`Beautiful Game Lost in Adaptation
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
It was not easy for Andrew Lloyd Webber ― renowned musical composer of ``Cats'' and ``The Phantom of the Opera'' ― when ``The Beautiful Game'' had to lower the curtain after less than a year's run on the West End in 2000.
But there was critical acclaim for his piece because its subject matter was unusual for a musical theme. The musical sheds light on young footballers' lives blighted by Northern Ireland's troubles.
Now, the Korean production is being put on stage at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. Public attention has been buzzing, even ahead of the production, not only because it's Webber's latest work in Korea but also because it's the return performance of musical star Park Gun-hyung.
The production presents Webber's memorable musical songs like ``God's Own Country'' in which both Catholic and Protestant footballers sing along.
Also, the stage was successfully turned into a soccer field in which football players perform aerial football moves through flamboyant and dynamic choreography.
Despite these musical arts, the Korean adaptation of ``The Beautiful Game'' seemed to fail in touching the hearts of Korean viewers.
Why does the musical seem to be empty despite its name value and its impressive musical score and choreography?
First of all, Park didn't meet expectations for many fans who were longing for his comeback. Park's extraordinary performance in ``Saturday Night Fever'' three years ago remains etched in musical fans' mind.
Park, who turned from the stage to the screen after the success in the musical scene, seemed to lose his energy on stage due to a long absence from musicals. His vocals didn't have as much power as in his previous work.
But the biggest flaw is that the Korean audience didn't catch the main storyline because of an awkward adaptation.
The musical is set in Belfast, Northern Ireland with young footballers as its central characters and sectarian strife as the backdrop.
The show originally dealt with the disintegration of a Catholic boys' soccer club post in 1969. The musical revolves around John, a star striker-turned IRA member. John chose the IRA after was jailed for seven years after helping his closest mate, named Thomas, who became a hard-line nationalist. Other members of the team also get involved in the strife, ending up either dead, exiled or crippled.
The original work focuses on touching not only the Irish problem but about the futility of these conflicts and how they keep repeating themselves.
But the musical failed to describe the conflict between John and Thomas when John, as an IRA member, ultimately kills his old friend in the final scene, leaving the audience baffled.
The Korean production reaffirmed that Korean musical fans prefer comedy, fantasy and fun musicals, rather than the heavy subjects. Also the regional issue of Northern Ireland failed to strike a chord with the Korean fans.
The musical didn't even reflect the original piece as the Korean lyrics didn't highlight any lines crucial to the escalating tension between John and Thomas, two core figures in the story.
Instead, it turned the seriousness of the musical into the lukewarm work tinged with Korean humor that failed to win audience sympathy.
The musical premiered in 2000 at Cambridge Theater in London but the show never made it to Broadway.
The Korean production will continue to run through Jan. 13. Tickets for the show cost from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 501-7888 or visit www.beautifulgame.co.kr.