Arts & Theater

Dance, Pop & Jazz, Play & Musicals

Dance `B-Boy Korea' Tokebi Storm Theater Through July 31 A perfect concoction of Korean traditional instruments (gugak) with heart-pumping breakdance moves, `B-Boy Korea' has only one more month before its end. Tickets cost from 40,000 to 50,000 won. Visit www.i-pmc.co.kr or call (02) 739-8287. Located near exit 5 of Seodaemun Station on subway line 5. 2007 Ballet Musical `Shim Chung' Universal Arts Center Aug. 16-26 One of Korea's most popular tales, "Shim Chung" will be told through a ballet brought to life by the Universal Ballet Company. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 70,000 won. Visit www.uac.co.kr or call (02) 2204-1030. Located near exit 4 of Acha Station on subway line 5. Ballerina Who Loved a B-boy SJ B-boys Theater Open run B-boys pit the latest urban moves against the most delicate of pirouettes in this local nonverbal stage performance. There are no performances on Mondays. Tickets cost 50,000 won. Visit sjbboys.com or call (02) 366-5377. Located near Hongik University's Main Gate, Hongik University Station on subway line 2. Julia's Br

Classical Concerts, Big Tickets, Museums

Classical Concerts English Concert 2007 Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall June 24 The Seoul City Chamber Orchestra, and baroque tenor Park Seung-hee will take part in this concert of pieces by Britain's most famous composers Elgar, Briton, and Handel. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 75,000 won. Visit www.stageone.co.kr or call (02) 786-2274. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. Trio con Brio Copenhagen Concert Seoul Arts Center July 1 The Prime Philharmonic Orchestra will perform with Trio con Brio (piano, cello, violin), to present works by Brahms and Beethoven. Tickets cost from 10,000 won (children) to 50,000 won. Visit www.primephil.net or call (031) 392-6422. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. Charles Dutoit's Special Concert Seoul Arts Center July 6 Renowned French conductor, Charles Dutoit, will guide the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra as their guest of honor while accompanied by solo violinist, Chantal Juillet. Tickets cost from 20,000 to 120,000 won. Visit www.sac.

Kids, Sports Games, Horseracing

Kids Aesop's Village Woongjin Think Big Art Hall July 13 -Aug. 26 Children can partake in this special musical featuring animals derived from the timeless Aesop fables. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 45,000 won. Visit www.ticketlink.co.kr. Located near exit 1 of Yeoksam Station on subway line 2. Adventure with Thomas and Friends COEX Convention Hall (Hall 11) July 7-Aug. 19 A space for kids to touch, draw, see, and venture into their own creativity while being surrounded by Thomas the Tank Engine and his other engine friends. Tickets cost from 12,000 won (teenagers) to 15,000 won (children). Visit www.thomas7979.com or call 1566-7477. Located inside COEX (third floor) near exits 5 and 6 of Samseong Station on subway line 2. Kids Nanta Seongnam Arts Center (Opera House) July 29- Aug. 26 The famous rhythmic performance is recreated for children as it shows the Seven Princesses making their own special recipes. Tickets cost 30,000 won to 50,000 won. Visit www.snart.or.kr or call (031) 783-8000. Located near exit 1 of Imae Station on the Bundan

Clubs, Traditional, Art Exhibitions

Clubs Club Garden Apgujeong-dong The 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 place, 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 floo

Curators and other staff prepare for an exhibition to commemorate...

Habsburg Collection Comes to Seoul

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Green with envy because your friends are flying to Europe for a grand art pilgrimage through renowned museums and galleries? This summer, Seoul offers you solace. A portion of the rich collection from the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum Vienna is coming to Seoul. It is one of the three must-see places for art lovers traveling in Europe along with the Louvre in Paris and the Prado in Spain. The National Museum of Contemporary Art inside Deoksugung Palace near City Hall opens the ``Great Habsburg Collectors'' exhibition next Tuesday. The exhibition brings together 64 paintings from renowned painters ranging from Tiziano Vecelli and Paolo Veronese, two artists who led the 16th century Venetian school during the late Renaissance, to the 17th century Baroque masters Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Peter Paul Rubens and Diego Velazquez. Works by artists who bridged the period _ Prague-based mannerists such as Hans von Achen and Bartholomeus Spranger _ will also be on display. Considering the fact that the number of ``blockbuster'' exhibitions _

‘Carmen,’ ‘Queen of Spades’ in Stanislavsky Way

By Bae Keun-min Staff Reporter The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theater will bring a special package of performances, including two operas, to the Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex in Gyeonggi Province. The Russian theater, launched by legendary director Konstantin Stanislavsky (1863-1938) and playwright Vladimir Nemiro vich-Danchenko (1958-1943) in 1898, will stage Bizet's ``Carmen'' from June 28 to 30 and Tchaikovsky's ``The Queen of Spades'' from July 5 to 7. The theater is the true heir to the spirit of the innovator in directing and acting, the so-called Stanislavsky system; it is a systematic approach to training actors to work from the inside outward, making them draw from their own experiences in order to realistically portray a character's emotions and achieve more genuine performances. The approach built a key foundation for the 20th-century acting techniques. Accompanied by over 210 members of the theater's opera, chorus, ballet, orchestra and dance troupes, its artistic director Alexander Titel is expected to present unique interpretati

Photographers Capture Female Bodies, Dressed and Undressed

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Female nude is apparently a permanent theme of attraction for all artists, and photographers are no exception. The all-time controversy on whether it should be viewed as art or thinly veiled pornography may sometimes mar their reputation, but more often than not it has also helped them gain recognition. Kim Young-seob Photo Gallery in Seoul put the works of five such photographers on exhibit, celebrating its fourth anniversary. Among 30 pieces of fine vintage prints at the exhibition titled ``Body,'' eleven are from Irina Ionesco, a French photographer known for her erotic photographs characterized by both classical and decadent depictions of beauty. The Paris-based photographer stirred controversy when she presented erotic photos of her own daughter, Eva, during the 1970s. Eva became a model and actress, featured in magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse. Eight are from Helmut Newton (1920-2004), who perhaps created even more controversy than Ionesco with his photographs used mainly for fashion magazines. While highly stylish and re

Two Colors of Cha Bum-suks `Forest Fire

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter It has been a year since Cha Bum-suk (1924-2006), one of the most prominent realist playwrights, passed away. But his legacy continues through one of his masterpieces. ``Forest Fire,'' which has been recognized as the most distinguished realist play in the modern Korean theatrical arena, premiered in 1962. The work has been frequently adapted into films, TV dramas and operas over the last 45 years. But this time, the musical version, based on the original play, will debut on stage July 8. Before experiencing the musical version, there is a good opportunity for audiences to enjoy the original play directed by Lim Young-woong. The National Drama Company of Korea presents ``Forest Fire'' at Small Hall, Dal of the National Theater of Korea from June 22-29. ``Forest Fire'' was first staged at the Myeongdong Theatre in 1962 as the 29th regular performance of the national troupe. Set during the Korean War (1950-1953), the play explores human desire and sadness, history, and various events surrounding an injured guerilla gunman nam

Artists Create Fun, Message at `Recycling Inc.

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Recycling is a far-fetched idea in contemporary South Korea, where pricey cell phones and TV sets get dumped just because better-looking, more fancy, expensive new models are continuously coming out. But at Arko Arts Center's annual thematic exhibition ``Recycling Inc.,'' 10 artists gathered to highlight various meanings of recycling in a perky and imaginative way. Here, the word recycling has less to do with the environmental consciousness than with its symbolic meaning of a circle often found in the workings of art and society. Curators say that they want the viewers' experience of interacting with various programs at the exhibition to be ``recycled'' into humor and ideas in their everyday lives. The journey through the process of recycling _ selection, collection, possession, consumption and reproduction _ begins at a pseudo ticket box set up outside the exhibition hall, where viewers receive an entrance ticket _ an empty box and plastic bag _ from artist Yoo Young-ho's ``The Shop MuseuM.'' Artist Shin Hyun-jung installed a pos