Stage shows find ways to survive on screen

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Performing arts and the cinema industry joined forces to draw in viewers, as both have seen a dramatic downturn in ticket sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The musical “Lost Face 1895,” revolving around the unseen side of Empress Myeongseong of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, will reach out to more audiences nationwide with a filmed version of the stage show to be released on CGV screens.

The musical, produced by the state-run Seoul Performing Arts Company (SPAC), was shown on stage last July, but its run was halved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of missing its chance, SPAC filmed it with nine 4K cameras to present it online and in movie theaters.

Actress Cha Ji-yeon, played the mysterious empress and said she hopes this would provide an opportunity for more people to enjoy the performing arts.

"This is a new system for us. We perform enthusiastically on stage and the liveliness of theater is enormous. Theater is a magical place, where the energy between people, sweat and breath fills the space and transcends us to a different world. I wondered if such magic of theater would be delivered on screen,” Cha said.

“However, the film version offers more dynamic close-up view of small details ― how our eyes shine and our hands move. I am not an expert in technical parts, but I can feel that the crew tried hard to convey the original quality of the performance. It is an honor to be part of this project.”

Playwright Jang Seong-hee said she considers this as a third genre, neither stage musical nor film.

"As a writer, I have a high opinion of the sound (of the film), which makes lines and lyrics to be heard more clearly. However, I am also worried about whether or not a filmed version can convey the theatricality or exquisite timing of stage art, which makes the performance richer," Jang said.

"Lost Face" is often compared to "The Last Empress," another well-known Korean musical centering on the life of Empress Myeongseong.

"I watched the premiere of 'The Last Empress' in the 1990s. While 'The Last Empress' expands the tale of Empress Myeongseong in a broader historical perspective, Lost Face is more introverted, exploring the complex inner life of the empress," Jang said.

"Another important character in 'Lost Face' is Hwi, the photographer's assistant. The letter hwi was only reserved for royalty during Joseon Kingdom, so I intentionally named him Hwi, as the king of the public. This is another face we lost amid tumultuous history."

Composer Min Chan-hong said much effort was put into audio in post-production, including sound mixing.

"We had to compromise some sense of liveness, but we focused on delivering small details such as the clinking sound of coffee cups to audiences. Lost Face also features a large orchestra, so we tried to convey musical details as much as possible," Min said.

"Lost Face 1895" will hit some 40 CGV cinemas across the country, Feb. 24.

In addition to "Lost Face," CGV also screens select performances of "ARKO Selection" through an agreement with Arts Council Korea (ARKO).

A video recording of the musical "Sidereus," revolving around Galileo and Kepler, was released at CGV theaters on Feb. 11, and "Hope," inspired by the story of a woman who inherited Kafka's unpublished script, will come out in March.

Theater adapts short-form video

As the COVID-19 pandemic has prohibited many people from experiencing live entertainment, the online streaming of musicals and plays has become the new normal.

According to Naver, the portal site livestreamed 600 performances in 2020, which is about 7.5 times higher than the previous year. The accumulated number of views reached 15 million, a whopping 12.5-fold increase from the previous year.

A paid viewing service was introduced last September and 67 of these shows attracted some 70,000 viewers, suggesting the commercial potential for “videotized” live performances.

Along with the streaming of existing musicals, new musicals suited for short-form contents are emerging as well.

EMK Entertainment, an affiliate of EMK Musical Company behind "Mozart!" and "Rebecca," collaborated with multi-channel network Sandbox Network to present digital musical "A Killer Party" last year. The 90-minute musical was segmented into nine 10-minute episodes and shown on various online platforms, targeting tech-savvy millennials and generation Z.

SPAC is also presenting 10 web musicals from Feb. 15 to 21 on Naver TV. The company ran a contest last autumn and 10 selected teams are presenting 20-minute musicals in 10-minute episodes.

"Despite the newness of the web musical, more than 41 teams applied for the contest. The genres of the musicals are also diverse, ranging from comedy and drama to thriller and fantasy. This web musical project provides an opportunity for young musical theater creators to experiment on a new format," an SPAC official said.

The Seoul Arts Center also launched "Play Clips," its short-form play brand, last year. Play "XXL Leotard Anna Sui Hand Mirror," which tells the story of teenagers in excessive competition, originally ran for 90 minutes, but it was condensed to 40 minutes and divided into five episodes.

Chie Hye-won, a professor of Kyung Hee University's arts and cultural management program, said it is important for web musicals to establish their own way as a new medium.

"The lines between different genres are very blurred these days. Web comics and web novels are basically comics and novels, but they became new genres. The key lies in combining the traits of the original genre and the platform to develop its unique characteristics and widen the target demographics," Chie said.