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Arts & Theater

Musical Wedding Fund to Go on Stage

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter OD Musical Company, one of the nation's major musical production firms, which amazed the world musical arena with its fascinating revival version of ``Dreamgirls,'' is now venturing to produce homegrown musicals. The company will create three new homegrown musicals through next year, starting with ``Wedding Fund,'' to be staged at a small theater this summer. The production of homegrown musicals has always been a challenge for the company because it has concentrated on foreign-licensed big-budget musicals such as ``Dreamgirls,'' ``Jekyll and Hyde,'' ``Man of La Mancha,'' ``All Shook Up'' and ``Nine.'' Called ``Midas'' in musical circles, Shin Chun-soo, the company producer and president, has played a pivotal role in the local musical industry with its innovative and creative interpretation of the licensed musicals to suit Korean tastes. Recently, it received rave reviews both at home and abroad for ``Dreamgirls'' by upgrading the high-profile 1980s musical into a new rendition starring a local cast with roughly 10 billion won. Afte

May 25, 2009

Magnetic Power Brings ASEAN, Korean Artists Closer

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter While already well acquainted with Southeast Asia's beautiful beaches and picturesque tourist spots, Koreans are still unfamiliar with the region's art and culture. The on-going exhibition ``Magnetic Power'' is aimed at bridging the cultural gap by bringing attention to the exciting world of photography and new media art in Korea and Southeast Asia. Works by 20 artists from countries under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 10 artists from Korea have been gathered for this unique contemporary photography and media art exhibition. The event is being held as part of the upcoming special summit between Korea and ASEAN, from June 1 to 2 on Jeju island. ASEAN is a regional grouping of 10 countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis and political conflicts, ``Magnetic Power'' hopes to highlight the relationships among the participating countries and to emphasize respect for different views

May 22, 2009

Clubs, Traditional Events & Art Exhibitions

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

May 21, 2009

Concerts, Museums & Theater

Classical Concerts Opera `Lucia di Lammermoor' Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center May 22-23 The National Opera Company will perform its award-winning rendition of Gaetano Donizetti's ``Lucia di Lammermoor.'' It will be a rare chance to see the classic bel canto opera in Korea. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 80,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-7766. Connected to exit Aramnuri of Jeongbalsan Station on subway line 3. Seoul Metropolitan Chorus' Subscription Concert Sejong Center for the Performing Arts May 29 For the 200th anniversary of Mendelsshon's birth, the Seoul Metropolitan Chorus will hold a subscription concert with the Korea Symphony Orchestra. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3. Martin Stadtfeld Showcase DS Hall June 3 German pianist Martin Stadtfeld will visit Korea to promote his music. During the showcase, he will play various Bach works and sign autographs for fans. It's free of char

May 21, 2009

Sneak Peek at Koreas Rising Artists

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Art lovers in Seoul can get a sneak peek at the upcoming ``Moon Generation'' exhibition featuring rising Korean contemporary artists that is to be held in London next month. Works can be previewed on the 5th floor of the SC First Bank building in Chungmuro through Saturday. Banking giant Standard Chartered, Phillips de Pury & Company and Korean Eye have organized ``Moon Generation'' to promote Korean contemporary art abroad. They have brought together a group of leading artists for simultaneous exhibitions at the renowned Saatchi Gallery from June 20 to July 5 and at the Phillips de Pury space, Howick Place from June 20 to July 1. The art will be sold at the Phillips de Pury contemporary art sales from July 2 to 3. Curator Lee Dae-hyung chose the artists who he felt were not only relevant in Korea, but also interesting for international collectors. As for the title ``Moon Generation,'' Lee explained, ``The moon has traditionally been associated with the East and the sun with the West. In the complex process of an eclipse, the

May 20, 2009

Chuncheon Mime Festival Ready to Heat Up

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The 2009 Chuncheon International Mime Festival will kick off an eight-day event that will run from May 24 to 31 in seven different venues in the lake city. The festival features 100 Korean mime companies and performing teams and 12 foreign troupes from six countries ― Russia, France, Australia, Macao, Hong Kong and Japan. The event began in 1989 as the Korean Mime Festival. It became the Chuncheon International Mime Festival in 1995 when foreign mime companies started joining the festival. Marking the 21st event, the festival will offer various types of performance based on body movement and artistic images such as contemporary mime, physical theater, movement theater, visual theater, street theater, installation performance and site-specific theater. The festival is designed for various audiences ranging from families seeking an outing together to performance enthusiasts, from children and their parents. Main performances in the festival will begin with Russian troupe Black Sky White's ``Astronomy for Insects'' on May 25-26 at C

May 19, 2009

Explore Unique Opera Productions This Month

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Earlier this month Beethoven's opera ``Fidelio'' was revived in Seoul, bringing a breath of fresh air to the local opera scene. Operagoers can look forward to more rarely performed pieces, such as ``Moses and Pharaoh,'' in concertante form, ``My Cup Overflows,'' an original local production, and ``Lucia di Lammermoor.'' `Moses and Pharaoh' Rossini is best known for his comic operas such as ``The Barber of Seville,'' and his tragic opera ``Moses and Pharaoh (Moise et Pharaon)'' was rarely performed. It recently began to resurface, premiering in Korea in 2000 to critical acclaim and appearing at the La Scala Theater in Milan in 2003 under the baton of maestro Riccardo Muti. The Seoul Opera Ensemble restaged the piece last December to fete the 60th anniversary of the introduction of opera here. This time the local troupe is offering a concertante performance titled ``Mose,'' May 22, at Seoul Arts Center. While the concert featuring singers and orchestra will forego the catchy stage sets, talented vocalists such as bass Kim Yo-han (Moses)

May 19, 2009

Yang Hae-gue to Present Work at Venice

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Artist Yang Hae-gue will unveil her newly commissioned artwork ``Condensation" at the Korean Pavilion of the 53rd Venice Biennale, which opens June 7. Yang, the first female artist to hold a solo exhibition at the Korean Pavilion, made three new works in sculpture, video and installation. The exhibition is curated by Eungie Joo, who is also the curator of education and public programs at the New Museum in New York. ``In the exhibition `Condensation,' Yang explores hidden spaces that might be considered marginal, but to the artist constitute profound backdrops for understanding: vulnerable sites where informal development can occur. Using condensation as a metaphor, Yang seeks direct communication with unknown people through a seemingly intangible path of exchange ― one that imparts nonfunctional yet ontologically significant information," Art Council Korea said in a statement. One of the works is a video essay titled `` Doubles and Halves-Events with Nameless Neighbors." Yang took footage of two neglected areas, the neighborhoo

May 18, 2009

Romeo et Juliette Back in Korean

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter French musical, ``Romeo et Juliette'' will be staged in Korean, starring high-profile musical actors Shin Sung-rok, Im Tae-kyung, Kim So-hyun and Park So-yeon. It is the first time for the French musical to be adapted into a foreign language. Based on Shakespeare's original play, ``Romeo and Juliet'' and written by French composer Gerard Presgurvic, the musical will open at Seoul Arts Center on July 4. The musical premiered in Paris in 2001, and since then has toured some 16 countries, entertaining more than four million people. The original cast of the show first hit the stage in Korea in 2007 and gave an encore performance in February this year. Musical heartthrob Shin will alternate playing the role of Romeo with crossover tenor Im. Renowned for numerous hit musicals such as ``Dracula,'' ``Dancing Shadows,'' ``Hamlet'' and recently ``My Scary Girl,'' Shin is set to captivate the female audience with his charismatic acting performance and low-pitched baritone voice, which is suitable for portraying the tragic protagonist, according to

May 18, 2009

Dance Performance Fit for Family Month

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter May is known as family month here, and two dance companies are bringing filial love to the stage this month in Seoul. The Myungsook Park Dance Theater is launching ``Emi,'' a performance about mothers. ``Emi is a work that uses `mother' as the main concept with theatrical elements. We also strived to bring Korean dance to the next level by using not only traditional codes in dance, but also in the costumes and settings,'' said the organizers through a press release. Based on German poet Bertolt Brecht's poem ``Meiner Mutter,'' or ``My Mother,'' and making its first debut in 1996, ``Emi'' returns with more sophisticated movements and stage settings The work revolves around an old mother who suffers from dementia and how she and her family cope with it. ``The traditional definition of `family' has disappeared as we went through industrialization, and so we have also lost the true meaning of filial piety. There are so many senior citizens who are lost, abandoned by their children and families,'' the organizers added. By adding h

May 17, 2009
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