Theaters prepare for year-end season
Singer-turned-actress Ivy plays Princess Amneris in the Disney musical “Aida,” staged at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul. The musical continues through March 11. / Courtesy of Seensee Company
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The year end is a big season for theater companies and 2016 is no exception. Here is a guide to what to see before 2017.
Oldies but goodies
Whitney Houston's cover version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is one of the most popular pop songs in Korea. Local audiences will be able to hear the famous song live in theater this winter as the musical version of "The Bodyguard" will stage its Asian premiere at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul.
Based on the 1992 film of the same name, which starred Houston and featured her songs, the musical revolves around a star singer and her bodyguard as he attempts to protect her from a mysterious stalker.
In the Korean production, musical diva Jeong Seon-ah, "Voice of Korea" winner Son Seung-yeon and singer Lee Eun-jin, better known under the stage name Yangpa, will alternate the role of Rachel Marron and veteran actors Park Sung-woong and Lee Jong-hyuk will play the agent-turned-bodyguard.
"The Bodyguard" runs from Dec. 15 to March 5. Tickets cost from 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, call 1544-1555.
Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, dubbed the "King of Song" by the BBC, is well-known in Korea for his hits such as "Oh! Carol," "You Mean Everything to Me" and "One Way Ticket."
Veteran actor Park Sung-woong will make his musical debut in “The Bodyguard” staged at LG Arts Center from Dec. 15 to March 5. / Courtesy of CJ E&M
A jukebox musical featuring Sedaka’s songs hits the Korean stage from Nov. 17 to Feb. 5. "Oh! Carol," written by Erik Jackson and Ben H. Winters, weaves Sedaka songs such as "Lonely Night," "King of Clowns" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" with a story of six lovers at a resort in the 1960s.
Nam Kyung-joo plays Harvey, an emcee at the Paradise Resort, while Jeon Soo-kyeong plays Esther, the owner of the resort.
"Oh! Carol" is staged at BBCH Hall in Kwanglim Arts Center in southern Seoul. Tickets cost from 60,000 to 130,000 won. For more information, call 1577-3363.
Nam Kyung-joo will play Harvey in the musical “Oh! Carol” featuring the music of Neil Sedaka. / Courtesy of Show Media Group
Blockbuster hits
The Disney musical “Aida,” based on Verdi’s opera of the same name, triumphantly returns to Seoul for its fourth run.
The musical tells the heartbreaking love story of Nubian Princess Aida, Egyptian captain Radames and his fiancee Egyptian Princess Amneris with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice.
For the 2016 production, Yoon Gong-ju and Jang Eun-ah alternate the title role of Aida, while singer-turned-actress Ivy plays Amneris with Lee Jung-hwa.
“Aida” is staged at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul until March 11. Tickets cost 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, call 02-577-1987.
Though Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" is well-known for telling the tale of young soprano Christine Daae and the mysterious figure living under an opera theater in the 1880s, Korean theatergoers are excited for another musical adaptation of the story by Maury Yeston.
"Phantom" returns to stage at Blue Square in Seoul from Nov. 26 to Feb. 26 after its successful Korean premiere in 2015. The plot takes a different turn from the Webber's version and gives an account of the Phantom's background.
Park Hyo-shin, Park Eun-tae and Jeon Dong-suk play the Phantom, while soprano Kim Soon-young return to the role of Christine with Kim So-hyun and Lee Ji-hye.
Tickets cost from 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, call 1577-6478.
Park Jung-min, left, and Moon Geun-young star in “Romeo and Juliet.” / Courtesy of Sem Company
Shakespeare’s anniversary
This year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. A wide range of events celebrating arguably the world’s most famous and bestselling playwright were held throughout the year around the globe, but the celebration is not over till it's over.
A new production of “Romeo and Juliet” directed by Yang Jung-ung will hit the stage of the Daloreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea on Namsan Mountain from Dec. 9 to Jan. 15.
Starring top actor Park Jung-min as Romeo and sweetheart Moon Geun-young as Juliet, the production aims to put emphasis on maintaining the charm of Shakespeare’s lines.
Director Yang is known for adding twists to Shakespearean works such as “A Midsummer Night's Dream” and “Hamlet,” but he said this “Romeo and Juliet” will remain as intact as possible as Yang was fascinated by the dramatic phrases.
Moon said she is excited to return to the stage six years after her stint in "Closer."
"Being on the stage gives me fresh impetus and I want to deliver the beauty of Juliet and her love to the audiences," Moon said during a press conference earlier this week.
Tickets cost from 33,000 to 66,000 won. For more information, call 1544-1555.
Heartwarming treats in small theater
For those looking for something cozier, small theaters are packed with plays and musicals that will warm your heart.
"Maybe Happy Ending," also known as "What I Learned from People" in the United States, is a new work from composer Will Aronson and lyricist Hue Park, the duo behind the Korean musical "Bungee Jump."
Set in Seoul in the near future when robots coexist with humans, the musical revolves around two out-of-date "helper-bots" Oliver and Claire, living in a robots-only apartment in the outskirts of Seoul. Outdated by newer models, the two old-fashioned robots living alone in their home begin to recognize each other and set out on a trip to Jeju Island.
The show, which received rave reception from audiences during a tryout in Seoul in 2015, throws questions about the human condition in the age of technology-driven isolation with acoustic music with a touch of jazz.
Maury Yeston’s "Phantom" will be staged at Blue Square in Seoul from Nov. 26 to Feb. 26. / Courtesy of EMK Musical Company
"Maybe Happy Ending" is staged at Daemyung Culture Factory in Daehangno, central Seoul from Dec. 20 to March 5. Tickets cost from 40,000 to 60,000 won. For more information, call 02-766-7667.
The musical "Story of My Life," a steady hit in Korea, will return in December for a two-month limited run at Baekam Art Hall in southern Seoul.
The two-hander from Broadway follows the friendship of two men ― Thomas and Alvin. Meeting at a Halloween party when they were seven, Thomas and Alvin grow up together in a small town and Alvin inspires Thomas to write his own works. Thomas goes to a college in the big city, but Alvin remains in their hometown and runs a bookstore inherited from his father.
"Story of My Life" runs from Dec. 6 to Feb. 5. Tickets cost from 44,000 to 66,000 won. For more information, call 1588-5212.