In Korea, we stage a wide variety of original musicals in addition to licensed ones. Today, I’d like to introduce several musicals that feature various Korean elements.
First, the first one is the famous musical <Fan Latter>, which is currently having its 10th-anniversary encore performance at the Hongik University Road Art Center Grand Theater. Set in the 1930s, this work is based on the real-life writers Lee Sang and Kim Yu-jeong, as well as the literary group ‘Guinhoe' they belonged to.
The story features an aspiring novelist named Sehun and Hikaru, a persona he created. It depicts the misunderstandings, love, and events that unfold as they exchange fan letters with the novelist Kim Hae-jin (based on the real-life Kim Yu-jeong) and share inspiration. This setting was inspired by an anecdote from Kim Yu-jeong’s life: before his death, he reportedly sent about thirty unanswered letters to a certain woman. The creators of the musical pondered whether those letters were driven by love or the desperation of someone facing death.
As a representative masterpiece of original Korean musicals, it allows the audience to feel the atmosphere of that era through lyrics that incorporate phrases from actual poems and novels written by these authors, while closely following the intricate relationships between the characters.
"Whoever it may be, I cannot help but love the owner of this letter. I will wait for your reply, as always. March 17th, from Hae-jin."
(From the representative number ‘Hae-jin’s Letter’)
Second is the play <Pang-ya>, currently playing at the Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall. This work personifies a rifle, tracing its history from when its wood was once part of a tree, then a cauldron in someone’s home, and even a musical instrument, before finally becoming a rifle and meeting its various owners.
The narrator is Nana, a screenwriter who visits a prop storage room in search of material and ends up striking up a conversation with the long rifle. From the 1940s onward, the rifle "Pang-ya" witnessed the tragedies of modern Korean history, passing through the hands of Japanese soldiers and soldiers from both South and North Korea. The play reveals the partings, pain, and harsh realities of the many people surrounding the rifle, weaving together stories within the play and the narrative outside of it. It is also captivating to watch the actors take on multiple roles simultaneously.
At the end of all these stories, Pang-ya says to Nana: “Thank you for listening to my story.”
Third is the musical <Swing Days_Codename A>, currently playing at the Chungmu Arts Center Grand Theater. The story is inspired by the "NAPKO Project," a secret intelligence operation by the American OSS against Japan during World War II, and the independence activism of Dr. Yoo Il-han. It depicts the transformation of an ordinary businessman who provided financial support into a man who risked his life on the front lines, focusing on the process of the "choices" he made. It portrays the suffering of war, the ordinary people enduring that pain, and the noble decisions they make to protect their daily lives.
The protagonist, Yoo Il-hyung (based on Dr. Yoo Il-han), initially asks, "Why risk your life like this? What difference does it make if one or two people like you step forward?" In response, the independence fighter Veronica gives him a sharp rebuke, only to be executed by the Japanese military the moment she steps out. Afterward, the phantom of Veronica follows Il-hyung relentlessly. As he experiences the loss of his own precious things, he finally resolves to join the movement in the final scene. At that moment, when faced with the same question he once asked Veronica, he replies:
"If I jump in, it might bring us one day closer; if someone else jumps in, that's another day. I believe that’s how we can pull that day forward, one day at a time."
It is said that the activists of the NAPKO Project, who were recorded only by codenames, were remembered by their names and records only long after the fact. This musical ultimately speaks of the "beautiful choices" that we must remember.
"May an ordinary daily life dwell here."
(From the lyrics of the final number, sung after resolving to dedicate himself as Codename A in the NAPKO Project.)
Finally, the musical <Park Yeol> will open this June at Link Arts Center Dream, Dream Hall 4. This story follows the life of independence activist Park Yeol and his Japanese wife, Kaneko Fumiko, focusing on the events triggered by the 1923 Kantō Massacre. Identifying themselves as "anarchists," they demand their own execution from the Japanese Empire, which attempts to arrest them to cover up the massacre. They declare that while the Empire may take their lives, it can never force them to surrender. As such, this story is about people who kept their faith and fought for freedom, even in a time of struggle.
Below are the lyrics from the final number sung by Park Yeol in prison before his death:
“As long as life remains in me, a world to fight for remains. Even if my body is extinguished, you shall see that my spirit can never be put out.”
In addition to these, a variety of other performances featuring Korean themes are currently on stage, such as musical <Mongyudowon>, based on the novel by Choi In-ho; musical <Hongryeon>, a reinterpretation inspired by the Korean folktales 'The Story of Janghwa and Hongryeon' and 'The Legend of Princess Bari'; and musical <Seopyeonje>, based on Lee Cheong-jun's novel, which focuses on the traditional Korean art of Pansori.
As the weather becomes more pleasant in May, it would be a wonderful time to visit these shows with friends or parents.
