Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Met Opera tenor Kim makes Korean debut

By Lee Hyo-won “Kim has a fine tenor voice and he seems to be on a mission to make everyone realize it,” International Record Review said of Kim Woo-kyung, the first Asian tenor to play a leading role at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Kim’s next mission after conquering the Met? Making a dangerous deal with the devil in his first Korean opera. His local debut with the Korea National Opera’s (KNO) “Faust” Wednesday comes after the vocalist wowed local fans in a duo recital with Hong Hei-kyung, the first Asian soprano to sing Violetta in the Met's "La Traviata." “The original play by Goethe that inspired the opera is an extremely difficult piece. I bought the thick book and tried reading it, only to fall asleep,” Kim said, laughing, during a recent press conference in Seoul. “Faust sells his soul in return for eternal youth, and it appears on the surface that youth is the most valuable asset. But youth signifies hope. This story depicts hopeless people leading meaningless lives. There would be challenges in expressing such diverse states of the human condition, but a

Mar 15, 2011

Piaf revival to be staged at Chungmu Art Hall

By Chung Ah-young Iconic French singer Edith Piaf will be revived on stage in “Piaf” two years after the Korean adaptation was first performed in Seoul in 2009. Written by British playwright Pam Gems in 1978, the play is based on the life story of the French singer and her music. When first presented by the U.K.’s Royal Shakespeare Company in 1979 it received rave reviews from critics. The work portrays Piaf’s tempestuous life from childhood to her peak as a popular singer in the 20th century. The play made its premiere here in 2009 at the Towol Theater, Seoul Arts Center, featuring 17 of her memorable songs. Veteran actress Choi Jung-won, who performed in the 2009 version, will reprise the role of Piaf. During the performance, the actress will not leave the stage ― she will age and change clothes, sing and cry in frustration on stage. The Seensee Musical Company said that the play will show the “art of an actress” focusing on her energy and passion rather than using stage changes and the audience will meet various people from Piaf’s life. Her songs such as “La Vi

Mar 15, 2011

Monte Cristo returns with stronger revenge

By Kwon Mee-yoo The musical “The Count of Monte Cristo” has returned to the stage with the top musical actors from last year’s production and a strengthened story emphasizing the Count’s revenge. The curtain went up here on March 1 on the musical based on Alexandre Dumas’s 19th-century novel of the same name at the Grand Theater of Chungmu Art Hall in central Seoul. Edmond Dantes, a sailor of Marseilles promoted to captain, is sent to a prison on an isolated island through the actions of three conspirators during his engagement party — his friend Mondego, who loves Dantes’ fiancee Mercedes, Danglars, a junior officer on Dante’s ship who is jealous of him, and Villefort, an ambitious prosecutor from Marseilles. During his time in prison, Dantes learns philosophy, languages, mathematics and more from a priest Abbe Faria and escapes from jail, reborn as the Count of Monte Cristo. He finds hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo and seeks revenge on those who took everything from him. Shin Sung-rok, an avid actor on both the small screen and stage, plays th

Mar 14, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Kokdu: mysterious smiles bridging life and death

By Chung Ah-young Life is ephemeral and death is inevitable. In the hope of a peaceful transition of the deceased to another world, people can find consolation and blessings during a farewell ceremony. A bier called “sangyeo” in Korean incisively displays how traditional Koreans accepted the death of their loved ones, decorated with brilliant colors and designs aesthetically adorned with diverse wooden figurines called “kokdu.” Kokdu and the bier are inseparable as it was one of the key decorations attached to a bier in local traditional funerals. The Kokdu Museum is currently holding an exhibition “Sangyeo, the Korean Funeral Bier for a Beautiful Farewell Ceremony” through April 12 to show the meaning of kokdu and its usage. The exhibition features an actual wooden bier which was restored from the late Joseon period along with some 70 pieces of wooden deity reproductions and other decorations. The bier was made using a traditional architectural technique without using nails but just assembling woodworking joints. Measuring 453 centimeters in length, 200 centimeters

Mar 13, 2011

Mesmerizing photos by Karsh on view in Seoul

By Kwon Mee-yoo For those of you who were not one of the more than 120,000 people who came to see the first Karsh exhibit in Korea in 2009 breathe a sigh of relief as “Karsh: The Master of Portrait Photography,” an exhibition hosted by New Venture Entertainment and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, presents some 100 images by the legendary photographer for a second chance. From Audrey Hepburn to Andy Warhol, dramatic portraits taken by master photographer Yousuf Karsh will be exhibited again in Seoul from March 26 at the Sejong Museum of Art. Photographs in the Portrait Section feature important figures of the 20th century from Mother Teresa, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, to famed designer Christian Dior and actresses such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor. Especially the portrait capturing the elegant beauty of Hepburn caught the attention of many Koreans in the first exhibit. This time some of them are a repeat of the 2009 showcase, while the rest are on view in Korea for the first time, including the portraits of Rudolf Nureyev, Andy

Mar 11, 2011

A ballerinas view of Black Swan

Imperfection can be just as beautiful, like a flower that has not yet fully bloomed. By Lee Hyo-won Darren Aronofsky’s psychosexual thriller takes an intimate look into the art of dance, revealing all that is beautiful and grotesque, fascinating and disturbing. Portman plays a New York-based ballerina who lands her first major role in Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.” Though her fragile innocence befits the white swan, Nina feels inadequate about personifying the sultry and visceral black swan. While feeling torn between the manipulative advances of the company’s artistic director and pressure by her overbearing mother, Nina spirals deeper yet into darkness with the arrival of a sexy newcomer, Lily, who might be the perfect black swan. One of Korea’s most famous “swans” is Kang Ye-na, principal dancer of the Universal Ballet Company (UBC). The Korea Times asked the dancer to share her views on the film. “I think many parts of ‘Black Swan’ are grossly exaggerated, though I’m sure it was for dramatic purpose of the story. It’s nevertheless wonderful to see ballet on the big

Mar 10, 2011

Weekender Ballet spins trends off stage

By Lee Hyo-won Ballet is all the rage — not only onstage but also on screens, runways and beyond. The Korea National Ballet Company’s latest production of “Giselle” last month attracted record audience numbers with sold-out performances, while Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning film “Black Swan” is currently topping the local box office. In Los Angeles, the exquisite Rodarte tutus that appeared in the film are on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art; all over the world ballet flats have long become every woman’s must-have fashion item. Viewers can be spotted humming Tchaikovsky after watching “Black Swan,” since the soundtrack is comprised entirely of the Russian composer’s ballet music. While the original motion film soundtrack is available, there are also recordings of “Swan Lake” by famous orchestras. Fans should consider one by the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, conducted by Russian Maestro Valery Gergieve in St. Petersburg. Released under the Decca label, the recording heightens the drama and pristine touches of the original story and is one of the mo

Mar 10, 2011

Hakchon: from live concerts to childrens shows

By Chung Ah-young Since Hakchon Theater opened on March 15, 1991, it has been the birthplace for live concerts and a variety of experimental art performances. Behind its continuous influence on the local art scene lies Kim Min-gi, iconic singer, director and president of the theater. Now better known as cultural incubator for children’s shows and its representative rock musical “Line 1,” the theater is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its foundation. To mark the occasion, a variety of celebratory events are planned for this month. Events The special performance, “Hakchon Repertoire: from Line 1 to Gochujang Tteokboki” (rice cakes in hot sauce) will combine all 12 works that were staged at the theater from 1994 to 2011. They include “Line 1,” an 80-minute condensed version, mixed with scenes and songs from “Blood Brothers,” “Mosquito,” “Good Morning School,” “Gaeddongi,” “Pink Soldier” and “Do Do.” The performance will be staged from March 10 to 20. Tickets cost 50,000 won. Also, various artists are to appear in concerts titled “Roh Young-sim’s Small Recital” throu

Mar 9, 2011

Sinchon seeks to become theater hub

By Chung Ah-young Until the mid-1980s, small theaters were one of the signatures of the Sinchon area in which various experimental performing arts were staged, drawing a lot of young people. The then social atmosphere turned the area into the arena of democratic demonstrations by university students, naturally driving away theater-goers. Many small theaters and troupes sought new homes in Dongsung-dong, now better known as Daehangno, the Seoul version of Broadway with more than 130 small and medium theaters, while Sinchon is becoming a commercial zone. Now, The STAGE located in the heart of Sinchon area is seeking to reinvigorate theater culture in the district through the Sinchon Theater Festival, which kicked off March 5 with its opening play “The Amish Project” written by Jessica Dickey, which will run through April 10. For the next five months, five plays will take to the stage at the theater. “It has been two years since we opened here hoping to encourage more theater productions. But it was not easy to bring new works here. So we’ve decided to start first, hoping

Mar 8, 2011

Lee to lead Chungmu Art Hall as cultural hub

By Kwon Mee-yoo Chungmu Art Hall (CMAH) in central Seoul is seeking to become one of the nation’s most prestigious theaters under the new leadership of CEO Lee Jong-duck. Lee, 76, was tapped as the new head of CMAH in mid-January. He began his career at the Ministry of Culture in 1963 and has led major venues in Korea including Seoul Arts Center from 1995, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from 1999 and Seongnam Art Center from 2004. "It feels a little tight to be in a smaller place, compared to my previous workplace," he said. "But my view of life is that where I am is the best place and I will come up with performances to suit this theater." "I think planning performances is a long-term job, looking at least five years ahead. What would be the best thing for CMAH?" he said. CMAH is composed of the Grand Theater (1,231 seats), Theater Black (327 seats), Theater Blue (258 seats) and Chungmu Gallery. "Since CMAH is under the Jung-gu Cultural Foundation and Jung-gu District Office, we should provide performances for local residents for their emotional and intelle

Mar 7, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater