Thomas & Friends Coming to Town
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The Broadway family musical, ``Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town'' is being staged for the first time after its debut here in 2007.
The upcoming stage version based on ``Thomas & Friends,'' one of the most favorite television series for children around the world is the newest one that was first performed in the United States in 2009.
The popular engine and his friends will entertain children in the new musical for 90 minutes packed full of high-energy dancing, songs and exciting adventures.
The interactive musical produced by HIT Entertainment and AEG/ThemeSTAR, and presented by Mast Entertainment, uses the adventures of the always lovable Thomas and his friends to teach children the importance of cooperation and friendship.
``We're thrilled to bring families an entertainment experience they can't find anywhere else,'' said Mark Avery, CEO, AEG/ThemeSTAR in a statement.
``With Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town, AEG/ThemeSTAR has successfully blended the enduring appeal of Thomas and his friends with the timeless artistry and exuberance of the circus,'' said Gary Krakower, senior vice president, U.S. Licensing and Live Events. ``Families who see this show will remember the experience for many years to come.''
This time, the show is set on the Island of Sodor where Thomas and all the train engines with colorful circus performers and island residents prepare for a big circus event. But as problems come up along the way, Thomas, Gordon, James and Percy have to find ways to work together to make the circus event successful.
For the Seoul performance, the original creative team will cooperate with the Korean company while 10 Korean actors who passed the audition will perform in Korean to help Korean children better understand the show. The creative team has participated in the whole production process from audition to rehearsals.
``Thomas & Friends'' offers a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. It was first created by Rev. W. Awdry for his son 65 years ago in 1945 in the United Kingdom as the book series ``The Three Railway Engines.'' Today, families in more than 145 countries enjoy fun and adventure with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation.
The national tour of the show begins making tracks in April 24 in Suwon and will be rolling into seven cities ― Seoul, Suwon, Gwangju, Jeonju, Seongnam, Daegu and Goyang. Tickets for most shows will be available at ticket.interpark.com and ticket.yes24.com or by calling local interpark and yes24 offices at 1544-1555 and 1544-6399. For complete tour information, visit www.musicalthomas.co.kr.
Tickets cost from 35,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, call (02)541-3173.