Articles by Park Ga-young
Park Ga-young
gypark@heraldcorp.com-
[Herald Interview] Musical composer Frank Wildhorn on South Korea's musical industry, his favorite actors
There was one common element at four different theaters across South Korea on Thursday night. They all staged the music of American composer Frank Wildhorn, the great mind behind musicals “The Man Who Laughs,” “Death Note,” “Mata Hari” and “Jekyll & Hyde.” “That’s 7,000-8,000 people every single night listening to my music … all I can say is that I’m the luckiest guy,” Wildhorn said in an interview with local re
Performance June 28, 2022
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Daegu International Musical Festival comes back in full blast
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 musicals, also for the first time in three years. The Slovakian version of “Turand
Performance June 26, 2022
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‘Taekwon, Fly Up!’ presents charm of taekwondo with music and dance
A musical that highlights the charm of taekwondo, Korea’s traditional martial arts, has recently been unveiled at Theater Yong at the National Museum of Korea. With a mixed group of musical actors and actual taekwondo athletes, “Taekwon, Fly Up!” offers a dynamic 70 minutes for all ages. The musical revolves around the story of a high school taekwondo team that used to be famous for its high ranking. But after several years of underperforming, their school decides to give th
Performance June 24, 2022
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Two decades of dedication to young talent pays off at international classical music competitions
On Sunday, Lim Yun-chan, 18, received the Gold Medal at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The news arrived two weeks after cellist Choi Ha-young won the Queen Elisabeth competition and three weeks after violinist Yang In-mo became the first Korean winner of the Sibelius Violin Competition, making it an inspiring time for Koreans. But the phenomenon didn’t start in 2022. Last year, Korean pianists Park Jae-hong won first place at the Busoni International Piano Comp
Performance June 24, 2022
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LG Arts Center Seoul to open Oct. 13 with LSO, Cho Seong-jin concert
LG Arts Center Seoul is set to open Oct. 13 with a special concert by the London Symphony Orchestra, led by Simon Rattle and Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin. The 41,631-square-meter complex in southwestern Seoul, which cost 255.6 billion won ($198 million), has taken 4 1/2 years to complete. Designed by celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando, it is the second large performing arts center by the architect, after the Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre. “I wanted to create one-of-a-kin
Culture June 21, 2022
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Soprano Im Sun-hae releases surprising, yet not-so-surprising musical album
The latest album by South Korean soprano Im Sun-hae is unlike most of her previous releases. Betraying her love for musicals, “The Man I Love” is a pleasant picnic away from her career as a soprano, according to the performer. “I‘ve always loved all genres of musical performance. I will always be a classical singer at heart because once you fall in love with classical music, you never give it up completely. But I often felt a need to explore different genres and diver
Performance June 20, 2022
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[Newsmaker] South Korean pianist Lim Yun-chan becomes the youngest winner of Van Cliburn Int'l Piano Competition
Lim Yun-chan, an 18-year-old South Korean pianist, became the winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, the organizer announced Saturday. Lim, the youngest to win the competition’s gold medal, also took home two additional awards: the audience award and the best performance of a new work. Lim also won a cash prize of $100,000 for the gold medal and $7,500 for the special awards. For the next three years, he will also get substantial man
Performance June 19, 2022
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The Blue Man Group actors invite Korean audiences for fun ride
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. The Blue Man Group features three bald and blue characters, a result of an hourlong make
Performance June 16, 2022
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Pianist Chang Hyoung-joon appointed new president of Seoul Arts Center
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday said that it has appointed pianist and professor Chang Hyoung-joon as the new president of the Seoul Arts Center. Starting Friday, Chang will lead the country’s top art complex for the next three years. Born in 1962, Chang received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. He has been teaching piano at Seoul National University since 1995. He has collaborated with world-reno
People June 16, 2022
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Nonverbal hit show “Nanta” to return this summer
The nonverbal show “Nanta” is returning after two and a half painful years of hiatus, according to Song Seung-hwan, the creator of the long-running hit on Tuesday. “After 22 years of a great run, we surrendered to the impact of COVID-19. But we‘re coming back this summer,” Song, CEO & artistic director of PMC Production. “Nanta” will be back on stage in July in South Korea at the exclusive Nanta Theaters in Myeongdong in Seoul and Jeju. Song s
Culture June 15, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Seensee CEO Park Myung-sung on his 40 years of theatrical productions
It's summer of 2022 and South Korea is finally emerging from two years of social distancing restrictions and the performing arts are coming back to life. At a musical theater at Blue Square, the seventh revival of “Aida” is now running. Meanwhile, nine household names whose combined acting careers amount to more than 422 years are gearing up for a monthlong performance of “Hamlet,” a large theater play set to kick off July 13 at the National Theater of Korea.
Performance June 15, 2022
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[Herald Review] Third revival of musical ‘Mata Hari’ sheds lights on woman’s struggle, survival
Mata Hari, a notorious spy during World War I, has long been portrayed as an irresistible femme fatale, double-crossing both Germany and the Allies at the height of World War I. The idea of an exotic dancer with powerful men wrapped around her finger and audiences at her feet involved in espionage has inspired novels, movies and even a game. In 2016, just one year short of the 100th anniversary of her death, EMK, a South Korean musical production company, unveiled a musical adap
Performance June 13, 2022
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Young adult novel remembers writer Li Mirok’s life
A Korean Australian writer’s novel for young adults takes inspiration from an educator and independence activist who spent much of his life in exile in the early 1900s. The book, titled “The Young Resistance and Korean Language School,” gives us a look at Li Mirok -- a writer and educator who is perhaps known better in Germany, where he spent rest of his life since 1922. Li published several books in Germany, including the autobiographical novel “The Yalu Flows,”
Books June 11, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Meet two forces of Aida: producer Tracey Corea and actor Jeon Na-young
Associate director and choreographer of the musical “Aida” Tracey Corea and actor Jeon Na-young may be separated by a few decades in age, but their love for the Disney production bridges that gap. One takes the stage as Aida, the leading protagonist, while the other shines behind the scenes as the musical’s producer. Corea was part of the original team responsible for the birth of the musical when it first appeared on Broadway in 2000. Starting out as a choreographer in
Performance June 8, 2022
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Cellist Choi Ha-young wins prestigious Queen Elisabeth competition
Up-and-coming cellist Choi Ha-young has won the Queen Elisabeth Competition for the cello, becoming the first South Korean cellist to receive the top honor at one of the most demanding contests in the world. The 24-year-old cellist was announced as the winner of the competition at the awards ceremony in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday after the final round of 12 contestants including three other South Korean cellists -- Mun Tae-guk, Yoon Sul and Jeong Woo-chan. The first prize came with a
Performance June 6, 2022
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