Tale of Austria’s crown prince to be staged in Seoul

After the very successful first run of “Elisabeth,” ― which was about the real-life 19th-century Austrian Empress ― earlier this year, local musical company EMK is showcasing another European show with an all-Korean cast, this time about the very empress’ son.Titled “Rudolf,” the show is about Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (1858-1889) and his affair with Baroness Mary Vetsera. The piece is based on the famous “Mayerling Incident,” where the crown prince and his mistress were found dead, an app

Oct. 28, 2012

Wonder Girls perform at U.N. headquarters

South Korean K-pop group Wonder Girls and legendary U.S. singer Stevie Wonder performed together at the U.N. Headquarters in New York during the “2012 U.N. Day Concert: A Message for Peace” on Oct. 24. The two-hour concert was organized in celebration of the 67th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Organization.The five-member girl group performed its English single, “Like Money” and also partnered with Stevie Wonder for his song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Other reno

Oct. 28, 2012

Confidence with swag

This is the third in a series about foreign entertainers growing in popularity in Korean entertainment scene. ― Ed.In the cutthroat world of the Korean music industry, it’s hard for even Koreans to catch a break. Meaning, for the expats who hope to make it in the business, it’s even harder.But for California-native Black Ilumin, it was unexpected.The hip-hop artist came here during an artistic block in 2009, hoping to regain some inspiration and start writing again. On a whim, he answered an ad

Oct. 28, 2012

Learning from the stars

A small group of K-pop-loving foreigners were offered the chance of a lifetime to learn from the stars themselves at a special mentoring seminar by 4minute stars G.Na and Ji Youn.Fifteen groups from 15 countries were selected to compete at this year’s K-pop World Festival after winning a K-pop singing/dancing competition held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. All teams will compete at the K-pop World Festival concert on Sunday in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.Participants gat

Oct. 26, 2012

Leeum shows major works of Anish Kapoor

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, presents the country’s first exhibition of works by British sculptor Anish Kapoor. The first major show by Kapoor in East Asia, the exhibit encompasses the artist’s major works from the early years of his career to the present. Known to the general global audience as the creator of the giant red steel “Orbit” tower in London Olympic Park, Kapoor has enjoyed great success, holding a solo exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts as the first living artist in 2009.

Oct. 25, 2012

Ex-manager of Britney Spears says he was punched

Britney Spears’ ex-manager described from the witness stand Wednesday a scene of domestic warfare, saying the superstar’s father chased him around a kitchen, punched him and threatened his life.Sam Lutfi, who is suing Spears’ parents for defamation, testified while they watched from across the courtroom.He denied accusations made in a book by Lynne Spears that he was a Svengali who became the gatekeeper of her daughter’s world, locking her parents out of her life.He contends he was a benevolent

Oct. 25, 2012

‘Ars Nova’ to woo audience to world of modern music

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual “Ars Nova” concerts are a welcome treat for fans of contemporary classical music in Korea which suffers from a dearth of contemporary classical music performances.Marking the seventh year of “Ars Nova,” SPO is exploring an unfamiliar yet intriguing world of “balance amid imbalance” under the theme of “Ars Nova Ⅲ&Ⅳ―Hungary.” There will be two concerts, each with a different program, for this year’s edition ― the first at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 1 at the Chamber H

Oct. 24, 2012

CNBLUE draws 100,000 fans in Japan

Pop rock group CNBLUE has wrapped up its first arena tour in Japan, having attracted a combined 100,000 screaming fans. The “Come On” tour took the boys to six cities in Japan where they performed a total of nine concerts. The group’s final shows were held at Saitama Super Arena on Oct. 20 and 21 where they performed many of their hit songs including “Have a Good Night,” “Wake Up,” “Blue Sky,” “Tear Drops in the Rain,” “Time is Over” and their Japanese debut single “In My Head.”“We were surprise

Oct. 24, 2012

Psy and U.N. secretary-general praise each other

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is jealous of South Korean rapper Psy.The U.N. chief joked during a meeting with the rapper that he felt overshadowed by the star, whose video has scored over half a billion views on YouTube.“I‘m a bit jealous. Until two days ago someone told me I am the most famous Korean in the world. Now I have to relinquish. I have no regrets,” Ban said.The two lavished praise on each other at U.N. headquarters Tuesday, with Ban even risking a few of Psy’s trademark

Oct. 24, 2012

Stop press! Superman quits Daily Planet

Journalism is no longer a job for Superman.His alter ego Clark Kent is quitting the Daily Planet, the Metropolis newspaper where he's worked since the first Superman comics were published in the 1940s, the USA Today newspaper said Monday.The plot twist -- prompted by the Daily Planet's takeover by a media conglomerate -- is one of many to appear in the new edition of Superman that goes on sale Wednesday in both digital and hard-copy forms.‘Superman is arguably the most powerful person on the pla

Oct. 24, 2012

National Geographic to auction part of its archive

NEW YORK (AP) ― The National Geographic Society is selling parts of its massive archive of world exploration for the first time, offering 240 pieces spanning from the late 1800s to the present at an auction expected to bring in about $3 million.National Geographic has chronicled scientific expeditions, explorations, archaeology, wildlife and world cultures for more than 100 years, amassing a collection of 11.5 million photos and original illustrations.Among the items to be sold at Christie’s in

Oct. 23, 2012

Biennale to help artists create international exchanges

Two biennales in Korea serve as a bridge for international art exchanges, building on common purpose and roles of contemporary art events and offering networking opportunities.Gwangju Biennale, the largest contemporary art event in Asia, will hold the first World Biennale Forum, a gathering of representatives of more than 30 international biennales from Oct. 29-31 in Gwangju.Busan Biennale, an event which is just now emerging on the global scale, held its second Asia Biennale Forum on Oct. 13, g

Oct. 23, 2012

Singer Kim Jang-hoon and Paris Hilton in 3-D music video

Singer Kim Jang-hoon and American socialite Paris Hilton recently unveiled a teaser clip for the upcoming release of their new music video, “Not Here.” According to Kim’s agency, the video was also shot in 3-D by Hollywood’s top 3-D specialists, including Look FX, the company that did some of the special effects for James Cameron’s blockbuster smash “Avatar.”The video was filmed in Los Angeles and Malibu in August and it was reported that producing the music video for this ballad song, to be fea

Oct. 23, 2012

Psy to speak at Oxford Union

The popularity of “Gangnam Style” has now breached the walls of academia and the man behind the viral trend will be heading to one of the most distinguished universities in the world. The Oxford Union, a debate club at the University of Oxford, has asked K-pop star Psy to speak at the college.Psy will present a one-hour lecture in English on his life and colorful career in the Korean music industry on Nov. 7 to members of the 190-year-old institution. The YouTube sensation was selected as one of

Oct. 23, 2012

Samulnori master looks to next chapter

One night in 1978 in a small theater in Daehagno, northern Seoul, four men were quivering before their first performance of a very new school of gugak, or Korean traditional music. They were about to use only four types of percussion instrument ― jing (gong), buk (drum), kkoengwari (hand-held gong) and janggu (hourglass-shaped drum) ― focusing on the dynamic among them. For decades they had been struggling with the falling popularity of gugak and for them, this was the last straw. The rest is hi

Oct. 22, 2012