Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Czech Musical `Hamlet Travels to Seoul

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter At the end of the last millennium Hamlet, the Shakespeare tragedy, saw an entirely new adaptation in the form of a Czech language rock opera version in that republic. The musical written by Czech singer-composer Janek Ledecky first premiered in Prague in 1999 but has since been staged in various countries with a new English version worked by American director Robert Johanson. The new Hamlet was first shown in Seoul last year, with a Korean translation (from the English translation of the Czech in case you are confused). Due to public demand, the show is back again with a new line up and Johanson is here to see Thursday's opening show of the production. ``It is a funny thing because so often these kinds of licensed musicals already staged here were shown already in Broadway. … But this is a kind of reverse. It's big hit now in Europe and now becoming successful in Asia. Next year, we're going to debut in America. We're taking the opposite route. But it originated in Czech anyway,'' Johanson said in an interview with The Korea Times. H

Feb 20, 2008

Geometry Gets Organic at Kukje Gallery

By Joon Soh Contributing Writer Geometry is considered by many to be the language of the logical and measured mind. For the past century, however, modern artists have learned that geometric shapes and designs can also be infused with an emotive, even poetic quality despite their rational appearance. Artist Hong Seung-hye seems to come from such a tradition of geometric art. Hong, whose latest works are on display at Kukje Gallery in downtown Seoul, deals with what she calls ``organic geometry.'' The term is an apt description for her artistic approach, as the human element is present in every seemingly logical decision. Hong studied painting at Seoul National University and in Paris in the 1980s, but since then has abandoned the traditional canvas and brush for more modern means of making art. At present, she uses computers to come up with her ideas, and then commissions factories to turn them into sculptures. Because of this working method, which is probably more suited to commercial design than fine arts, there is a strong industrial quality to her artwork. Hong's

Feb 15, 2008

Landscapes, Cityscapes Fascinate Park Yong-in

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Most people take snapshots during their trips abroad, but acclaimed artist Park Yong-in takes out his paintbrush and recreates the beautiful landscapes and cityscapes on canvas. His highly colorful paintings are not focused on well-known places in Paris, Amsterdam, Switzerland, China, Vietnam and Korea, but more on the quaint back streets and lush countryside not often seen by tourists. ``When I see the scenery, I don't just paint it. I think about how to recreate it and make it abstract. I put a lot of my thoughts and feelings into it. I don't just describe the scenery, but I make it from my own point of view,'' he told The Korea Times, at the Millennium Seoul Hilton. Sixty of his works are currently on display at the lower lobby of the Millennium Seoul Hilton, Namsan. The 63-year old artist has been painting for more than 40 years now. He graduated from Hongik University and also studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris, France. In Korea, he started out by painting portraits of women, but when he arrived in Par

Feb 15, 2008

Clubs, Art Exhibitions & Sports Games

Clubs Club Garden Apgujeong-dong Club Garden is an electronica hotspot, with the big draw being its line-up of guest DJs such as Laurent Garnier, Mondo Grosso, Afrika Bambatta and Goldie. Near Galleria Department Store on the so-called Rodeo Street in southern Seoul. Call (02) 518-5115 or clubgarden.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 the acoustics are good. Located near exit 1 on Sangsu Station on subway line 6 or exit 6 on Hongdae Station on subway line 2. Call (02) 337-8361 or www.clubevans.com. Club Caliente Itaewon The patrons are so diverse, DJ Josh sometimes has a hard job appealing to everyone. But he keeps the dance floor going, playing a variety of standbys and new Latin music. The song selection is what keeps people coming back. Located near exit 4 of Itaewon Station subway line 6. Call (011) 9094 8484 Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the DJ

Feb 14, 2008

Concerts, Museums & Performances

Classical Concerts Shin Young-ok and Kim Sun-wook Concert Seoul Arts Center Feb. 16 Soprano Shin Young-ok and pianist Kim Sun-wook will give a joint concert on Saturday. They will sing and play Elgar's ``Pomp and Circumstance,'' Rachmaninov's ``Piano Concerto'' and other opera arias. Tickets cost 40,000 won to 100,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 580-1300. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. Korean World Star Series: Chung Myung-whun Seoul Arts Center Feb. 17 Seoul Arts Center celebrates its 20th anniversary with the Korean World Star Series concert. Maestro Chung Myung-whun will conduct the first concert. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 580-1300. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. Katia and Marielle Labeque in Seoul Seoul Arts Center Feb. 20 The French Labeque sisters will play the piano including Mozart's ``Sonata for Two Pianos.'' Tickets cost 20,000 won to 70,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.c

Feb 14, 2008

100 Korean National Symbols on Exhibit

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Koreans have long adjusted their lifestyle to the circumstances they have found themselves in. These modest images and sentiment of everyday life define the character of Korean culture. To show off the Korean ways of life, from far back in the past up to the present, the National Folk Museum of Korea holds a special exhibition titled the ``100 National and Cultural Symbols,'' based on the designations by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2006. The featured items are icons that represent Korean culture with its rich symbolism and profound cohesion with nature. The exhibition provides the colors of Korean culture through displays titled ``Touching the World," ``Creation of Color," and ``Illumination." The exhibit showcases about 150 pieces of historical relics. The exhibit shows various types of hanbok, Korean traditional wear, such as durumagi (overcoat) for men and jeogori (shirt) for women epitomizing the generous and classy beauty of Korean clothing. A rainfall gauge, National Treasure No. 842, which was created in 17

Feb 13, 2008

First Bourdelle Retrospective in Seoul

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter The sculptures of French master sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, including his most famous ``Hercules, the Archer (Herakles, archer),'' will be displayed at an exhibit at the Seoul Museum of Art, downtown Seoul from Feb. 29 to June 8. A total of 123 of Bourdelle's works from 1885 to 1929, including 75 sculptures and 48 sketches and watercolor paintings, will be included in the exhibition. All the pieces are from the Musee Bourdelle in Paris, France. ``Hercules, the Archer,'' a sculpture he finished in 1909, is considered as Bourdelle's masterpiece. He depicted the powerful Hercules, a symbol of masculinity in Greek mythology, with his bow outstretched. The 248-centimeter sculpture of Hercules, which weighs 540 kilos, is shown in Seoul for the first time. Also to be shown at the exhibit are eight pieces from Bourdelle's Beethoven series, including ``Tragic Mask of Beethoven (Beethoven de masque tragique).'' Huge sculptures of the ``Hannibal's First Victory (Premiere victoire d'Hannibal),'' and ``The Fruit (Le Fruit)'' will also be sho

Feb 13, 2008

Musicals

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter There are quite a few musicals to choose from these days, but for the holidays, why not watch the blow. Venues that are host to these productions will be fully open during the holidays, with the exceptions of ``42nd Street,'' which will not go on stage on Thursday, the Lunar New Year day and ``Love'' on Wednesday. Notre Dame De Paris The latest Korean production of the French musical ``Notre Dame de Paris,'' first seen in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province in October and Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province in December, is being on stage in Seoul. Choi Sung-hee (better known as Bada) takes the role of Esmeralda, a gypsy woman who lives in front of the cathedral of Notre Dame with other gypsies. With lyrics by Luc Plamondon and music composed by Richard Cocciante, the show is renowned for its beautiful and heartbreaking musical numbers, which are performed without dialogue. The choreography spans various dance styles from ballet, contemporary dance, apparatus gymnastics to break-dancing. The musical will run at the Sejong Center for the Perfor

Feb 5, 2008

Korean `Cats to Revive London Originality

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter How will T.S. Eliot's poems sound when translated into Korean and put to music? Featuring ``Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' and other poems by Eliot, the musical ``Cats'' will be reborn as a Korean production in September. It is the first licensed local production in Korea. Seol & Company, one of the major musical production companies in Korea, will put on the London-based hit musical in Korean supported by the London creative team. Also, the London touring performance will give encore shows from May 30-Aug. 31 just before the Korean production is put on stage from September to January next year. ``It is a bold and brave move to bring two productions on stage back to back. … We are confident of getting it together with very good quality,'' Tim McFarlane, head of the Really Useful Company (RUC), told reporters in a press conference last week. Seol Do-yoon, president of Seol & Company, said that the company is considering offering Japanese and English subtitles to help foreign tourists, especially Japanese visitors, better underst

Feb 3, 2008

Pina Bausch’s Dance Goes on Stage in March

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter The contemporary dance performance ``Nefes,'' choreographed by the renowned Pina Bausch, will be staged in Korea from March 13-16. Bubbles float in the air as male dancers massage each other in a Turkish bath, while women stand swinging their hair. Other dancers appear from the dress of another dancer. The 67-year-old German choreographer and dancer Bausch, created Nefes based on a three-week stay in Istanbul, Turkey in 2002 at the invitation of The International Istanbul Theatre Festival and the Istanbul Foundation of Culture and Arts. It premiered in Wuppertal, Germany, 2003 and has been performed in France, Spain and United States also. The title of the dance, means ``breath'' in Turkish. The simple black set with flowing water, created by Peter Pabst, is just like Istanbul, the city of water. The performance will depict the exotic city where East meets West, and the people living there. ``Nefes is not just a dance about Istanbul. It is about us who live this moment. That's what we want to express through the dance,'' said B