[Herald Interview] Korean-American Broadway actor reprises role of Jesus Christ

Broadway actor Michael K. Lee has returned to Korea to reprise the role of Jesus Christ -- arguably one of the most daunting and burdensome roles to portray on stage -- in the ongoing Korean rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s globally regaled musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Although the Korean-American performer has played the role before, both in the United States and in Korea , he felt once again the burden of having to bring to life one of the world’s most iconic figures, which prompted him

June 25, 2015

BoA to mark 15 years with concert at Sejong Center

　BoA will become the first female idol star to have a solo concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, according to her agency SM Entertainment on Wednesday.　The singer will be performing at the iconic Sejong Center in time to mark the 15th anniversary of her debut. The concert is particularly meaningful because of the prestigious Sejong Center’s reputation for being a tough venue to break into for pop artists.  BoA (Herald file photo)　BoA debuted in 2000 with “ID: Peace B” and went on

June 25, 2015

Wonder Girls confirm comeback as band

　JYP Entertainment confirmed Wednesday that the Wonder Girls are preparing to return to the stage.　The girl group, which debuted in 2007 and rapidly rose to fame through dance hits including “Tell Me,” “So Hot” and “2 Different Tears,” will be switching up their style on their next album by performing as a four-member band.  Wonder Girls (JYP Entertainment)　Original members Sunye and Sohee will be missing from the lineup, leaving Yubin on drums, Hyelim on guitar, Yenny on keyboard and Sunmi on b

June 25, 2015

[Herald Interview] Stitching different cultures into art

A soothing rhythmic sound is carried by a gentle wind in a wild flower field. It resembles the pleasingly relaxing sound from wooden wind chimes blowing in a breeze. The sound, in fact, comes from the skillful hands of Belgian bobbin lace makers moving wood bobbins from right to left and vice versa repeatedly to create lace patterns. The opening scene of artist Kim Soo-ja’s second chapter of the “Thread Routes” series takes the audience to the centuries-old tradition of handicraft lace making in

June 24, 2015

AOA goes sporty for summer on third EP

　AOA’s Jimin, Choa, Hyejeong, Seolhyun, Mina, Yuna and Chanmi are back as lacrosse players for their third EP, “Heart Attack,” dressed in sporty blue and yellow outfits for the stage. 　Monday they held a press showcase at the AX-Korea Concert Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, styled in the format of a sports contest.AOA performs "Heart Attack" at AX-Korea on Monday. (Yonhap)　On their long-awaited comeback, Hyejeong noted, “It‘s been eight months since we all performed together as a group. We missed ea

June 23, 2015

Summer promises musical fanfare for all tastes

From world premieres to international revivals with original Broadway cast members, summertime in Korea will surely live up to the country’s growing reputation of having one of the most dynamic and burgeoning musical scenes outside of Broadway and the West End. 　Here are some of the most anticipated shows of the season. Promotional image of the new local musical "Arirang" (Seensee Company)Korean originals　The upcoming production of musical “Arirang” will mark a historic moment as the show will b

June 22, 2015

[Herald Interview] Jane Jang eager to dive back into the limelight with ‘Liquid’

Singer-songwriter Jane Jang spent three years away from the public eye fighting a creeping paralysis resulting from a neurological condition called dystonia.Although it must have been a difficult period for the 24-year-old singer-songwriter, Jang did not let any negativity break her bubbly mood as she spoke with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Seoul on June 17.“The past three years? I had a great time,” she said. “I got to hang out with friends, enjoy the small everyday things.”“Still, I feel rela

June 21, 2015

Korean monochrome art shines in Basel

BASEL, Switzerland – At Art Basel, the world’s biggest high-end art fair, top artworks were sold in the first hours of its VIP preview. This year, 284 leading galleries from 33 countries brought some of their best artworks for the six-day event last week, including the two-day exclusive VIP showing before the official kickoff on Thursday. Some of the most expensive, top-quality works are sold quickly to major collectors from all parts of the world.“It seems all the galleries brought very high-qu

June 21, 2015

[Herald Interview] Dasol Kim talks first album release honoring Schumann

Internationally praised for his refined artistry and classical reinterpretations, pianist Dasol Kim has finally released his debut studio album, “Dasol Kim Plays Schumann,” paying personal homage to one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Following an increasing demand in the European market for a studio album from the piano prodigy, the 26-year-old unveiled his first album in May, featuring Schumann’s “Arabeske Op. 18,” “Humoreske Op. 20” and “Kreisleriana Op. 16.” However, despite f

June 18, 2015

[Herald Interview] Hong Dae-kwang tries out more commercial feel on ‘With You’

Singer-songwriter Hong Dae-kwang rose to fame through the TV star discovery program “Superstar K4,” but that wasn’t his first experience performing for the public. On the show, he created buzz by talking about his extensive experiences busking on the street, and he says that those experiences influenced the way he approached his third EP, “With You.”“I worked with a team that is really experienced and talented at creating really commercial albums,” Hong said in a conversation with The Korea Hera

June 18, 2015

A collage of tattooed body parts

A digitized collage of tattooed body parts assembled by artist Kim Joon is strikingly shocking to many viewers. Different body parts ― a torso, an ear, a leg and thigh and a finger ― are tattooed and juxtaposed in aesthetic harmony, prompting both awe and curiosity. In a country where tattoos are not yet widely accepted as a way to express oneself, Kim has been making artwork featuring various tattooed body images since the beginning of his artistic career 20 years ago. He creates images of bodi

June 17, 2015

[Herald Interview] Broadway gurus team up to stage Mata Hari musical

Broadway director and choreographer Jeff Calhoun has teamed up with some of the biggest names in the musical business, including composer Frank Wildhorn, to tackle the splendorous and mysterious tale of Mata Hari, one of the world’s most notorious female spies, in a new musical. The Korean audience will have the first chance to watch his work. “What’s great about Mata Hari is that people think they know her story, but I think there are a lot of variations depending on whose book you read,” said

June 16, 2015

Veteran French designer shows his world of creativity

French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac opened his first art exhibition in Asia with a dynamic, spontaneous painting performance Thursday in Seoul. On white clothes a model was wearing at Seoul’s Blue Square, the designer started drawing bold black lines. In a couple more strokes, the plain clothes were turned into a pop art piece boasting a newly created animated character.  French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac holds a painting performance that celebrates the opening of his f

June 15, 2015

EDM festival draws crowds despite MERS

Despite the ongoing Middle East respiratory syndrome scare in South Korea, an annual international EDM festival drew as many as 100,000 music lovers in Seoul over the weekend.Ultra Korea, the Korean arm of the global Ultra Music Festival, soldiered on with its schedule on June 12 and 13, opting to reinforce preventive measures against the outbreak rather than calling off the event. Bottles of disinfectant gel were placed in and out the stadium while everyone entering was scanned with body temper

June 14, 2015

Kim Feel tells his own stories on first EP ‘Feel Free’

Kim Feel, a breakout star from the audition program “Superstar K6,” dropped his first EP, “Feel Free,” Thursday. The EP, he said, would be a way to introduce himself to the world as a musician.“On ‘Superstar K,’ we mostly performed cover songs. This is the first time that I’m coming out with songs that I helped to create, with my stories, with the kind of music I hope to keep performing in the future,” Kim said at a press showcase at M Cube in Seoul on Thursday.With the exception of just one tra

June 11, 2015

What constitutes good photography

David duChemin is a top-notch world photographer and author of best-selling books on photography. Four of his books, including his first and best-known “Within the Frame,” are translated into Korean. But before committing to photography, he spent 12 years as a stand-up comedian, leading a nomadic life. “My path has been a zigzag,” duChemin said in an email interview. “I have been interested in photography since childhood. But I went to school for theology, then I was a stand-up comedian, and the

June 10, 2015

Jo Jung-rae: We cannot, nor should we, erase our history

Renowned Korean novelist Jo Jung-rae, 72, will soon be able to regale in his tireless efforts to preserve the memory of the country’s turbulent history as his epic 12-volume novel “Arirang” has been readapted into a live musical performance. Defying all odds, the upcoming eponymous musical ― which will start its run on July 16 ― comes after years of relentless and failed attempts to adapt Jo’s 20,000-page painstaking tale of Japan’s colonization of the peninsula into a screenplay for TV or film.

June 10, 2015

Lee Seung-gi returns with new album

Popular singer and actor Lee Seung-gi on Wednesday dropped his long-awaited album “And ... .”The sixth full-length album, which was unveiled on local music sites, arrives almost three years after Lee’s last EP, “Forest,” released in November 2012 and four years since the fifth full-length album, “Tonight,” in Oct. 2011. The first single of the album, “And Goodbye,” is a rock ballad track crafted by renowned composer Kim Do-hoon, who is behind Lee’s popular songs “Words That Are Hard to Say,” “Wi

June 10, 2015

G-Dragon elevated to art?

Amid high anticipation and skeptics, a collaborative art exhibition with G-Dragon opened Tuesday at the Seoul Museum of Art, presenting some 200 artworks reflecting the world of the young K-pop idol.The exhibition is the first mega collaboration between a Korean celebrity and contemporary art in Korea. The exhibition, co-organized by YG Entertainment and the Seoul Museum of Art, commissioned 14 teams of artists to create collaborative pieces with G-Dragon. Even before the opening, it emerged as

June 9, 2015

Great Mountains music fest to return in ‘French Chic’

The upcoming Great Mountains Music Festival & School will be paying homage to all things French high art with this year’s theme: “French Chic.” The three-week-long festival will feature a number of world-class concert performances bringing life to the sounds of French classics such as Rameau, Ravel and Saint-Saens, with this year’s GMMFS once again being directed by sisters and local classical music icons ― cellist Chung Myung-wha and violinist Chung Kyung-wha. “Elegance is one word that immedia

June 8, 2015