‘Aida’ bids farewell, ‘Mamma Mia!’ returns and ‘Jamie’ gets Asian premiere With the year winding to a close, local production companies and theaters have been announcing the musicals set for the stage next year, with lineups including licensed international hits and locally brewed shows alike. Last month, Seensee Company launched a local production of “Aida,” which will continue through Feb. 23...

Musical “The Phantom of the Opera” is set in the iconic Paris Opera House in central Paris, also known as the Palais Garnier. Built in the late 19th century by Charles Garnier, the establishment is one of the city’s must-see spots to this day. A mysterious figure referred to as the phantom lives beneath the opera house, away from others. He wears a mask to hide his scarred face. He falls in love...

BUSAN -- Musical “The Phantom of the Opera” has finally landed in Korea, kicking off in Busan and taking the audience into the haunting love story set in Paris in the late 19th century. This is the first time the international tour of the opera is visiting Busan, having already performed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. After Busan, the tour moves on ...

A total of 25 performing arts productions will go onstage for three months, funded by the Art Council Korea (Arko) under a support program called the 2019 Arko Selection. For the past 12 years, Arko -- affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism -- has operated the Arko Selection program to support the local performing arts scene, covering the production costs for selected produc...

Pansori artist Lee Ja-ram is known for her success in taking the audience to places that are utterly new. Her latest work, “The Old Man and the Sea” at Doosan Art Center, does a perfect job of bringing Ernest Hemingway’s story of a Cuban fisherman to the stage. Lee’s “The Old Man and the Sea” takes the form of pansori, or traditional Korean narrative singing. Except for a few changes, Lee’s pans...

One thing that is certain about the musical “Aida” is that no matter what version you check out, there is plenty happening onstage. The clever use of props and stage design was effective in making the show as grand as possible, even overcoming limitations in depicting various aspects of Africa. The Sunday performance of the show -- which runs through Feb. 23 at the Blue Square Interpark Hall in ...

Lyricist Michael Kunze and composer Sylvester Levay revealed their next production will be about the maestro Beethoven, set for its world premiere here in 2021. The duo behind hit musical productions, including “Mozart!” “Elisabeth,” “Marie Antoinette” and “Rebecca,” recently visited Korea. They made the announcement about their new musical at a press event held Monday at The Shilla Seoul. The ...

Man Booker Prize winner Han Kang’s novel ‘Human Acts’ adapted for the stage

Contemporary ballet “La Fresque” is surreal and dreamy, featuring barefooted dancers carrying out explosive and exuberant movements. Led by legendary French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, Ballet Preljocaj is touring Korea with “La Fresque.” It performed at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul over the weekend. The performance began in complete darkness. The soundtrack created by Nicolas Godin...

Ballet Preljocaj embarks on Korean tour with ‘La Fresque’

The final South Korean production of the beloved musical “Aida” will kick off next month, wrapping up a run that spans 732 performances, 14 years and 730,000 audience members. The local promoter for “Aida,” the Seensee Company, said the musical will be performed Nov. 13 to Feb. 23, 2020, at the Blue Square Interpark Hall in central Seoul. Yoon Gong-ju and Jeon Na-young have been cast as the tit...

A Muto performance is not merely an unconventional combination of different art forms, but also an unusual spectacle. One of the band’s musicians plays the “geomungo” -- a Korean traditional string instrument -- with a violin bow, while another uses a modular synthesizer to create an exotic harmony with it. There are two large video panels that stand together and function like a folding screen, ...

Director Koh Sun-woong depicts chaos after Korea’s liberation from Japan

The world tour of the beloved musical “The Phantom of the Opera” will land in Korea this winter. The South Korean leg of the world tour will kick off at Dream Theater in Busan, with its first performance in December. It will then move to Blue Square in Seoul, before winding up at Kyeimyung Art Center in Daegu. The cast and the schedule for the performance has not been confirmed. Based on the F...

The 2019 Seoul Performing Art Festival (SPAF) is set to kick off its 18-day run, bringing 19 international productions onstage. The festival, organized by the Korea Arts Management Service, is slated to take place Oct. 3-20 in central Seoul, spread out across Arko Arts Theater, Deahakro Arts Theater, Sejong Center and Arts Theater at Korea National University of Arts. This year’s SPAF puts 19 p...