REVIEW Musical 'The Days': ode to late singer Kim Kwang-seok

Scenes from the musical “The Days” / Courtesy of INSIGHT Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

The musical “The Days,” is a love letter to the late folk-rock singer Kim Kwang-seok (1964-96), one of the most prominent musicians here in the late 1980s and the early 1990s.

“The Days” is a jukebox musical featuring his smash hits, ranging from “Though I Loved You” (1991) to “A Letter from a Private” (1991). For every performance of “The Days,” its production team leaves one seat empty, which is reserved for Kim. The singer, who debuted in 1987 as part of the activist folk band Noraereul Channeun Saramdeul (meaning “people looking for music”), passed away at the age of 31 in 1996.

Set in 2012, the musical follows Cha Jung-hak, a presidential guard who searches for the president's daughter and her bodyguard after they go missing. As Cha follows their trail, he realizes that he faced a similar incident 20 years prior, when his colleague Kang Mu-young and his client ― a mysterious female interpreter ― disappeared abruptly from public view.

The poster for the musical “The Days” / Courtesy of INSIGHT Entertainment

“'The Days' is based on the songs by Kim, but it is not a story of his real life,” director Jang Yu-jung said. “Nonetheless, a lot of people say the show reminds them of Kim. I actually thought of the singer when I created the character Kang, the man who is left in the past … Through Cha, I wanted to impart a message of comfort for those who lost their loved ones.”

Premiering in 2013, “The Days” started its sixth run on July 12 at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho District. Veteran actor Yoo Jun-sang alternates the role of Cha with actors Um Ki-joon, Lee Geon-myeong and Oh Man-seok. Actors Ji Chang-wook and Kim Gun-woo, singer-actor Oh Jong-hyuk and Youngjae of K-pop boy group GOT7 play Kang in turn.

Yoo's performance of the number “Those Days” is the crown jewel of the 165-minute theatrical show. With his performance, the actor flawlessly expresses the complex set of emotions that he feels as he draws parallels between the two missing persons cases. Ji's take of “Though I Loved You” is another gem, which portrays the tragic love story of Kang and his client. Overall, “The Days” is a gripping show demonstrating the power of Kim Kwang-seok's timeless music.

“Our musical relays a message that we should not let go of hope even when we lose people we love,” Yoo said. “It seems our audience finds this message relatable.”

“The Days” is slated to run through Sept. 3.