By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The musical "The Gifts of the Magi" based on O. Henry's short stories will premiere on Jan. 7 and run to Feb. 24 at Live Theater in Daehangno, central Seoul.
The story is set in a small town in New York in 1905 where a young couple, Jim and Della, are out of work and penniless. The show begins with the well-known short story, which revolves around the couple's exchange of gifts ― the young wife's beautiful hair and the young husband's treasured pocket watch.
The story develops with the introduction of other young characters ― a cheerful bum named Soapy and a newsboy narrator Willy who are poor but hopeful during the Christmas season. The musical deals with the value of love and gifts while depicting the daily lives of ordinary people.
It is based on two short stories by O. Henry and tinged with sentiment and humor filled with lilting songs that will appeal to all ages.
Showfac, a local musical company, said that the show was a heart-warming, captivating holiday musical.
"To be loyal to the portrayal of the original characters, we are not resorting to a star-studded casting but new actors with acting and singing abilities who can depict the characters well," the company said in their press release.
Rising musical actors such as Jung Ji-hwan, Park jin-pyo, Jung Jae-hoon and Kim Ji-yeon will perform in the Korean rendition.
The acoustic live performances features a variety of percussion instruments such as bass drum, bell tree, bongos, chimes, crotales, mark tree, orchestral bells, sieigh bells, a small gong, snare, suspended cymbal, temple blocks, timpani, tom toms, the triangle, vibraphone, wood block and xylophone.
The musical was written by Mark St. Germain and composed by Randy Courts and was first shown at the Lambs Theater in New York on Dec. 3 in 1984.
Tickets cost from 30,000 to 40,000 won. For more information, call (02) 548-1141.