Though COVID-19 has been pushing the performing art scene in South Korea to the brink, hit musical shows are continuing their run backed by avid fans.

Popular musical show “Rebecca” wrapped up its four-month run at the Chungmu Art Center in central Seoul on Sunday. The show, now in its fifth season, opened in November and recorded sold out performances for 86 shows.
 

According to EMK Musical Company, an average of 92 percent of the 1,255 available seats were occupied for the whole season of “Rebecca.” Even in January and February, when COVID-19 hit Korea, 98 percent of the seats were occupied.

“Though we are facing a hard time, the support and cheers of the audience could not be covered up by the masks,” said Shin Young-sook who has starred in the production as Mrs. Danvers since the show’s first season.

The show will embark on a nationwide tour March 27, performing at 12 cities through June 21.

Musical “Dracula: The Musical,” featuring star singer Kim Jun-su, began its run on Feb. 11 at Charlotte Theater in eastern Seoul. Despite much worries, the show has been recording an average admission rate of 95 percent. 

Premiered in 2014, it features veteran singers Ryu Jung-han and Son Jun-ho, along with Kim as a Dracula in agony who falls in love with a woman who looks like his bereaved wife. The show is set to continue until June 7.

While the lights have gone out at New York’s Broadway, the international tour production of “Phantom of the Opera” began its Seoul run on Saturday. 

After wrapping up its successful two-month run in Busan, the show landed at Blue Square Interpark Hall in central Seoul where it will go onstage until June, before it travels to Daegu in July and August.

As the tour production consists of foreign cast and staff members, there had been concerns that the show may not be able keep its Seoul engagement.

“We are now in one of the most stable and safe places thanks to the Korean government and the cooperation of the Korean people,” Australian soprano Claire Lyon who plays Christine Daae in the musical wrote on her social media account before the opening of the Seoul show.

“We feel confident that life will continue to go back to normal over here in the coming weeks (it already seems to be!),” she wrote. “Thank you in advance to our audience members who continue to support us and for being so diligent in wearing masks and washing hands at the theatre.”

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)