‘The Man the Sea Saw,’ a one-man physical theater show for families

Theater playwright and performer Wolfe Bowart has dedicated his life to engaging audiences of all ages and nationalities through thought-provoking, physical comedy. Bowart admitted that he was always a “goofball” as a kid, wanting to share stories in front of an audience and engage a crowd to elicit one of the most satisfying reactions a physical comedian can receive ― laughter. However, after studying theater and receiving his degree, the actor ended up in Hollywood ― the mecca for most of the

July 22, 2014

‘Weird Al’ on his weirdly successful week in music

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Attention pop stars: If “Weird Al” Yankovic shows up at your concert or has tracked down your personal email address, you’re likely his next parody conquest. Such was the case for artists like Pharrell and Iggy Azalea, who are covered by Yankovic in his latest album, “Mandatory Fun.” For his 14th studio effort, released last week, Yankovic had his heart set on Williams’ No. 1 smash “Happy.” When he didn’t hear back from Pharrell’s camp, he decided to go straight to the source.

July 22, 2014

Knife Party, Krewella to join Seoul electronic music festival

Internationally renowned electronic music acts Knife Party and Krewella will be making their way to Seoul to perform at this year’s edition of the electronic dance music festival Global Gathering Korea, organizers said Tuesday.Global Gathering Korea 2014 will take place on Oct. 4 at Olympic Stadium at Jamsil Sports Complex, unlike previous editions, which were held at Caribbean Bay waterpark in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. More information about the artist lineup will be announced in the coming mo

July 22, 2014

Nam June Paik: ‘George Orwell was half right’

On Jan. 1, 1984, Nam June Paik celebrated New Year’s Day with a transcontinental live broadcast that began with the greeting “Good Morning Mr. Orwell.” It spanned New York, Paris, Berlin and Seoul, involved more than 100 artists, and was viewed by 25 million people. Paik carried out the project to rebut George Orwell’s “1984.” The novel warns against electronic technology and a totalitarian state taking advantage of media to control people.Saying “George Orwell, you were half right,” the artwork

July 21, 2014

Seeger tribute at Newport honors traditional folk

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) ― There are few musicians as inextricably linked to the Newport Folk Festival as the late Pete Seeger. Newport, known as the place where Bob Dylan cast aside his acoustic guitar and went electric in 1965, has made its mark on the festival scene more recently with an innovative mix of old and new ― most with a far different sound than the folk movement Seeger helped lead. This year’s top acts include Jack White, Jeff Tweedy and Mavis Staples. In a hearkening back to

July 21, 2014

[Weekender] Calendar

Dance“Sleeping Beauty on Ice”: The ice ballet rendition of Sleeping Beauty has captivated audiences for decades since its premiere in St. Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1967, the Saint-Petersburg State Ballet on Ice will be continuing its long-held tradition by bringing its performance of “Sleeping Beauty on Ice” to Korea. The award-winning cast of ice skaters soar through the air in stunningly visual twists and turns in their ballet-inspired choreography of the classic children’s tale. The perf

July 18, 2014

Eyelike: Swings returns with new EP

Swings returns with new EPSwings“Mood Swings II Part. 2: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” (CJ E&M)South Korean rapper Swings, who shook up the local hip-hop scene by setting off an unprecedented dis war among major South Korean rappers, has returned with the second installment of his “Mood Swings II” trilogy, titled “Mood Swings II Part 2: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.”The new six-track EP is filled with easy, free-flowing rap which provides a glimpse into the rapper’s thoughts and personal ponde

July 18, 2014

Mraz opens Kakao Music room for Korean fans

The geek in the pink American pop singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is finding new ways to keep in touch with his Korean fan base.In commemoration of Mraz’s newest album, “Yes,” released on Wednesday, Warner Music Korea announced that Mraz has now opened up his own “Star Music Room” on the recently launched Kakao Music application, joining the rising number of Korean artists who have opened up their own music rooms.  Jason Mraz’s “Star Music Room” on Kakao Music. (Kakao Music)The application enables

July 18, 2014

Australian contemporary art in spotlight

The undiscovered aspects of contemporary Australian art will be on view in Seoul this summer, highlighted in three exhibitions featuring media art, photographs and a mix of diverse media. Australia is one of the five guest countries invited to the 13th Dong Gang International Photo Festival, scheduled for July 18-21. The Australian photo exhibition highlights contemporary aspects of indigenous photography of aboriginal artists. “Aboriginal art has been thought of as paintings with flamboyant col

July 17, 2014

Michelle Obama salutes Grammy Museum

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Michelle Obama says every arts organization in the country should embrace the mission of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, which focuses on education.Six million American children attend schools with no art or music classes, she said Wednesday at the museum’s inaugural Jane Ortner Education Award Luncheon. “Arts are a way to channel ... pain and frustration into something meaningful and productive and beautiful, and every human being needs that, particularly our kids,” she sai

July 17, 2014

Seoul’s ‘creative spaces’ integrate arts into urban landscape

A decade ago, the underground section of the Jungang Traditional Market in Sindang-dong, Seoul, was a place without a future. As merchants left the area one by one, what was once the site of flourishing small businesses had turned into a dungeon few cared to visit. The fortune of this unfrequented area of Seoul was reversed in October 2007 when the Sindang Creative Arcade opened. The arcade is one of nine “creative spaces” currently under the auspices of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture

July 16, 2014

[Herald Review] ‘Priscilla,’ much more than just a gay show

In Korea, where homosexuality is taboo, musical fans, mostly women in their 20s and 30s, have displayed much interest in queer themes. An indication of this, many imported queer musicals have had successful runs here. “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Thrill Me” are still showing, while two more ― “La Cage aux Folles” and “Kinky Boots” ― are to open later this year. Still, a gay story can be a risky bet in this market, as recently evidenced by malicious remarks heaped on Jo Kwon, a member of K-po

July 16, 2014

Rare Goryeo lacquer art returns home

One of the finest pieces representing the lacquerware art of the Goryeo dynasty has returned to Korea, thanks to tireless efforts by a private group to retrieve it from overseas. The lacquered sutra box, presumed to date back to the middle or last periods of the Goryeo dynasty (918―1392), is one of nine such artifacts known to exist in the world. Korea held none until the retrieval. In May, the Friends of National Museum of Korea, a private group supporting the state-run National Museum of Korea

July 15, 2014

Immersive performance to take place at old Seoul Station building

The old Seoul Station building, where Tristan Sharps, British artistic director of the theater company Dream Think Speak, will stage a site-specific performance on July 19. (Seoul 284)The old Seoul Station building will turn into a giant stage for a performance that has never been seen before. Tristan Sharps, artistic director of Dream Think Speak, will use rooms, corridors and every corner of the 89-year-old building to put on a site-specific performance. Sharps has been staging shows outside t

July 15, 2014

Pick ’n choose ― upcoming summer music festivals

Queen and Adam Lambert. (9ENT)Starting to feel hot and sticky? Though the weather may make you cringe, the arrival of South Korea’s hot and humid summer signals the coming of the much-anticipated music festival season, with some big names scheduled to hit Korea next month.It may be difficult to decide which music festival to attend this year, as several world-renowned artists will perform at five different venues throughout August. So, check out which artists will come to which events, and see h

July 15, 2014

Peering behind people’s social networking masks

Art duo Kang Ji-yun and Jang Gun-hee take on an unusual quest to follow the traces of a man they call Mr. K solely based on his updates on a social networking site.The two artists travel to the gym Mr. K exercises at, a coffee shop he frequents and the apartment complex he lives in, as they put together a video montage. Thanks to the updates he posts every hour, they find the man they’ve never met at a coffee shop. But they never confront him. They simply peek through the window to get a glimpse

July 13, 2014

[Band Uprising] Staring at the faces of Genius

As the Korean music market begins to receive more international recognition, the local band scene is looking to rise up and represent the next generation of Korean music. This is the 20th installment of a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed.With their defiant and “stick it to the man” underground rock ’n’ roll vibe, the members of the Busan-based rock band Genius take their lackadaisical, yet party-hard personalities and translate them into headbanging mus

July 13, 2014