| Star-Studded Cast Shine in 'Monte Cristo' (Source) |
2010/02/10 |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The musical"The Count of Monte Cristo", the newest work from world-renowned composer Frank Wildhorn, will be staged in Korea for the first time with a star-studded cast. Celebrated musical stars Ryu Jung-han, Shin Sung-rok, Eom Gi-joon, and Cha Ji-yeon, as well as singer-turned-actress Ock Joo-hyun, will perform in the Korean rendition.
The musical is based on the novel of the same title written by Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870). The music was composed by Wildhorn and the lyrics were penned by Jack Murphy.
The story depicts a mission of revenge undertaken by a young sailor named Edmond Dantes. Falsely accused, Dantes is incarcerated for 14 years. After escaping from prison, he assumes the identity of the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo, and exacts revenge on those who falsely charged him, one by one.
The original novel, which consists of five volumes, has been condensed into a two-hour show with fantastic stage sets that portray places such as R... |More
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| 'My Scary Girl' Wins Two Awards at NYMF (Source) |
2009/11/02 |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The Korean musical "My Scary Girl" won two awards ― the Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Individual Performances ― at the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF).
The NYMF announced the 2009 NYMF Awards for Excellence on Oct. 29, in which a total of 28 works were competing.
Bang Jin-ui received the Outstanding Individual Performances for her portrayal of the female protagonist in "My Scary Girl", becoming the first Korean musical actor to win the prize at a foreign musical festival.
"I think our musical might be fresh for Americans. The black comedy elements appealed to the American audience. So I could perform very happily. I want to share this honor with my colleagues and staff who worked with me for more than one year", Bang said.
The stage adaptation of the 2006 Korean comedy/horror/romance film of the same name, portrays an awkward but romantic relationship that develops between Hwang Dae-woo, a naive English ins... |More
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| Musical 'My Scary Girl' Goes to Broadway (Source) |
2009/09/27 |
The Korean musical "My Scary Girl", based on the local hit film of the same name, will take to the stage at the Acorn Theater on Broadway in New York from Oct. 1 to 4.
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The Korean musical "My Scary Girl" based on the local hit film of the same name will be staged at the Acorn Theater on Broadway in New York from Oct. 1 to 4.
The performance is an official selection of the international production exchange between the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) and the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF).
The production presented by Musical Heaven, a local company, was originally shown at the 2008 Musical Theater Lab for new works in development at the Barrington Stage Company (BSC).
It was the first Korean work selected by the BSC, the renowned American performing arts support group, to be presented at its theater lab.
The musical was staged as a development show in 2008 DIMF where it was a winner and received support from the sec... |More
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| Actresses Shine Thru Tears in 'Ae-ja' |
2009/08/27 |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
As the last bits of summer linger, "Ae-ja" by newcomer director Jeong Gi-hoon heads the pack of mellow autumn season melodramas. It's a coming-of-age story about a troublemaker learning life lessons when her mother falls victim to cancer, but the character-propelled film downplays the predictability as a pair of talented leading ladies give hotwire the heart of the script and offer some genuinely affecting moments.
Choi Kang-hee ("My Scary Girl") brings to the screen another atypical heroine, the tomboy Ae-ja. Her outmoded name, which undoubtedly invited much teasing at school when she was young, sums up the small battles she must fight in everyday life. The movie begins with the baby-faced actress posing most naturally as a rebellious high school student.
An epitome of paradox, she is the best and the worst of students - though always ranking on top, the dreamy poet constantly walks into trouble as she gets caught smoking, cuts class on rainy d... |More
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| Musical 'My Scary Girl' to Hit Stage in New York (Source) |
2009/06/24 |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Korean homegrown musical "My Scary Girl" will be staged at the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF).
The musical, which is currently being performed at The Stage in Seoul, has been invited as an official work for the NYMF 2009 Next Link Project.
"My Scary Girl" has been praised as exemplary and developed with revisions through trial runs at workshops and the festival before its premiere.
The musical was originally shown at the 2008 Musical Theater Lab for new musicals in development at the Barrington Stage Company (BSC). It was the first Korean work selected by the BSC, a renowned American performing arts support group.
In addition, the musical was a winner and received support from the second Daegu International Musical Festival last year.
The original cast members will perform at the festival, and the show will be staged in Korean with English subtitles for six days.
The stage adaptation of the movie of the same name, portray... |More
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