Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
International co-production frequent in musicals
By Park Jin-hai
This is a scene from “Feast for the Princess,” a musical produced by CJ E&M in cooperation with China's United Asia Live Entertainment. / Courtesy of CJ E&M
By Park Jin-hai
The saturation of the domestic musical market is prompting local entertainment firms to seek co-productions in China and Japan.
Highlighting the attractiveness of these two markets is the saturated local musical industry in recent years.
Dream International signed a contract with a Chinese production company to produce the musical “Mulan.” The musical, which was an animated film by Disney in 1998, will feature the heroic life story of fictional Chinese character Fa Mulan. There are already several movies and dramas based on the story within China.
“It will depict a tragic love story as well as comradeship during war time,” said Lee Yong-do, producer of the musical.
Starting with a showcase scheduled for June during the Daegu Musical Festival, the musical will be staged from January to mid February in Seoul in 2015, before touring several Chinese cities.
Another production company Musicalheaven has signed a deal with Japan’s Horipro Inc. to make the popular Japanese comic “Death Note” into a musical.
This will be their second joint production, following the 2011 production “Thrill Me.” The original Broadway thriller musical was well received by audiences then and again in 2012, which motivated them to collaborate again.
American composer Frank Wildhorn, famous for musical “Jekyll & Hyde,” and lyrist Jack Murphy of “Monte Cristo” have been tapped this time, while Tamiya Kuriyama, former head of the New National Theatre in Tokyo, will be in charge of directing.
At present, Musical Heaven has settled copyright issues with its original holder and confirmed its overseas schedule. Following its premiere in Tokyo in April 2015, it will run in Osaka in May, before coming to Seoul in July 2015.
CJ E&M worked with United Asia Live Entertainment (UALE), a joint venture established between CJ E&M, China Arts and Entertainment Group, and Shanghai Media Group, to stage the musical “Feast for the Princess” from October 2013.
The musical, blended tai chi, kung fu and hip-hop moves, is about a princess who loses her appetite and chefs competing to help her regain it.
The show has been performed some 120 times, in Shanghai and Beijing as of Jan. 26, with 70 percent of seats occupied.
CJ and UALE collaborated in June 2013 to export the homegrown musical “Finding Destiny,” a Chinese version of “Finding Kim Jong-wook.”