 Oh Man-seok stars in“ The Harmonium in My Memory,”a movie-turned-musical. |
Staff Reporter
Actor Oh Man-seok will return to the stage with a new film-based musical, ``The Harmonium in My Memory'' from July 22.
The film (1999) of the same name featuring award-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon and hallyu star Lee Byung-hun, will be adapted into the musical show.
Oh will alternate playing the leading role of Kang Dong-soo, an elementary school teacher with rising musical star Cho Jung-seok.
The role of Yoon Hong-yeon, which was played by Jeon in the film version, will be played by Lee Jung-mi and Jang Eun-ah who starred in ``Mamma Mia!''
According to Show Tic, the production company, the musical rendition will focus on reviving the romantic atmosphere and literary sensitivity of the 1960s on stage as the film did. ``The Harmonium in My Memory'' is also the big-screen adaptation of best-selling Korean novel ``Female Student.''
The story is about the first love of adolescents in a remote village area in the 1960s. It revolves around Kang, aged 23, who is teaching for the first time at the elementary school in the region and Yoon, the 16-year-old elementary student.
Kang is portrayed as a warm-hearted man and takes good care of his class pupils, who're mostly children from poor families.
Yoon, a 6th grader but much older than most of her classmates, gradually falls in love with Kang.
Her daily diary, a school assignment, reveals not only her strong feelings for Kang but her humorous daily life and her constant ranting about the sexual bias against females in her family in the village.
``The original novel was published in 1980s and the film was made in 1990s and now the musical rendition will be made in 2000s, showing the tireless energy of the work because of its pure and touching story,'' a public relations official of the company, said.
But the musical will feature visually catching pink-toned stage sets to exude a romantic atmosphere, along with modern music and choreography played by 21 actors to curry favor with the modern audience.
This musical is drawing attention from the public not only because it is based on the well-known film but also because of Oh's return to the stage.
The actor made his debut in 1999 through the play ``Faust.'' He is better known as Hedwig in the long-running musical, ``Hedwig and the Angry Inch.''
Starring in such musicals as ``Grease'' and ``Hedwig and the Angry Inch,'' Oh achieved stardom with the KBS mini-series ``The Man of the Vineyard.''
Since then, Oh has starred in a thriller film ``Our Town (2007)'' and the SBS historical drama ``The King and I.''
The musical will be put on stage at Hoam Arts Hall from July 22 to Sept. 11. Tickets cost from 35,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 751-9606.
chungay@koreatimes.co.kr
