Fusion Musical Back in Seoul
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Homegrown musical "Indang's Blues,'' based on two Korean classics, will return to Daehangno after performing in Beijing. The revival musical will be staged at Sadari Art Center from Oct. 31 to Dec. 31.
The musical troupe successfully performed in Beijing on Oct. 25 and 26 as part of cultural exchanges between Korea and China.
This musical premiered in 2002 as a fusion performance based on two Korean folk tales ― Chunhyangjeon; a tale of true love between the daughter of a "gisaeng,'' or Korean female entertainer, and the son of an aristocratic official, and Simcheongjeon; a tale of a dutiful daughter who sacrifices herself for her blind father.
The show also blends both Western music forms, including rap, and Korean traditional music forms, such as pansori (Korean traditional vocal music), to create something that is new, beautiful and powerful.
The pansori in this musical is easy to understand because it is conducted in modern language and style. Actors and actresses sing major songs tinged with traditional music to unfold the storyline of the drama.
Won Il, a distinguished composer of Korean music, has joined the revival performance and has revamped the songs to create a complete and well-organized musical performance.
Traditional Korean instruments like haegeum (Korean fiddle), daegeum (large flute), janggu (percussion instrument) and buk (Korean Drum) are played live. Modern musical numbers played with traditional Korean instruments have recently gained great popularity among young people.
The musical also showcases the mystical union of actors and puppets, who find their way into the hearts of the audience as this tragic love story moves people to tears.
Puppets are used in the musical to help boost the imagination and create more lively characters. The actors and puppets perform traditional dances together, offering light-hearted moments to spectators.
English subtitles will be available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
To get there, walk 30 meters from Exit 1 of Hyehwa Station on Subway Line 4, turn right into the alley after Mr. Pizza and walk 100m to a parking lot to get to the theater.
Tickets cost from 20,000 to 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 762-9190 and 011-269-1628 or visit
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