Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Assassins Revived After 4 Years

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The musical ``Assassins'' will give a revival performance for the first time in four years since it premiered in Seoul in 2005. The musical, depicting American presidential assassinations, by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, is deemed the most controversial musical ever written as it shows, from the point of view of the killers, the lives of various men and women who have committed or attempted to commit the crime. The Korean rendition was first put on stage in 2005 at Seoul Arts Center and was well-received by audiences. The musical creates imaginary and transcendental scenes by mixing history and fantasy and focuses on dramatizing stories of presidential killers. The revue deals with nine presidential assassins ― from John Wilkes Booth, who shot Abraham Lincoln in 1865, to John Hinckley who shot Ronald Reagan in 1989 ― questioning why presidential assassinations repeatedly happen. It demonstrates that each presidential assassin is made to confront the fact that his or her act of meaningless violence failed to bring about the d

Aug 18, 2009

Daegu Int’l Opera Fest Invites Fans

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter The 2009 Daegu International Opera Festival (DIOF) will open next month to present melodramatic, music-filled stories that will transport viewers to a different time and place. Opera fans and those newly interested in the genre can look forward to spending weekends immersed not only in staple operatic works but also a performance rarely seen here, ``Der Freischutz,’’ and something completely original, ``Won’s Story.’’ This year’s lineup opens with Puccini’s classic ``Turandot,’’ presented by the DIOF Organizing Committee and Daegu City Opera, from Sept. 24 to 26. The following weekend, from Oct. 8 to 10, the Daejeon Culture & Arts Center, Daegu Opera House and the Goyang Culture Foundation will offer Donizetti’s ``L’Elisir d’Amore.’’ The Royal Opera Company’s rendition of Bizet’s ``Carmen’’ will close the event from Oct. 29 to 31. All three productions will feature top talents from near and far. DIOF has invited the Karlsruhe National Theater from Germany to perform Weber’s ``Der Freischutz’’ for fans here Oct. 15-17. On Sept. 29, an aud

Aug 18, 2009

Victory Performs More Than His Role in Musical Shouting

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The car accident and subsequent absence of Dae-sung, the member of popular idol group Big Bang who was scheduled to star in the musical ``Shouting'' alongside Victory, also of the group, seemed to cast a dark cloud over the show. However, Victory wiped out all worries and stole the limelight in the musical based on the trials and tribulations of the group. The show is the first joint production of YG Entertainment, a local pop agency, and Seol & Company, one of the country's major musical production companies. The musical has drawn much attention due to the casting of the pop stars, and aims to attract the teenage market. It features the two stars and uses their real names to portray the dreams and efforts of young wannabes who shoot to stardom after working as stage staff at a broadcasting company. It is partially based on the group's best-selling autobiographical book, ``Shouting to the World.'' Without Dae-sung, Victory proved his singing ability and successfully worked alongside Kang In-young, an understudy who took the role

Aug 16, 2009

Artist Djurberg Invites Viewers to Prada Transformer

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter After being the venue for a fashion exhibition and a cinema program, the Prada Transformer has once again been rotated to take a new form. The rotating building, designed by Rem Koolhaas and Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), is hosting an exhibition of works by rising Swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg. Djurberg was specially chosen by Fondazione Prada, the non-profit organization devoted to contemporary art founded by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, for the art program at the Transformer in Seoul. Only 31, Djurberg was recently honored with the Silver Lion for the best young artist at the 53rd Venice Biennale this year. With such high expectations, it's no wonder Djurberg looked nervous when talking about the ``Turn into Me'' exhibition during a press conference at the Seoul Museum of History, Thursday. ``I'm very happy but I'm also nervous, which I think I should be because if you are completely secure with what you do, then you don't need to do it. It was more challenging than I expected but that made it so much

Aug 14, 2009

Clubs, Art Exhibtions & Sports Games

Clubs The Circle Cheongdam-dong Located in the upscale Cheongdam-dong neighborhood, it's notorious for turning you down unless you're dressed chic and sleek. Faithful to its name, it has a round revolving floor ― looking for your ``lost'' table gives clubbers the perfect excuse to sit down with a sexy stranger. Located on Dosan-daero near Hak-dong intersection. Call (02) 546-5933 or visit www.thecircle.co.kr. Club Answer Cheongdam-dong This might be the answer to your nightlife. It offers an intimate partying environment with groovy electronic music by star DJs. You can reserve tables and those on the second floor provide an open view of the dance floor. Or mingling with the hot bartenders at the open bar might be a fine alternative. Located in Cheongdam-dong across the street from Prima Hotel, near the entrance toi Yeongdong-daegyo. Call (02) 548-7115 or visit www.clubanswer.co.kr. Club Evans Hongdae or Hongik University Area This club, located near Hongik University, is great for intimate live performances. The line-up of performers is generally top-notch and

Aug 13, 2009

Concerts, Museums & Theater

Classical Concerts Ning Feng & Lim Hyo-sun's Duo Concert Kumho Art Hall Aug. 20 Chinese violinist Ning Feng and Korean pianist Lim Hyo-sun will come together to celebrate the 17th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China. Tickets cost from 20,000 to 30,000 won. Visit www.kumhoarthall.com or call (02) 6303-7700. Located near exit 7 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. Kwak Jung's Harp and Dance Concert Seoul Arts Center Aug. 23 In the concert titled "Dance! Dance!! Dance!!!" harpist Kwak Jung will showcase exciting musical forms that are also traditional dances, such as Chopin's "Polonaise," with a dancer demonstrating the respective dances. Tickets cost from 20,000 to 25,000 won. For more information, visit www.sac.or.kr or call (02) 780-5054. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3. Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's KlaraFestival Preview Concert Hall of Seoul Arts Center Aug. 21 Maestro Chung Myung-whun will lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in a special concert celebrating its participation i

Aug 13, 2009

World’s Nat’l Theaters to Gather in Seoul

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Twenty-five works from the national theaters of nine countries will take part in the 3rd annual World Festival of National Theaters in Seoul from Sept. 4 to Nov. 4. This year, a greater diversity of programs is to be introduced in an effort to further cultural exchanges between the national theaters from various countries such as Taiwan, France, Italy, Belgium, the Philippines, Russia, Brazil, Norway and Korea. ``This year, the festival turns three years old. The first and second festivals focused mostly on dramas. But this year's festival features more from various genres such as ballet, classical music and opera as well as drama,'' said Lim Youn-chul, president of the National Theater of Korea, in a press conference. He said that the festival is designed to raise awareness about the role of the national theater by exploring the work of national theaters from various countries. ``We're not only inviting the world's top-notch troupes to perform here but also planning to send our resident companies to other countries for cultural exchanges

Aug 12, 2009

Seo Hee in Artful Journey With Ballet

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Korea has a number of talented ballerinas, and it seems one more has been added to the roster. Seo Hee, a member of the corps de ballet at the prestigious American Ballet Theater, was recently tapped to star as Juliet, one of the most sought-after characters in the industry. ``I did not expect the news at all because not even the principal dancers get to perform in `Romeo and Juliet.' Only a handful of dancers get to play the part,'' the 23-year-old ballerina told The Korea Times during an interview on Monday held right after her daily ballet workouts. Seo came to Korea for a vacation, but that hasn't stopped her from rehearsing. Seo was in rehearsals for ``Swan Lake'' and ``Giselle'' when she was told by the ABT's artistic director Kevin McKenzie to ready herself for ``Romeo and Juliet'' as the two passed each other in the hallway. ``He said it so calmly I didn't even react. It was not until the performance when I finally thought, `Okay, this is it,''' she said laughing. Seo is the first Korean ballerina to play the main role in t

Aug 11, 2009

Ock Grows Into Her Role in 42nd Street

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter When Ock Joo-hyun, the former lead signer for the now disbanded top female pop group Fin. K. L., first appeared in the musical, ``Aida'' in 2005, many people thought her name might have helped her land the title role. But in her roles as the passionate, independent-minded princess in ``Aida,'' the glamorous cat Grizabella in ``Cats,'' the night club dancer Roxie Hart in ``Chicago'' and the pure chorus girl in ``42nd Street,'' the singer-turned-actress has proven herself and has grown in every role she has been cast in. Currently performing in ``42nd Street,'' Ock immediately dazzles with her brilliant tap dance but she has also impressed audiences with her ever-improving acting. ``First, when I took the role of a young naive chorus girl, Peggy Sawyer, from a small town, I worried because the character is so different from my previous role, the sophisticated Roxie. But while I am playing the role, it's rather a lot easier to perform the contradictory character for me,'' Ock said in an interview with The Korea Times. Looking confident,

Aug 10, 2009

ChangMu Dance Festival to Bring Colorful Programs

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Uijeongbu, a northeast suburb of Seoul, will become a dance haven this month with the 15th ChangMu International Arts Festival. From Aug. 21 to 30, 24 troupes from seven countries will participate in the event, offering various performances, that range from traditional to modern, alongside workshops for art lovers. The event started back in 1993 and was held annually for 13 years, before going on hiatus for three years due to financial difficulties. The discontinuance was a great loss for the dance industry, for there were few festivals where dancers and choreographers could express their talents. Nowadays there are many international dance events such as the Seoul International Dance Festival and the International Modern Dance Festival. ``It was hard to continue the festival, but luckily we were able to revive it with the help of the Uijeongbu Arts Center. We have prepared for the last three years, and we are confident viewers will enjoy the programs,'' Kim Mae-ja, the artistic director of the festival, said at a press conference held la