Best-Selling Novels Adapted Into Stage Versions

A scene from “Take Care of My Mom,” which will be on stage from Jan. 27 to March 23 at Sejong M Theater / Courtesy of Seensee Musical Company

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Best-selling novels are recently inspiring the stage plays and musicals probably due to their solid storyline and proven reputation. Instead of tapping into classical literary pieces, nowadays the latest best-selling novels are given a fresh spin as theatrical works.

Take Care of My Mom

``Take Care of My Mom’’ written by celebrated author Shin Kyung-sook, which recently set a record by selling 1.2 million copies, will be produced as a play next month.

The novel has created the so-called ``mother syndrome’’ in the local publishing industry, which quickly produced other literary works with a similar theme to capitalize on the popularity.

Now, the story will be recreated into a theatrical drama by television producer and director Ko Seok-man and veteran actors such as Jung Hye-seon, Shim Yang-hong and Kil Yong-woo.

It portrays a mother from various angles as seen through her family members. An old mother, who lives in a rural area, travels to Seoul one day to see her children and celebrate her birthday with them. But she gets lost in the hustle-and-bustle of the subway station in Seoul. The mother cannot find her children’s houses due to her Alzheimer’s disease, but her family members aren’t aware of her illness.

The family members desperately try to find her, publishing posters and posting her picture on the Internet and in newspapers. As they look for her, they come to realize their indifference to her pain and loneliness. They realize they love her because they need her. The story consists of four sections in which the daughter, son, husband, and finally, the mother take turns being the narrator. In each part, they tell their memories and experiences regarding the mother. The suspenseful story reveals the intertwined relations among family members through the process of finding their mother.

The play will be staged from Jan. 27 to March 23 at Sejong M Theater. Tickets cost from 40,000 to 60,000 won. For more information, call (02) 577-1987.

Quiz Show

Kim Young-ha’s novel ``Quiz Show,’’ which was published in 2007, is being staged as a musical.

The story portrays 20-somethings who have the experience of sharing secretive words through keyboards and falling in love with anonymous people via the Internet.

The story compares those in their 20s in the 2000s with those in their 20s in the 1990s in terms of the hopes they entertain. While young people in the 1990s benefited from the venture and IT booms, the youth of today seem to have no other hope but saving money.

The young group is often dubbed the ``880,000-won’’ generation because today’s youth can barely live on such a small salary; they often work at convenience stores and get little public attention in Korean society.

Born in 1980, Lee Min-su is a man who runs into a heavy debt after his grandmother dies. He lives in a small room and works as a part-timer at a convenience store. For him, the only pleasure in life is to enter an Internet chat room to delve into the intellectual joy through real-time quiz contests. One day, he is fired and ousted from his rented house. A strange man offers him 10 million won if he wins a ``Real Quiz Show,'' which he says is different from other TV quiz shows or Internet games.

``Quiz Show’’ is an entertaining take on Koreans in their 20s, many of whom feel a deep sense of loneliness.

The musical version directed by celebrated director Park Kal-rin features high-quality songs. The show will run until Jan. 2 at Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center.

Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 60,000 won. For more information, call (02) 577-1987.

My Sweet Seoul

``My Sweet Seoul,’’ a musical based on Jung I-hyun's best-selling novel of the same name, is now showing at Theater Yong at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan.

The work was also made into a 2008 television drama, depicting the life of thirty-something urbanites in the 21st century.

The musical, presented by OD Musical Company, Eda, Show Play and the Theatre Yong, stars Kim Woo-hyung, Park Hye-na and Lee Jung-mi.

``My Sweet Seoul’’ depicts the simple, yet extraordinary story of an earnest and introspective 31-year-old woman named Eun-soo looking for love.

The strength of the story lies in the introspection of ordinary people and its ability to capture the small moments and universal yearnings of the modern urban generation.

For the theatrical version, a new character, named Which, is newly created to add flavor.

The character is an omniscient narrator who embodies the female protagonist's internal struggles ― giving an objective point of view.

The musical version gives a different spin from the original novel and adds some fantasy elements to make the work more appealing and entertaining.

The choreography features recurring moves and steps to portray the repetitive lives of urbanites, while the musical numbers feature modern rock tunes.

The musical will continue to run through Dec. 31. Tickets cost from 50,000 to 90,000 won. For more information, call (02) 1544-5955.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr

Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn
Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn