Theater

"Hairspray”: Broadway musical “Hairspray” is returning for its third run in Seoul. Having premiered in Seoul in 2007, the musical had another successful run in 2009. "Hairspray" has won a total of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2003, since it first opened in Broadway in 2002. It takes place in the early 1960s, and tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, an overweight yet optimistic teenager who dreams of becoming a star dancer by appearing on a dance-themed TV show. The role of Tracy is shared by rising musical star Oh So-yeon (Next to Normal, Lovers in Paris) and Kim Min-young, who appeared as the dowdy girl in filmmaker Kang Hyung-chul’s retro flick “Sunny.” “Hairspray” runs until Aug. 5 at Chungmu Art Hall in Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 90,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2230-6601.

"Chicago": Veteran singer and musical star Insooni (Cats) and heavyweight musical actress Choi Jung-won (Mama Mia, Guys and Dolls) are returning as Velma Kelly, the vaudevillian and murderess in “Chicago.” First opened in 1975, the “celebrity criminal” musical, which delves into the corruption of the authorities surrounding a murder case and a cabaret singer in Chicago in the 1920s, is Broadway’s fourth-longest-running show. The Seoul production’s music is directed by popular conductor and actress Kolleen Park, who will also conduct a 14-member band that performs llive along with the cast. "Chicago” runs until Oct. 7 at the D-Cube Art Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 110,000 won. For tickets and more information, call 1544-1555.

“Wedding”: Popular musical producer Song Seung-hwan, whose 1997 non-verbal piece “Nanta” made a global hit, has made a comeback with another foreigner-friendly work. Titled “Wedding,” Song’s latest musical is also non-verbal; its actors and actresses sing, dance, act and play over 20 musical instruments. The one-of-a-kind performance is specifically designed to draw foreign theatergoers. The show is a comical theatrical portrait of an ordinary Korean wedding, where the bride’s father isn’t particularly fond of his future son-in-law. Song follows the groom’s hilarious efforts to impress his father-in-law prior to the wedding ceremony, mixed with rhythmic music and dance. The show features a number of popular folksongs of many different countries, including Japan’s “Sakura,” the old American folk piece “Yankee Doodle,” and the Scottish piece “Annie Laurie.” “Wedding” runs from June 14 to July 29 at PMC Daehangno Theater in Daehangno, Seoul. All seats are 40,000 won. For tickets and information, call (02) 736-8289.

“La Cage aux Folles” : Award-winning musical star Jung Sung-hwa (“Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Hero: the Musical”) is returning as a gay man in the first Korean run of the 1983 Broadway musical “La Cage aux Folles.” The six-time Tony Award-winning musical pivots around the story of gay couple Georges, who owns a nightclub called “La Cage aux Folles,” and Albin, the star drag queen of his partner’s club. Its plot develops as Jean-Michel, Georges’ son from an affair with a woman some 20 years before, gets engaged. Things get complicated as Jean-Michel wants to bring his fiance Anne and her extremely conservative parents to meet his father Georges and Albin. Jung, who previously starred as a gay character in “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” is returning as the drag queen Albin, while another musical heavyweight, Nam Kyung-ju, stars as his partner Georges. The role of Jean-Michel is being performed by K-pop band 2AM member Lee Chang-min and rising TV actor Lee Min-ho. “La Cage aux Folles” opens July 4 and runs until Sept. 4 at LG Arts Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 130,000 won. The show is restricted to those aged 13 or older. For more information, call 1566-7527.

“Bungee-Jump”: “Bungee-Jump,” a musical adaptation of filmmaker Kim Dai-seung’s 2001 unusual romance “Bungee Jumping on Their Own” is to be staged next month. The 2001 film featured the late actress Lee Eun-joo and hallyu heartthrob Lee Byung-hun, and deftly linked the themes of magic and curse of first love, reincarnation and even homosexuality. The show, which tells the story of a man who lost his first love to a car accident back in the 1980s, is directed by Adrian Osmond, who previously orchestrated the Korean production of “Sweeney Todd.” American Broadway composer Will Aronson is taking charge of music. The show promises a one-of-a-kind musical theater experience this summer. “Bungee-Jump” opens on July 14 and runs until Sept. 2 at Blue Square’s Samsung Card Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, call 1544-1555.

“Wicked”: Popular Broadway musical “Wicked” is being performed in Korea for the first time. The musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which is a parallel novel of the classic “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” It tells the story of the two witches in the Land of Oz -- green-skinned Elphaba and beautiful Glinda. The upcoming show is an Australian production, with actresses Jemma Rix and Suzie Mathers taking the leading roles. The show is also a part of the Australian team’s first Asian tour, which kicked off in Singapore in December. The show runs May 31-June 30 at Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 160,000 won. For tickets and information, call 1577-3363.


Dance

“Poise”: Korean National Ballet presents “Poise” in collaboration with fashion designer Jung Kuho, from June 29-July 1. The contemporary ballet production is part of the company’s 50th year anniversary project and has been drawing interest for blending fashion and classical music on stage. Choreographed by Ahn Sung-soo, the production talks about all sorts of “balance” by presenting unconventional movements with classical music from composers including Bach and Shostakovich. This is also the last performance by ballerina Kim Joo-won with KBC. Tickets are 50,000 won -80,000 won. For more information or ticket reservation, call (02) 580-1300 or visit www.sacticket.co.kr.

“Romeo and Juliet”: Universal Ballet Company presents “Romeo & Juliet” choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan from July 7-14 at the Seoul Arts Center. MacMillan’s “Romeo and Juliet,” famous for its dramatic impact, has been staged by the world’s major ballet companies but not by Korean companies until now. The former artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London has allowed the Korean ballet company to stage his production for the first time in Korea, according to UBC. The ballet company will collaborate with Gangnam Symphony Orchestra led by Paul Connelly. Tickets are 10,000 won-100,000 won. For more information or ticket reservation, call (02) 580-1300 or visit www.sacticket.co.kr.

“Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2012”: A number of Korean dancers active on U.S. and European stages will come together to perform not only classics, but their latest creations at the Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2012. The four-day festival kicks off at Theater Yong of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on June 28-29, at Inje Cultural Complex in Gangwon Province on June 30 and Yeoncheon Sureul Art Hall in Gyeonggi Province.
The annual festival features Jun Eun-sun, now a soloist with the Royal Swedish Ballet; Cho Soo-youn, principal dancer for the Tulsa Ballet in the United States; Lee Sang-eun of Dresden Semperoper Ballet in Germany; and ballerina Chae Ji-young of the Washington Ballet in the U.S. Tickets for the festival are 30,000 won-100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3674-2210 or visit www.ipap.co.kr.

“Giselle by American Ballet Theater”: The American Ballet Theater, one of the prestigious ballet companies in the world, will stage one of its representative works “Giselle” at the Seoul Arts Center on July 18-22. The ballet troupe will feature a Korean ballerina Seo Hee as its title role. Seo, now an ABT member, made her Metropolitan Opera House debut in “Romeo and Juliet” in 2009, impressing the audience with her excellent technique as well as her delicate portrayal of the role. Tickets are 16,500 won-400,000 won. For more information, call (02) 598-3119 or visit www.thehent.com.


Classical Music

“Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov”: German violinist Isabelle Faust and her long-time musical partner pianist Alexander Melnikov, both famous for their collaboration on Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas, will perform at LG Arts Center on June 24. The duo surprised the classical music scene with their award-winning CD on Beethoven’s complete sonatas for violin and piano in 2009. In Seoul, the two artists will offer Beethoven Sonatas for Violin and Piano No.4 and No. 5, also known as “Spring” and No. 9 “Kreutzer.” Tickets are 30,000 won-70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2005-0114 or visit www.lgart.com.

“Duo Charis’ 1st Recital”: Acclaimed Korean pianists Lee Jin-ah and Cho Sang-eun will give their first recital as a duo on June 30 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Lee, professor at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and Cho, professor at Baekseok Arts University in Korea, have been exchanging their musical talents and built a strong friendship over many years. As part of their project “Four Hands: A Musical Journey,” the two will play repertoires by Rachmaninoff, Saint-Saens, Bach and Bennett. Tickets are 20,000 won. For more information, call (02) 391-9631 or visit www.buamart.co.kr.

“I Musici”: I Musici nicknamed “the legend of chamber music,” will travel to major cities in Korea starting with Seoul on June 15 at Seoul Arts Center, followed by Uijeongbu Art Center in Gyeonggi Province on June 16, Daegu Suseong Artpia on June 17 and Gyeongnam Culture and Art Center in South Gyeongsang Province on June 19. The orchestra also performs at Anyang Art Center on June 21 and at Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on June 23. It will collaborate with Kim Se-hwang, guitarist for Korean rock group N.EX.T, in its performance of Bacalov’s Concerto Grosso for I Musici’s 60th Anniversary. Tickets are 60,000 won-140,000 won. For more information, call (02) 6249-4500 or visit www.arcadiakorea.com.

“Salon Concert Namsan”: A small concert for gugak, or traditional Korean music, is currently being held every Monday and Tuesday evening at Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater near Mount Nam, Seoul. It runs through July 31. Featuring the country’s famous gugak musicians, the concert takes place in a hanok room, a part of the theater that fits only 20 audience members. The concert is a reenactment of Joseon’s pungnyu culture or the cultural events appreciated by Joseon’s high society. The audience will get the chance to talk to gugak musicians while drinking tea after the concert. Tickets are 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2261-0511~2 or visit sngad.sejongpac.or.kr.


Pop Music

“Marketa Irglova Live in Seoul”: Marketa Irglova, Czech singer songwriter who rose to fame from movie “Once” holds her first solo concert in Seoul on Aug. 15 at AX Korea in Seoul. In 2010, Irglova with her ex-lover and music companion Glen Hansard, mesmerized Korean fans with their dramatic songs. The two starred in the critically acclaimed film as struggling musicians in Dublin and fell in love during the film’s shoot. The song they sang together “Falling Slowly” in the film won an Academy Award. Tickets are 77,000 won-88,000 won. For more information, (02) 3143-5156.

“Guro Indie Rock Festival”: The Guro Indie Rock Festival kicks off July 5-7 at the Guro Arts Valley near Daerim Station on Subway Line No. 2 and invites numerous groups particularly those who are based in Hongdae. Weekday tickets are 15,000 won for second floor seats and 30,000 won for first floor seats, with prices going up to 20,000 won and 35,000 won on the weekend. The shows kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Some of the bands gracing the stage this year are BigBaby Drive, The Moonshiners, Galaxy Express, Micro Kid, Baek Hyun-jin, Kim Mok-in and Lee Young-hoon. For more information or to reserve tickets in advance, go to the art center’s website at www.guroartsvalley.or.kr.

“Jisan Valley Rock Festival”: The annual Jisan Valley Rock Festival kicks off July 27-29 at Jisan Valley Ski Resort south of Seoul. It has already announced its headliners Radiohead and the Stone Roses. Also planning to take to the stage are Busker Busker, Beady Eye, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, James Blake, Nell, Apollo18, the Black Skirts and Hollow Jan. Tickets run at 250,000 won for a 3-day pass and 150,000 won for a 1-day pass at the gate. Starting May 30, there will be 1,000 one-day tickets available for 130,000 won. Official internet booking starts on June 5 and three-day tickets are 225,000 won while one-day tickets are 140,000 won. For more information, visit www.valleyrockfestival.com or call 1566-2226 or 1577-3363.

“Ultra Music Festival”: The electronic music festival is planning to stage six festivals worldwide this year on four continents, with the show to hit Seoul’s Jamsil Sports Complex Stadium on Aug. 3 and 4. Coming to Seoul are Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Tiesto, Carlox&Friends, John Digweed, Yousef, Jon Rundell, Sidney Samson, Elioriso, Shut Da Mouth, Freak Houze, Tokyo Big Boy, Chuckie, the Crystal Method, Ken Ishii, DJ Koo, Sander Kleinenberg and more to be announced. A Friday pass is 93,500 won while tickets for Saturday are priced at 112,200 won. A two-day combo is currently available for 153,000 won. Tickets on the day of the event are 110,000 won for Friday, 132,000 won for Saturday, and 180,000 won for both days. For more information, visit www.umfworldwide.com.

Festivals

“Hwang River Leisure and Sports Festival”: Hapcheon in South Gyeongsang Province holds a festival featuring a variety of fun sports activities ranging from a water marathon and catching fish with your hands to a volleyball contest. The 2012 Hwang River Leisure and Sports Festival will take place July 28-29 at Hapcheon Hwang River Leports Park in line with other local festivals including the Hapcheon Hope Village Festival, which presents a variety of local food and agriculture products. With its fun sports events, the festival has recently become popular among foreign residents in Korea. The festival’s water marathon consists of three courses, 2K, 5K and 10K and offers the best photo opportunities. For more information, call (055) 930-3877.

“Buyeo Seodong Lotus Festival”: Buyeo in South Chungcheong Province holds the annual lotus festival from July 26-29 at Seodong Park. Buyeo is the old capital of the ancient Korean kingdom Baekjae. The 10th festival will hold craft-making events with lotus flowers such as face painting, lotus soap making, making lotus flowers with paper. The festival will also feature performances of local arts groups as well as traditional Korean music throughout. For more information, call (041) 830-2921.

“Taean Lily Festival”: Taean in South Chungcheong Province hosts a summer lily festival from June 20 to July 1. The annual flower festival is held at Nature World on a vast land planted with summer flowers such as lilies, dahlia and gladioli. The festival also holds craft-making events for visitors. Families and children can try making traditional kites and arrows. The entrance fee is 9,000 won for adults and 7,000 won for those who come in groups.
A special discount is given to those who book in advance. For more information, call (041) 675-9200.


Exhibitions

“A Brief Suspension of Disbelief”: The Miami-born Cuban-American artist Hernan Bas holds his first exhibition in Korea at PKM Trinity Gallery in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul until July 20. Bas is one of the most prominent young artists in the contemporary art world and has attracted worldwide attention lately with his dream-like paintings with expressive and bold brushwork. The exhibition features five paintings, 14 photographs and a film, all put together under the theme of “a brief suspension of disbelief.” For more information, call (02) 515-9496. 

“De quoi s’Agit-il? (What are we Dealing With?)”: The photographs of Henri Cartier-Bresson, the co-founder of the photography agency Magnum, are on exhibit at Sejong Arts Center in Seoul until Sept. 2.
The Seoul exhibition titled “What are we Dealing With?” is the 11th retrospective of Cartier-Bresson held worldwide since starting in France in 2003. The photographer died shortly after his retrospective started.
The exhibition features Cartier-Bresson’s earliest photographs, including one perfectly-timed shot of a man jumping over a puddle of water behind the Saint Lazare train station in Paris and scenes of historical upheaval in the early 20th century. For more information, call (02) 735-4237.

“Move: Art and Dance since the 1960s”: The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea in Gwacheon presents an exhibition combining art and dance. The exhibition features installations and sculptures complemented with live dance performances and continues through Aug. 12.
The exhibition is a reinterpretation of the showcases that drew much attention to the mix of art and dance at renowned galleries in England and Germany in 2010 and 2011. It also holds performances by professional dancers throughout the exhibition period from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call (02) 2188-6114.

“Photography of Choi Min Shik -- Childhood”: Lotte Gallery holds a solo photo exhibition of the photographer Choi Min Shik, featuring photos of children taken from 1957 to the present in Busan. The exhibition marks the memorial month of June and unveils 150 pieces featuring children in their everyday activities in alleys, markets, train stations and beaches of the port city. Some of the photos have been developed for the first time for the exhibition. The exhibition runs from June 13 to July 8 at Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong, Seoul. For more information, call (02)726-4428.