French Musical Gala to Heat Up Seoul
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
From ``Notre Dame de Paris,'' to ``Les Dix Commandements'' to ``Romeo et Juliette,'' French musicals have become a new buzzword for musical fans here.
French musicals have many special qualities about them. They separate performances into dancing and singing. In the French shows, the chorus usually dances as a group, combining dancing with acrobatics and modern dance, while actors sing the musical scores with less dialogue and more songs which resemble chansons (traditional songs with French lyrics) sound very exotic and romantic. In other musicals from Broadway to the West End, actors generally do both singing and dancing.
Such characteristics are a welcome change for Korean musical buffs accustomed to Broadway and West End style musicals.
To add momentum to the lingering craze of French musicals, which has hit the stage continuously for a number of years, the gala concert featuring seven main cast members will present the musical numbers at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 12-13.
The cast members are Matt Laurent (Quasimodo), Richard Charest (Gringoire), Laurent Ban (Phoebus) and Jerome Collet (Frollo) from``Notre Dame de Paris,'' Damien Sargue (Romeo) from ``Romeo et Juliette'' and Sergio Moschetto (Moses) and Ahmed Mouici (Ramses) from ``Les Dix.''
Korean singer Hey who is a heroine in ``Le Passe-Muraille,'' a Korean production of the French musical, will also perform.
During the concert, impressive musical scores such as ``Les Rois du Monde,'' ``Amier'' and ``Verone'' from ``Romeo et Juliette'' will captivate audiences.
Also, ``A Chacun son Glaive,'' ``Mon Frere'' and ``L'envie d'aimer'' from ``Les Dix'' and ``Le Temps des Cathedrales,'' ``Belle'' and ``Dichire'' from ``Notre Dame de Paris'' will resound through the concert hall.
The seven actors will present not only the musical hits but also their own hit songs.
According to Show Note, a musical agency, the musical scores will offer various kinds of impressions as they carry the themes from love, hatred, forgiveness and salvation.
``Notre Dame de Paris,'' based on Victor Hugo's work and directed by Gilles Maheu, is a representative French musical, which premiered in Paris in 1998, attracting audiences of more than three million. The musical has lured about 7.5 million audiences worldwide.
``Romeo et Juliette'' has had sold-out performances in France since its premier in 2001. The musical directed by Gerard Presgurvic and choreographed by Redha also drew an audience of four million from 16 countries. It was also put on stage in Seoul earlier this year, fueling the boom of more French musical ``fanatics.''
Its catchy musical scores appealed to Korean audiences. About seven million copies of CDs and DVDs have been sold worldwide.
``Les Dix Commandements,'' based on the famous biblical episode about the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, is also one of the greatest French musicals, dealing with love, freedom and brotherhood.
Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 120,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3485-8711.