Musical actress Choi Jung-won made her debut as Donna in "Mamma Mia!" on Jan. 18, 2007 -- the beginning of a remarkable journey that is 16 years in the running, encompassing more than 1,033 performances. Choi holds the record for the longest stint as Donna and has the second highest number of total performances in the role. Nowadays, the 53-year-old proudly identifies herself as "Choi Jung-won, born to play Donna," a statement that few would challenge. However, it wasn't

May 8, 2023

Soprano Jo Su-mi to go on five-city tour in June

Internationally acclaimed soprano Jo Su-mi will embark on a five-city tour in June, performing in Gongju and Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province; Ulsan; Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province; and Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Titled “2023 Jo Sumi Concert: In Love,” the tour will kick off at the Gongju Culture and Art Center on June 8. The tour will continue at the Dangjin Culture and Art Center on June 10, at the Ulsan Culture and Arts Center on June 25, at the Seongnam Arts Center on

May 7, 2023

[Herald Review] Musical 'Rachmaninoff' bridges gaps between audience and classical music

People often overlook the fact that even the most talented musicians are still human beings, and we tend to remember only their most notable accomplishments. The naming of classical music pieces labeled with vital information such as the form, key and chronological order in which they were composed is not enough to convey the stories behind their masterpieces. Only those with a great curiosity and the willingness to explore beyond these labels will ever discover the stories of their creation.

May 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Producer Oh Se-hyeok's journey from Seoul to Shanghai

Producer and playwright Oh Se-hyeok's musical, "The Brothers Karamazov," based on the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, ended its run at the Shanghai Grand Theater on April 16. By coincidence, on the same day, the Korean version of the same musical, which premiered in 2018, happened to be midway through its fourth run in Daehagno, Seoul. Set in 19th-century Russia, the musical covers the conflict between the children of Fyodor Karamazov: the abandoned sons of his f

May 3, 2023

Musical production company OD aims to make global splash with 'The Great Gatsby' and 'Il Tenore'

South Korean musical theater producer OD Company has announced plans to create at least three original works, as it aims to expand to Broadway and beyond. Led by CEO and chief producer Shin Chun-soo, the company is working on two musicals -- "The Great Gatsby," based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel of the same title, and "Il Tenore," a story about three college students who fall in love with opera in the 1930s. "For genuine success in the global market, it is essen

May 2, 2023

Classical music returns to Gyechon Village with world-class performances

The Ninth Gyechon Classic Music Festival, organized by Chung Mong-koo Foundation and Korea National University of Arts, is set to return from May 26 to 28 at Gyechon Village in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The festival will bring back its three-day schedule following pandemic-caused disruptions in recent years. In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held online only and last year, the festival was a two-day affair. Three different concerts are scheduled over the thr

May 1, 2023

'Ilmu' puts contemporary spin on Joseon royal ancestral rites

The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre is set to perform its iconic repertoire “Ilmu” at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from May 25-28. Premiered in 2022, the performance directed by Jung Ku-ho, is a modern reinterpretation of a traditional dance inspired by Jongmyo Jeryeak, a royal ceremonial performance encompassing singing, music and dance that took place during ancestral rites held at Jongmyo Shrine. Tablets of Joseon kings and queens are preserved at the shrine. Jongmyo

April 30, 2023