Probationary Theater is partnering with The Rebel Alliance to put on an original play performed and written by a local expat.The play was written by Michael Downey, a professor at the department of acting and visual arts at Suwon Science College, who will also perform the one-man play.The piece is based on a man Downey met in his native New Zealand, who worked as an orderly at Auckland’s North Shore Hospital during the week and on weekends fought as a Viking with a historical reenactment society

Expat LivingJune 18, 2013

Expat-run entertainment outfit ICONZ Media is hosting a new monthly hip-hop night in Itaewon to give a new platform to emerging hip-hop artists in Seoul.The show is planned for the third Friday of every month.ICONZ already puts on Freestyle Fridays on the first Friday of every month, but the focus of this event is a bit different, according DJ iDub, who hosts Hip Hop Allstars.“With Freestyle Fridays we have the artists come in that just come up with their own lyrics as they go in a freestyle con

Expat LivingJune 18, 2013

Just as many people wish to escape from the usual routine and travel to remote places, many artists travel far in search of inspiration and a new style. But for artist Roh Choong-hyun, the place where he lives is what motivates him to paint. Since 2005, the artist has focused on portraying what most people would find mundane and familiar ― landscapes of the capital city of Seoul ― for his series “Prosaic Landscape.” “I have always wanted to paint the Hangang River Park where I often go for walks

PerformanceJune 18, 2013

Korean-born ballerina Seo Hee, who currently serves as the principal dancer of American Ballet Theater, is to give a performance as a lead in John Cranko’s three-act ballet “Onegin.”The 27-year-old is to dance with Korea’s Universal Ballet Company, as well as Roberto Bolle, her fellow principal dancer at the ABT.Seo, who joined the dance company in 2004, became a member of its corps de ballet in 2006, and was promoted to soloist in August 2010. She was promoted to the troupe’s principal dancer l

PerformanceJune 18, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― As a queen, Helen Mirren reigns on screen and stage.National Theatre Live, which broadcasts stage shows from England to movie screens worldwide, said Monday that its June 13 live broadcast of Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in the play “The Audience’’ has captured its largest audience to date.“We were expecting a big audience for it because there’s been great buzz but it’s turned out even greater than expected,’’ David Sabel, executive producer of NT Live, said in an interview from

PerformanceJune 18, 2013

It’s hard to digest all of Kanye West on his new album.“Yeezus’’ is the rapper’s darkest, eeriest and most erratic album of his six solo releases. He is in militant form on the 10-track set, rapping over beats that are artsy, electronic and gloomy. It’s a far stretch from the contemporary rap and pop success he achieved with more than a dozen Top 10 hits, including “Gold Digger,’’ “Stronger’’ and “Heartless.’’ But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.“Yeezus’’ continues on the dark and emotive pat

PerformanceJune 18, 2013

2NE1 is releasing its long-awaited new single next month, YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-suk announced Tuesday morning through the agency’s website. According to the press release, the group will release a series of new singles, one at a time, from July to September. 2NE1 is also planning to release either an EP or full-length album in October, followed by a concert. On their upcoming song “Falling in Love,” 2NE1 have tried an entirely new genre, reggae, according to Yang.“2NE1 is certainly tryi

PerformanceJune 18, 2013

Psy ended official promotions of his latest single “Gentleman” in true Psy fashion with a firework-filled extravagant performance at Canada’s 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto on Sunday. “By the way, this was the official last performance of ‘Gentleman’ on TV, which was all with the fireworks, with the greatest crowd ever,” he said in an article on Billboard. “It was a really touching moment, so bless ‘Gentleman.’” Most critics rightfully speculated that Psy would be unable to replicate the

PerformanceJune 18, 2013

BEIJING (AFP) ― Football superstar David Beckham began a seven-day visit to China on Monday, sprinkling stardust at a charity event as the domestic game reels from its latest humiliation.The recently retired former England captain was donating his football shirts for a children’s charity at the start of a visit in which he is expected to be joined by his glamorous wife Victoria on Sunday.The 38-year-old announced his retirement last month after winning the French league title with Paris Saint-Ge

PeopleJune 18, 2013

LONDON (AFP) ― Queen Elizabeth II’s 92-year-old husband Prince Philip walked out of hospital on Monday “in good spirits,” 10 days after undergoing exploratory abdominal surgery.The Duke of Edinburgh, who went under the knife on June 7, smiled and waved as he left the private London Clinic in the center of the British capital.“The duke is in good condition and good spirits. He’ll take a period of convalescence of approximately two months,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said. “The duke has express

PeopleJune 18, 2013

Singer Lim Kim of singing duo Togewol has unveiled her first album as a solo artist.Titled “A Voice,” the album features five songs including the pre-released track “Number 1.” The album is slated for an official release on Tuesday, but the tracks were made available for downloading a day earlier.The title track “All Right” swept local music charts just hours after its release, topping at least five charts including, Mnet, Naver and Bugs and taking the No. 2 spot on Melon behind Sistar’s “Give I

PerformanceJune 18, 2013

A cathedral with mosaic works made by North Korean artists will open on June 25, the 63rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Korea announced Monday. The mosaic works inside the “Catholic Church of Repentance and Redemption” were produced by seven artists of the Mansudae Art Studio, one of the most renowned art groups in the North, in 2007. They depicted martyrs from Pyongyang and Hwanghae Province as well as some from So

CultureJune 17, 2013

Collage is quite a familiar form of art in Korea. The art technique is widely taught at classrooms to nurture creativity. One reason for collage’s popularity is the fact it is very “controllable.” All the materials are there, and the artist can manipulate the ingredients and reassemble them exactly however they want. In the early 20th century, famed artists such as Picasso, Braque and others adopted the method to realize images that were only available in the virtual world, or in their heads. Bu

PerformanceJune 17, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― “Man of Steel” leaped over box office expectations in a single weekend.The Warner Bros. superhero film earned $113 million in its opening weekend at the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. The retelling of Superman’s backstory earned an additional $12 million from Thursday screenings, bringing its domestic total to $125 million. Original box-office expectations for “Man of Steel” ranged from $75 million to $130 million.“They finally got the Superman formula right

CultureJune 17, 2013

Broadway singer James Barbour is making his directing debut in Korea with the second Seoul run of “A Tale of Two Cities,” a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel of the same title.The piece is set against the conflicts between rebels and aristocracy during the French revolution and its parallel world in 18th-century London. It tells the story of Sydney Carton, a shrewd young English lawyer who develops a strong, unrequited love for Lucie Manette, a young loving French woman who grew up in

PerformanceJune 17, 2013