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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Traditional Folk Tale Revived in Music Drama

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The Korean traditional music drama “Oneuli of Today,” influenced by the Jeju Island folktale “A Tale of Woncheongang,” is coming to Seoul. In this story in which past meets present, traditional and contemporary music and dance are mixed together. Previously, the folk tale has been reinterpreted as a children’s drama, ballet and animation, using the Korean traditional music of pansori (Korean traditional narrative song). The drama takes place in an apartment complex called Woncheongang, which is located in the slums of the city. The residents of the small one-room apartments have a different ways of dealing with their problems ― some try to live a better life while others run away from it. Among them are Would-Be-Actress, Would-Be-Lawyer and Worrywart. Would-Be-Actress dreams of making it in the entertainment business. One day, frustrated and depressed, she tries to commit suicide in her room. She fails, but because of it, she meets Would-Be-Lawyer and Worrywart. Wanting to flee from her current situation, Worrywart looks for Oneuli

Dec 2, 2009

Dance Play Contact to Premiere in Korea

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The Broadway dance play "Contact" will take the stage early next year for the first time in Korea. "Contact," which was written by John Weidman and choreographed by Susan Stroman, is a musical fused with ballet. The characters don't sing, but instead dance their way through three thematically linked short stories. The fusion of genres is becoming a hot trend in the international musical scene, drawing positive responses from both critics and audience. The so-called "crossover" has created a new format by combining ballet with musicals. The Korean musical industry is also beginning to showcase experimental works that blend genres.

Dec 1, 2009

Independence Activist Resurrected in Musical

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The blockbuster musical "Hero" has brought Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun back to life through stage arts. With a production cost of around five billion won, the much-anticipated show dramatically portrays the major incidents involving Ahn that occurred between January 1909 and March 1910. The musical, which is being presented by A-Com International, was designed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ahn's assassination of Japan's first Prime Minister, Ito Hirobumi, on a railway platform in Harbin, Manchuria, on Oct. 26, 1909. Since opening on Oct. 26, the show has become the talk of the town for its timely portrayal of the national hero and its innovative set designs. It seems poised to match the success of "The Last Empress," which was produced by the same company. "Hero," which is produced by Yun Ho-jin, begins with the sound of a gun firing while the title of the musical is featured prominently on an onstage video screen. The first segment of the musical introduces the main characters, including Seol-hee, the las

Nov 30, 2009

Center Gives Awards to Honor Paik’s Legacy

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter To honor the legacy of video art pioneer Paik Nam June, the inaugural Nam June Paik Art Center Prize was given to artists Ahn Eun-me, Lee Seung-taek, Ceal Floyer and Robert Adrian X. A special exhibition featuring the artists' selected works opened Saturday at the NJP Art Center, Giheung, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. ``When we were thinking about doing the Nam June Paik Art Prize, it became pretty clear, we wanted to stay in the tradition of Paik and his ideas. But we also wanted to have artists who worked on the edge, and an oeuvre that was extremely risky at the time,'' said Tobias Berger, chief curator, at a press conference at the NJP Center, Thursday. The prize reflects Paik's contributions to contemporary art and recognizes artists for ``embracing visions of technology, questioning unidirectional communication flows and emphasizing the role of multiple levels of audience participation through practices that bridge together numerous areas, from dance to performance to art.'' Unlike other awards that give one top prize, the

Nov 29, 2009

Exhibition Brings Korean, Int’l Artists Together

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Korea is fast becoming a multicultural society, and what better way to bring people from diverse cultural backgrounds together than with art? Eighteen Korean and international artists are coming together for a group exhibition, ``Cultures Connect,'' which opens Dec. 2 at Jay Gallery and Na Gallery, near Insa-dong. Richard J. Beaumont, British artist and curator, said there's a growing interest in multiculturalism in Korea, and this exhibition hopes to put a positive spin on the issue. ``I know the kinds of problems that arise when people from different cultures start banging against each other. The roots of that are fear, ignorance and lack of understanding. … In working and interacting with each other, we can try to understand each other and each other's culture through art,'' Beaumont told The Korea Times last week. The idea for the exhibition came out of discussions between the owners of Jay Gallery and Na Gallery, who both wanted to have more shows featuring international artists. Beaumont invited some artists he

Nov 27, 2009

Classical Concerts, Big Tickets, Pop and Jazz

Classical Concerts Korean Symphony Orchestra 'Tchaikovsky in Love' Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center Nov. 27 The Korean Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Park Eun-seong, will play Tchaikovsky's "Fantastic Overture Romeo and Juliet" and "Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op. 64." Also featured is "Piano Concerto No.1 in Bb minor, Op.23" with popular pianist Peter Jablonski. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 523-6258. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3. Opera 'Don Giovanni' Buam Art Hall Dec. 18-19 For the fifth installment of its small-scale but musically colorful Salon Opera series, Buam Art Hall will present Mozart's "Don Giovanni." Tickets cost 30,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.auction.co.kr or call (02) 319-9631. Located near exit 3 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. 2009 SAC White Christmas Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center Dec. 23 The Seoul Arts Center will invite the Chamber Music Society of Kumho Art Hall to celebrate Christmas with a concer

Nov 26, 2009

Clubs, Art Exhibitions and Sports Games

Clubs Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that's also to be found in Shanghai. Located in the famous clubbing area, Hongdae, it's all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious, with a supersized crystal ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you can hang out at the open bar or classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik Univ. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the DJ are in the center of the club, which attracts a trendy crowd along with models and celebrities. Packed on the weekends. Check www.ohoo.net. Club Heaven Yeoksam-dong Located next to the Renaissance Seoul Hotel, Heaven is gaining a reputation as a clubber's paradise with star DJs and a celebrity clientele. Electronic music is the main menu, with laser light and paper confetti shows aplenty on the side. The club caters to partying at any hour of the night: the "main stage" on the first floor

Nov 26, 2009

Mozart to Be Portrayed as Modern Rock Star

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a fascinating figure whose life has been covered in various films and theater arts. Now the beloved musician will be recreated in the Korean rendition of the Austrian musical “Mozart!” which will be presented by EMK Musical Company in Seoul early next year. This time, the genius musician will once again be the center of the work, but, besides classical music, he’ll also be accompanied by rock ‘n’ roll. The muscial’s Grammy Award-winning composer, Sylvester Levay, said that he decided to write a musical about Mozart’s life rather than his music with his writing partner Michael Kunze. “We decided to use his music only at some certain points but most of the time, the rest of the music is our works. We also put rock ‘n’ roll parts in it. So we can represent a nowadays Mozart. I think maybe when he was alive he could have been one of the rock ‘n’ roll stars in the world,” Levay said in an e-mail interview with The Korea Times. In the musical, Mozart will dress like a rock star, a distinct contrast from the other ch

Nov 25, 2009

6th-Century Gaya Girl Resurrected

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter A life-size model of a young girl from the 6th-century Gaya Kingdom (42-562) was revealed in Seoul, Wednesday. The model, constructed from the ``1,500-year-old's'' excavated skeletal remains, is the first of its kind in the country. ``We have excavated human bones on many occasions but it is the first time we created a full-scale model,'' Kang Soon-hyung, director of the Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, was quoted as saying by the Munhwa Ilbo. The girl, who was buried alive, is speculated to have been a 16-year-old servant to a powerful family. After adding layers of muscle and skin as well locks of hair, the model stands 1.53 meters tall. She is relatively short but is slim and has a small face ― a beauty by modern standards. Her remains were among those of four people that were unearthed during the institute's excavation project in Songhyeong-dong, Changnyeong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, between 2006 and 2007. A study on Gaya's custom of burying the living with the dead will soon be published, the institute said.

Nov 25, 2009

Cirque Nut to Mix Ballet and Circus

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter A unique mix of art circus and classical ballet, ``Cirque Nut'' is coming to town next month. Based on the storyline of the seasonal favorite ``The Nutcracker,'' the show is the first of its kind, which will be produced by J&S International, the Korean production company, and aimed at the international market. The show combines the two genres in collaboration with the Belorussian National Statement Circus and the National Belarus State Choreographic College. Myung Jaimee, general artistic director and head of J&S International, said the company has been working on the performance for the last four years. ``We have wanted to create a totally new piece fusing acrobatics and ballet. The Nutcracker is a familiar story and very entertaining, which perfectly matches our project. It is not just a parallel of the two genres but a new creation,'' she told reporters at a press conference Tuesday. Myung said many people might think the show will separately present elements of ballet and circus but the two genres will be integrated into the ne

Nov 24, 2009
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