| A king's romance back on the stage in its 10th year (Source) |
2010/02/17 |
Hit film 'The King and the Clown' was based on soon to be revived play
The 2005 Korean movie "The King and the Clown" was a box office smash, selling more than 12 million tickets, the second highest ever after "The Host" (2006). Yet not many realize the film is actually based on a play called "Yi".
As in the movie, the story of Yi revolves around an apparently homosexual relationship between a tyrant king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) - Yeonsan (1476-1506) - and his favorite court jester Gong-gil. That story is interwoven with another relationship between Gong-gil and his lover Jang-saeng, the leader of his troupe. According to historical records, "Yi" was an honorific title given by the king to a beloved subject during the Joseon Dynasty.
The play was first staged in 2000, and a revival is now being prepared to commemorate its 10th anniversary.
"Ten years have passed since the premiere of Yi in 2000, and many things have changed over the past decade, particularly with... |More
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| [10LINE] Lee Byeong-heon (Source) |
2010/02/15 |
Clockwise from top center, actor Im Chang-jeong, actor Song Seung-heon, actress Choi Ji-woo, director Kim Ji-woon and actress Kim Tae-hee [10Asia]
Lee Byeong-heon
He grabbed people's attention as soon as he made his acting debut. And he did great. He would then encounter a crisis but everytime, he would somehow find his way back. And he went around the world to look for new work. This is the life of this top star whose life is like a drama or drama turns out to be what his life is.##
Im Chang-jeong
Im appeared in KBS drama "Haetteulnal" where Lee starred as the leading male. Im, who had just arrived in Seoul, stayed with Lee at his house and they have be... |More
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| Actor Lee Byeong-heon Debuts in Hollywood (Source) |
2009/07/31 |
| Actor Lee Byeong-heon, who is almost 40, is a seasoned actor in the Korean film industry. He debuted in 1992 in the TV drama "Tomorrow Love". In the 1999 movie "The Harmonium In My Memory" Lee played a teacher who captivated the heart of a young woman from a rural area. And in the 2000 hit "Joint Security Area", he perfectly portrayed a South Korean soldier who pleads for help when he steps on a mine.
The turning point in Lee's life came in 2005 with director Kim Ji-woon's movie "A Bittersweet Life". Lee easily portrayed difficult action scenes and impressed viewers with his acting talent.
In the 2006 movie "Once In A Summer" Lee appeared opposite Soo-ae, and last year he stunned everyone by playing a gangster in "The Good, The Bad, The Weird".
Lee has tried diverse roles so far, joiningg the ranks of A-list actors. And he is not picky when it comes to genre, whether it is a thriller, an action movie or a melodrama. This time, Lee is poised to ma... |More
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| Next Hallyu in Musicals? (Source) |
2009/03/27 |
Japanese Tourists Flock to Musical Theaters
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The Japanese yen's surge against the Korean won is driving a welcome resurgence in Japanese spending here, helping the Korean tourism industry.
The strong yen not only contributes to local tourism but also the musical industry, as tourists choose local musical performances as part of their tours to Korea.
Foreign audiences, especially Japanese visitors, have already attended non-verbal performances here. But it's a new phenomenon for Japanese viewers to see musicals in the native tongue.
It seems to be part of the hallyu effect, in which various Korean heartthrobs who have appeared in television dramas airing in Japan are taking to the stage.
Yamada Akiko, 42, has seen "My Scary Girl", starring Sin Seong-rok, three times. "I'm a big fan of Sin Seong-rok. I've seen his musicals many times", she told The Korea Times.
Yamada said the first time she saw Sin was in his TV drama "Hyena" in Japa... |More
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| Theater in 2008: 'Movical' Booms, 'Best Play Series' Hits (Source) |
2008/12/16 |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The economic recession that has affected almost every part of the world hasn't touched the local theater industry.
This year, musicals and plays have stayed afloat through their distinctive strategies.
The musical industry highly relied on producing movie-based musicals, called "movical" while the plays gained bigger popularity than ever through the success of "Yeongeuk Yeoljeon 2" (A Series of the Best Plays). The two genres also used a star-studded marketing strategy.
Musicals
The buzzword in this year's musical trend was "movical", referring to the combination of movies and musicals.
The boom in re-creating the cinematic arts on the musical stage draws from the success of hit films such as "Radio Star'", "The Harmonium in My Memory" and "200 Pounds Beauty".
It marks a big contrast from last year when homegrown blockbuster musicals such as "Dancing Shadows" and "Dae Jang Geum", were produced prolifically but without commercial su... |More
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