2014 holiday theater guide

The Korean cast of “Once the Musical” performs “Gold” at CJ Towol Theater of Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. The musical has a unique atmosphere as all actors plays instruments while singing, dancing and acting. / Courtesy of Seensee Company

By Kwon Mee-yoo

There is no better time than the end of the year to visit the theater, a magical space with limitless imagination and spectacle. A plethora of theatrical events, from new Broadway musicals to equestrian shows, await audiences in Seoul.

Hot from Broadway

Seoul has become a lucrative market for the theater industry, with some of Broadway’s hit musicals making a beeline for the city this season.

“Kinky Boots,” which won Best Musical and Best Score at last year’s Tony Awards, just arrived at Seoul’s Chungmu Art Hall. Based on the 2005 film of the same title, the musical tells the tale of two men — young show factory owner Charlie and drag queen Lola.

Pop music icon Cyndi Lauper’s music and lyrics successfully portrayed Charlie’s attempt to save a shoe factory by making customized boots strong enough to hold a drag queen’s weight. Her melodic and energetic pop tunes inspired by the 1980s give the audience a sense of nostalgia. Songs like “Sex Is in the Heel” and “Everybody Say Yeah” will make the audience dance and jump up and down. Though Lauper could not attend the opening of the show’s first international production, she will visit Korea for her concert in January.

The 2013 Tony Awards winner “Kinky Boots” features Cindy Lauper’s energetic pop tunes inspired by the 1980s and revolves around an unexpected friendship of two men — young show factory owner Charlie and drag queen Lola. / Courtesy of CJ E&M

The show’s faster-than-thought arrival in Seoul was facilitated by CJ E&M, one of the co-producers of the show on Broadway. The entertainment subsidiary of conglomerate CJ Group made the right decision to invest in the musical, believing its catchy music, inventive choreography and universal story will resonate well with the Korean audience.

Jerry Mitchell, the director of the show, wants the audience to pay attention to Don, a childhood friend of Charlie who would be considered as just a regular guy with a regular job, and how he accepts the changes in his life caused by Charlie and Lola.

Oh Man-seok and Kang Hong-seok alternate in the role of Lola, and Kim Mu-yeol, Ji Hyun-woo and Yoon So-ho in the role of Charlie. Han Sun-chun, a contestant of the dance TV program “Dancing 9,” stars as one of the “angels” or Lola’s drag backup dancers.

For more information on this production of “Kinky Boots,” visit www.kinkyboots.co.kr.

The Korean production of 2012 Tony Award-winning musical “Once” will open on Dec. 14 at CJ Towol Theater at Seoul Arts Center after a two-week preview. This is the first non-English production of the musical.

Kim So-hyun plays Marie Antoinette in a musical about the French queen

“Once” is based on the 2007 Irish indie film of the same name starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who also wrote the music for the movie. The movie, about a young man and a young woman who are interconnected through music, garnered an unexpected success in Korea back then, attracting over 200,000 moviegoers, a record for an indie film here. “Falling Slowly” and other songs featured in the movie also became very popular in Korea.

Such unprecedented success of the musical film prompted the early arrival of the musical “Once” to Korea, which stars rocker Yoon Do-hyun of YB as Guy. Yoon said he identifies with Guy, because like Guy, his life cannot be separated from music and he began his musical career with playing the guitar.

Director John Tiffany made all the actors play musical instruments while acting, singing and dancing to replicate the acoustic atmosphere of the movie. The production makes the audience feel like they’re at a pub listening to live music.

Magician Choi Hyun-woo presents magic show “The Brain.”

It is best to arrive 20 minutes before curtain time to enjoy the pre-show, during which the actors-musicians jam to Irish folk songs. The audience are welcome to go on the stage before and during the intermission to buy drinks and watch impromptu performances.

Yoon and Lee Chang-hee alternate in the role of Guy, and Jeun Mi-do and Park Ji-yeon in the role of Girl.

For more information on this production of “Once,” visit www.iseensee.com.

European delights

Those who want more glamour and spectacle in a musical would find joy in two European musicals based on historical figures — “Marie Antoinette” and “Rudolf.”

“Marie Antoinette,” which depicts the life of the Queen of France (1774-1792), is the newest addition to the list of Korean productions of the works of composer Sylvester Levay and lyricist Michael Kunze.

Held at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul, the musical revolves around the rise and fall of Marie Antoinette, from her dazzling masquerade ball to her time in prison and her way to the guillotine. The fictional character Magrid Arnaud, a female revolutionist from the bottom of Paris who confronts the glamorous queen, adds zest to the musical.

Equestrian circus “Cavalia” showcases harmony of human and nature. / Courtesy of StoryP

However, the plot staggers as it attempts to glamorize the French queen’s life for the sake of justice. The citizens who participated in the French Revolution are portrayed as rioters blinded by money, while Antoinette is described as a sincere mother who became the victim of a witch hunt.

Nonetheless, the musical extravaganza is a feast for the eyes and ears. Japanese costume designer Yoshiko Ikezawa reimagined Marie Antoinette’s lavish dresses with beads, embroidery and ribbons, showcasing the extravagance of the French court style. The set changes from the Versailles to the dirty back alleys of Paris.

Singer-turned-actress Oak Joo-hyun and musical actress Kim So-hyun alternate in the role of Marie Antoinette, and Yoon Gong-joo and Cha Ji-yeon in the role of Arnaud.

For more information on this production of “Marie Antoinette,” visit musicalmarieantoinette.com or call 1577-6478.

“Rudolf,” a Frank Wildhorn and Jack Murphy, tells the tale of Rudolf, the Crown Prince of Austria (1858-1889), and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera. The musical returned to Seoul after its successful premiere in 2012.

Staged at D-Cube Arts Center in southwestern Seoul, the musical creates a romantic atmosphere. Wildhorn, Korea’s favorite musical theater composer, breathed life into the tragic double suicide of the crown prince by composing elegant melodies.

Ahn Jae-wook, Im Tae-kyung and Tim alternate in the role of the crown prince, and Choi Hyun-joo, Ahn Si-ha and Kim Bo-kyung in the role of the baronness.

For more information on this production of “Rudolf,” visit www.musicalrudolf.co.kr or call 1577-6478.

Fun for the whole family

It is always fun to watch a good circus performance in a tent. The equestrian circus Cavalia, conceived by Normand Latourelle, one of the founders of the celebrated troupe Cirque du Soleil, is touring in Seoul.

A white big top tent has been installed on the grounds of Jamsil Sports Complex just for Cavalia. The circus performance creates a beautiful harmony of human and nature with 50 horses and 36 acrobats and horsemen. This harmony, in addition to technique, makes the show a success.

The equestrian circus show is like a scene from an epic adventure film — well-groomed horses in various colors and sizes run and jump freely inside the tent as the acrobats perform.

The audience can tour the stable after the show and see how the equine creatures live.

For more information on this equestrian circus show, call 02-418-2456.

Some theatrical spectacles feature magic. Famed magician Choi Hyun-woo is hosting the magic show “The Brain” at Samsung Hall at Ewha Womans University in central Seoul.

Choi has the audience in the palm of his hand with his charisma and mind-blowing magic tricks. He knows how to engage with the audience — he invites them to be a part of the trick, making the night unforgettable. During the show, he demonstrates his expertise in “mental magic,” in which he reads the audience’s mind. Choi also dares to bring audience members on the stage and magic away them, an act inspired by the mysterious Bermuda Triangle.

For more information on this magic show, call 1577-3363.