 Producer Min Bok-ki exlains that the new production will satisfy everyone, from children, their parents to their grandparents. /Courtesy of MBC |
MBC’s outdoor performance “Funny Story of Gogureyo” is going through a facelift to celebrate its 30th anniversary this month.
“Madanggeuk,” or Korean traditional outdoor performance, was a popular form of entertainment back in the 1970s and 1980s. It was originally performed outdoors, but MBC brought the tradition indoors, into large stadiums for practicality and easier access. It is basically a musical-like performance, where the characters sing and act on a round stage located in the middle of the venue with the audience seated around it.
Due to other forms of entertainment, such as television and the Internet, the traditional genre has been considered as old-fashioned and out-of-date with the main audience being a bit older than the average musical and theater fan.
“We transformed it into a hybrid genre, with a
 Comedian Kang Seong-beom will appear as a storyteller, adding a bit of comedy to the performance and helping the audience understand the story. |
The unique feature of a madanggeuk is the venue, which is round and on ground level, not far from the audience, and also the more comical structure where the actors frequently communicate with the audience, adding ad-libs and making fun of the characters with them, and the producer emphasized that such elements will still be found in the revamped version.
“It’s the music and the choreography that adapted modern musicals. Along with the rhythm of gugak, or Korean traditional music, the lyrics and dance moves will be a bit more contemporary,” he said.
“Funny Story of Goguryeo” depicts the folk tale of princess Pyeonggang and the foolish Ondal during the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668). The original story tells the love story between the smart princess
marrying the poor and ugly Ondal and her efforts in trying to transform her husband to an educated and successful general. MBC sticks to the original story with a comical twist, making it perfect for everyone to enjoy, from young children to senior citizens. The actors for the performance saw a revamp as well, with top musical actors like Won Gi-jun appearing as the foolish Ondal and veteran musical actress An Yu-jin as the wise princess.
“When I heard the news that MBC wanted me to appear on their madanggeuk, I had to think about it for a while because I didn’t think I was old enough to do it. I was a bit offended, to be honest,” Won said, explaining that he too thought that the genre was fit for the elderly.
“But then I heard that they wanted to add a younger perspective and I decided it to be meaningful to work on what we call a ‘Korean musical.’ I’m happy to be a part of it,” he added.
Won and An performed a sequence from the work where the two characters realize their love for each other. Indeed, the song was like any other musical number, but with a hint of Korean flair to it.
“A rather interesting and somewhat difficult part of working on a madanggeuk is the stage. Since the stage is circular with the seats surrounding it, the audience gets to see my whole body from the front to the back. I had to watch and study how I move my whole body, not only my face and front, to satisfy everyone,” Won said.
Along with Won and An, comedian Kang Seong-beom will appear as the storyteller, which is also a unique character in such traditional madanggeuks.
Kang will appear throughout the performance, explaining each stage, jumping into the scenes himself as a character but mostly helping the audience understand the story’s flow.
“We had some 40,000 visitors last year and with the revamp, we are hoping for at least 70,000,” Kang said with a smile.
Kang has been working as a storyteller for MBC’s madanggeuk for the past years and received an award last year for his work.
“Bring your whole family. The show will hopefully be able to satisfy everyone, from children to their parents and even grandparents,” Min added.
“Funny Story of Gogureyo” will take place at the Jangchung Stadium from Nov. 19 to Dec. 21. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 45,000 won. For more information, visit www.mbcmadang.com or call (02) 368-1515.
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