Which Performance Fits You Best?
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The year-end is filled with interesting shows, but luckily for the producers the audience preference among genres varies according to age and gender, according to ticket Web sites Auction and Interpark.
While men prefer plays and theater, women prefer concerts, according to Auction.
The Web site analyzed ticket sales and discovered that men bought tickets for plays, while women opened their wallets for exciting concerts and shows.
``Women bought tickets for concerts, mainly by talented male singers, while men preferred plays that offered a quieter atmosphere and also related to their real life,'' Joo Man-woo from Auction said.
One of the most popular concerts among 20-something females is Park Jin-young's ``Bad Party-Heartless,'' scheduled Dec. 19 in Incheon, Dec. 20 in Daegu and Dec. 23 to 26 in Seoul. A total of 53.6 percent of the buyers were in their 20s, while 61.2 percent of them were women.
Hip-hop has also become a popular genre among young women, with 61 percent of the nearly sold-out tickets of Drunken Tiger's performance on Dec. 18 and 19 at Lotte World being bought by women.
Another revered singer among ladies in their 20s is Kim Tae-woo, whose concert on Dec. 18 and 19 at Kyung Hee University has drawn a large female audience. Of ticket sales, 73.6 percent have been purchased by women.
While those in their 20s look for fun and excitement, the female thirty-something have taken a more romantic approach: Shin Seung-hun. The famous balladeer is offering his year-end concert from Dec. 18 to 20 at Olympic Park, and while 54.5 percent of the buyers are in their 30s, more than 70 percent of them are women.
``I already know his style and his songs, and I want to listen to him live. He mostly sings romantic ballads, so I thought it would be a good way to finish the hustle and bustle of 2009,'' Kim Sun-mi, who bought two tickets for Shin's show, said.
Ladies in their 40s, on the other hand, are preparing for their year-ends with veteran artists like Insooni and Cho Yong-pil.
Insooni is famous for her strong vocals and eye-catching performances, attracting many 40-something viewers. Of the buyers, 38.5 percent were in their forties and 62.8 percent were women. Her concert will be staged Dec. 27 at Olympic Park. Cho's concert will be held on Dec. 18 and 19 at Olympic Park.
On the other hand, many men opened their wallets for theatrical works they could easily relate to. ``Room No. 13'' is one of the most popular among teenagers and 20-somethings. The comedy about a government official and his rival's secretary captivated fans with its humorous storyline and witty script. The play is staged through Dec. 31 in Busan and will be on open run in Seoul from Jan. 1.
For males in their twenties and thirties, the play ``The Man, The Woman'' is slowly starting to catch people's attention with its romantic storyline about two couples and tales of their love. The play runs through Jan. 3 at Yundang Art Hall in Sinsa-dong.
Meanwhile, the play ``The Professor and the Female Student'' has attracted men in their forties, touching the hearts of older men. The play runs through Jan. 31 at Hansung Art Hall in Jongro.
For more information about tickets, visit www.ticket.auction.co.kr or www.interpark.com.