Epic series 'Arirang' adapted for stage

Jo Jung-rae, center, author of the epic novel “Arirang,” speaks at a news conference, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Seensee

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korean author Jo Jung-rae’s epic novel "Arirang" will get a new lease of life on stage as it will be adapted into a musical in July.

Park Myung-sung, artistic director of Seensee, is the producer of many hit musicals in Korea including "Chicago," “Mamma Mia!" and Disney's "Aida." However, his attempt to create a Korean musical "Dancing Shadow" in 2007 ended in a debacle. It took Park another eight years to produce another big Korean musical.

"I was inspired by Nubian slaves who desperately pined for their home country after being captured in Egypt in the musical Aida. That's when I first thought of adapting Jo's 'Arirang' to stage," Park said at a press conference Tuesday. "Arirang is the aria of Korean, engraved upon our heart. Jo's novel portrayed the spirit."

The epic saga revolves around seven main characters under Japanese colonial rule (1910-45), describing a grass roots life in that turbulent era.

Koh Sun-woong of Play Factory Mabangzen, helmed the production, adapting the novel for stage and directing it. The original 12-volume series is 20,000 pages long and the key for adaptation was to summarize it in a two-and-a-half-hour musical. Koh trimmed down the story centering on the family of Gamgol-daek, covering up to the 1920s part of the novel.

"The original novel is massive. Each chapter would make a good musical independently. So I decided that it was impossible to put the 40 years described in the novel onto the stage," Koh said.

However, the original author kept himself from intervening with the dramatization of the material.

"I haven't seen the adapted script yet because I had faith in the creators. The original writer meddling with the adaptation is an easy way to spoil it," Jo said.

Instead, the saga writer quoted a line from his novel to encourage the creators and actors.

"A monk says to the Joseon loyal troops in Manchuria fighting against the Japanese that each of them is Joseon. That is the same what I feel for the actors of 'Arirang.' Whatever role you play, each of you represent Joseon," Jo said.

Composer Kim Dae-sung, who wrote the music for the opera "Silk Road" and the play "Kim Hong-do," composed songs for "Arirang."

"When I was offered to write music for 'Arirang,' the first thing I did was go to Mt. Jiri to get inspiration. The base for music is of course the folk song Arirang _ from regional versions of Miryang and Jindo to modern renditions we now know," Kim said.

He added that he avoided electronic sounds as much as possible and the 20-member orchestra will be mostly acoustic.

In the musical, veteran actor Seo Beom-seok and hallyu star Ahn Jae-wook take the role of Yang Chi-seong, a conscious aristocrat who leads the loyal army for the nation's independence. Actresses Yoon Kong-ju and Lim Hye-young will play the role of Su-guk, a woman who had to endure days of hardships. Kim Soung-nyo, a master actress who currently heads the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, will play Gamgol-daek, a stoic mother who represents Korea.

"Arirang" will run from July 16 to Sept. 5 at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. Tickets cost 60,000 to 130,000 won. For more information, visit www.iseensee.com or call (02) 577-1987.