'Il Tenore' takes home grand prize at Korea Musical Awards

The musical "Il Tenore," or "The Tenor" in English, won the Grand Prize at the 9th Korea Musical Awards ceremony held at the Universal Arts Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Monday.

Premiered in Seoul in 2023, the musical tells the story of a medical student aspiring to become Korea’s first opera tenor during the 1930s Japanese colonial period. Inspired by the real-life story of Lee In-sun (1907–1960), the narrative intertwines his dreams with the efforts of independence activists.

Shin Chun-soo, CEO of OD Company, the creator of "Il Tenore," said, "Bringing a work to the stage is a challenging journey, and 'Il Tenore' brought us immense joy. My new goal is to one day perform this piece on Broadway in our language. This might be the work to make it happen, so please watch our progress."

Hong Kwang-ho, who portrayed the medical student, took home the best actor award. Accepting the award, Hong said, “I’m grateful to receive this award for a piece that brought me so much happiness. As I celebrate 23 years in musicals, I feel immense gratitude toward the actors before me who paved the way."

The composition award went to Will Aronson, also for "Il Tenore."

"Hadestown" won a total of six awards, including best actress for Kim Soo-ha, who portrayed Eurydice.

Marking her 10th year as a musical actor, Kim said, "This work was like a gift that found me during a difficult and lonely time. I’ve performed Eurydice over 160 times, and not once did I feel reluctant to step on stage. I’m deeply thankful to the audience for sharing tears and laughter with us."

"Hadestown" received recognition in multiple categories, with Choi Jung-won winning best supporting actress, K-pop singer Kim Min-seok named best new actor, and Han Jung-rim winning for music direction. Additionally, Lee Won-seok received the stage arts award for his work as a stage manager. Producers Seol Do-kwon and Shin Dong-won were honored for their contributions to “Hadestown" and “Dear Evan Hansen."

“Dear Evan Hansen” was recognized as the best production for venues with more than 400 seats, while “Hongryeon” claimed the title for smaller venues.

Ko Eun-sung earned accolades for his supporting roles in “The Great Comet." Jeon Ha-young ("The Butterfly on the Bund 1939") was celebrated as best new actress.

"Come From Away" won the best ensemble award. Lee Ji-young took home the award for best direction for "The Last Five Years." Jang Woo-sung won best script for "Island: 1933-2019" while Hong Yoo-ran won best choreography for "Come From Away."

The lifetime achievement award went to the late director Im Young-woong, regarded as the “father of Korean theater.” Im passed away in May last year at the age of 89. He debuted in 1955 with the play “Six Martyred Ministers” and directed Korea’s first musical, “Saljagi Obseoye,” in 1966. His 1969 production of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” premiered in Korea, attracting over 220,000 viewers over 50 years. He also founded the Sanwoollim Theater Company in 1970.

Accepting the award, his eldest daughter, Lim Soo-jin, who now operates the Sanwoollim Small Theater, said, "It’s been nearly 60 years since my father directed 'S'aljagi Obseoye.' 'He could never have imagined how much Korean musicals would develop in such a short time. I hope Korean musicals continue to grow."

The audience of the year award, recognizing the musical attendee with the highest number of performances attended each year, went to Han Eun-hee, who attended 110 performances.

Held annually in January, the Korea Musical Awards are organized by the Korea Musical Association. This year’s nominees were selected from productions that opened in Korea between Dec. 4, 2023 and Dec. 1, 2024, with a total of 87 entries.