Two takes on 'Macbeth': Classic with contemporary mis-en-scene by Yang Jung-woong

This summer, the National Theater of Korea will host two distinct renditions of Shakespeare's “Macbeth,” bringing both classic and contemporary flavors to the stage. The Shakespearean tragedy tells the story of the Scottish general Macbeth who, driven by a prophecy from three witches, murders the king to ascend the throne, only to spiral into madness and ruin. Helmed by renowned director Yang Jung-woong, the SEM Company's production starring veteran actors Hwang Jung-min,

June 2, 2024

English version of Korean original musical ‘Marie Curie’ hits London’s West End

The Korean original musical “Marie Curie” will hit London’s West End on Saturday, the first time a Korean production is being staged in English in one of the two biggest theater districts internationally, along with New York’s Broadway. The musical will run at the 265-seat Charing Cross Theatre through July 28, with the Culture Ministry readying to promote the show through talks between the media and the cast on June 7 and joint concerts by the Korean and UK actors on Jun

May 31, 2024

[Herald Interview] Botis Seva's hip-hop 'BLKDOG' dives into youth trauma, depression

Far From The Norm, the hip-hop dance company led by acclaimed choreographer Botis Seva, is set to make its Korean debut with "BLKDOG," an emotionally charged hip-hop dance theater piece, at the Seongnam Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province, June 22-23. Premiered in 2018 at Sadler's Wells Theater in London, "BLKDOG" won the Laurence Olivier Award for best new dance production at the 2019 Olivier Awards. This year, Seva joined Sadler's Wells Theatre as an associate artist

May 31, 2024

Busan International Dance Festival celebrates 20th anniversary with dance magic

The Busan International Dance Festival is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary with spectacular performances across various locations in Busan. Over the past two decades, BIDF has showcased some 1,000 works from more than 60 countries. This year, the festival will bring over 60 performances by 40 dance troupes from 10 countries, including Lithuania, France, Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, involving over 400 participants. The opening ceremony will kick off at 7 p.m. on

May 31, 2024

Paju Fair_Book & Culture to bring books to stage in September

Paju Book City will be transformed into a vibrant performing arts festival site in September, showcasing a variety of performances rooted in books. The inaugural edition of the Paju Fair_Book & Culture will take place Sept. 6 to 9, aiming to bring fresh energy to the cultural complex of publishers and printing houses located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The fair endeavors to explore and expand cultural and artistic narratives rooted in literature while serving as a global platform for their i

May 30, 2024

Legendary rock stars to hold joint concert

Two South Korean rock icons, Jeon In-kwon and Boohwal, will hold a joint concert in June. The two giants of 1980s Korean rock will host "The Age of Rock" on June 15 at the KBS Arena in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. The concert was originally scheduled for April, but was postponed to June. After playing with various bands in the 1970s, vocalist Jeon In-kwon formed Deulgukhwa in 1984, a band that became a cornerstone of Korean rock. Known for his unique, almost anguished vocal style, Jeon sang hits

May 29, 2024

Westlife to return to Korea after 13 years

The Irish pop band Westlife will perform in South Korea for the first time in 13 years. According to Mohegan Inspire Resort on Monday, Westlife will hold "Westlife: The Hits Tour" at Incheon Inspire Arena on July 6-7. Mohegan Inspire Resort’s Inspire Arena located in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, is the first multipurpose arena in South Korea. Westlife will be the second overseas artist to perform in the venue following Maroon 5. Westlife, known for their emotional melodies and rich harm

May 27, 2024

[Africa Forum] Traditional Korean, African dances celebrate ties

Traditional Korean and African dances by both the Little Angels and TAGG marked the Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum on Thursday, with a side event introducing African food and craft. Twenty-three members of the Little Angles opened the celebrations with “buchaechum,” or fan dance, followed by the singing of “A Beautiful Country,” a Korean song, at the forum cohosted by Herald Media Group and the African Group of Ambassadors at the Swiss Grand Hotel Convention Center

May 26, 2024

Samulnori Ttamtti celebrates 20 year musical journey with concert

Samulnori Ttamtti, a Korean traditional music quartet composed of four individuals with disabilities, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a concert titled "Ttamtti's 20-Year Journey to Fly High." The group was formed in 2003 as part of a music therapy program for disabled individuals, bringing together Ko Tae-woog, who has a developmental disorder; Park Jun-ho, who has autism; Lee Seok-hyun, who has a brain disorder; and Cho Hyeong-gon, who has Down syndrome. All four members

May 24, 2024

‘Monk DJ’ takes global stage, with caveat

A South Korean DJ-comedian in a Buddhist monk’s robe is riding growing popularity to step onto the global stage, but he is increasingly forced to deal with resurfacing complaints questioning his way of spreading the religion. Youn Sung-ho -- the comedian known as NewJeansNim, “snim” meaning monk in Korean -- stepped into the global spotlight in late April during his first overseas tour in Taiwan, where he delivered his electronic dance music performance of echoing Buddhist vers

May 23, 2024

[Herald Interview] Universal Ballet's 'The Ballerina' peeks behind curtain

The Universal Ballet is set to present its original production, 'The Ballerina," a work that offers a glimpse into the daily lives of ballet dancers striving for a shining moment on stage. The performances will take place at the Seoul Arts Center's CJ Towol Theater from May 31 to June 1. This is the first time the production will be performed in Seoul, following its premiere in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, and subsequent regional tours in 2022 and 2023. Choreographed by artistic dire

May 22, 2024

Ballet Festival Korea brings diverse lineup to Seoul Arts Center

The 14th Korea Ballet Festival is set to kick off next week at the Seoul Arts Center, boasting a lineup of 12 works, including one special production, three invited pieces and eight selected through open submissions. A diverse array of ballet performances ranges from classics like "Don Quixote" and "The Barber of Seville" to reimagined literary works such as "Scent of Chrysanthemums" and "The Desolate House," alongside contemporary productions forecasting

May 22, 2024

7 contemporary Korean dance groups to tour Hungary, US

Seven Korean dance groups are scheduled to tour Budapest and the US from Tuesday to June 16. The tour will cover four cities: Budapest in Hungary, Seattle, Hudson Valley and Manhattan in the United States, starting with the 11th International Monodance Festival held at the Bethlen Theater in Budapest on Tuesday. On June 2, the "Seoul-Mate Korea Dance Festival" will be showcased at the Stissing Center for Arts and Culture in Hudson Valley, New York, and at the Cosmopolitan Club in Manha

May 20, 2024

Pupils to gather in Seoul, Tokyo to celebrate Janos Starker's 100th birthday in July

In celebration of late cellist Janos Starker’s 100th birthday and his legacy, two of Starker’s students, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and Yang Sung-won, who both went on to have successful careers, will bring together more than 20 of Starker’s pupils and their pupils for a festival in Seoul and Tokyo in July. Japanese cellist Tsutsumi, president of Suntory Hall in Toyko and a professor, and South Korea's Yang, the artistic director of Music in PyeongChang and also a professor, joined

May 19, 2024

Robots, puppetry breathe life into musical adaptation of ‘A Thousand Blues’

On a white Christmas, a building collapses trapping a woman named Bo-gyeong in the basement. Amid the ruins and darkness, Darpa, a rescue robot navigates the debris to locate signs of life. Outside, people gather in despair, praying for a miracle, while the woman’s mother pleads for her daughter’s rescue. Darpa spots Bo-gyeong and calculates the survival odds: body temperature at 35 degrees Celsius, an 88 percent chance of another collapse, and only 20 seconds left. It estimates Bo-g

May 15, 2024

Rain to meet fans in Korea, Japan

Singer Rain, also known as Jung Ji-hoon, is set to meet fans through performances in Korea and Japan. Rain will hold the solo concert "Still Raining" on June 8-9 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The upcoming concert marks Rain's first solo performance in Korea since his "The Squall" concert in 2015. It is also an extension of the tour concert held in the United States last November under the same title. The title "Still Raining" signifies

May 14, 2024

Pianist Baik Kun-woo releases first-ever Mozart album

South Korean pianist Paik Kun-woo kicked off his Mozart trilogy project Tuesday with the release of “Mozart: Piano Works 1." The Deutsche Grammophon album marks the first Mozart album by the 78-year-old pianist, who has an extensive discography of more than 30 albums. "Mozart's works are inherently difficult. It feels like bringing pure, natural music just as it is. After much contemplation on how to interpret it, I discovered the 'as is' music that Mozart captu

May 14, 2024

[Herald Review] Highlight kicks off Asia tour with memory-filled Seoul concert

Despite heavy rain, the KSPO Dome in Seoul on Saturday was packed with fans who had to come to see the boy band Highlight perform a Seoul concert of its Asia tour "Lights Go On, Again." The three Seoul concerts on May 10-12, Highlight's first concerts in two years, marked the group's 15th anniversary. Amidst crimson lights and lasers, the quartet emerged and opened the show with intense performances of "Switch On," "Alone," "Paper Cut," and other

May 13, 2024

Rising pansori stars bring 'Chunhyang' to 'Peerless Pansori'

The fourth installment of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea's "Peerless Pansori" series returns this weekend with emerging "pansori" performers Cho Yu-ah and Kim Soo-in. The shows, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Daloreum Theater, were sold out soon after tickets sales opened. The "Peerless Pansori" concert series was launched in 2021 to create opportunities for young and emerging pansori singers to explore the music and mise-en-scenes with conte

May 13, 2024

Popular online game soundtracks rearranged as traditional music

The soundtracks of popular online games such as Black Desert and Lineage have been rearranged as traditional Korean music. The National Gugak Center is unveiling a series of single albums titled "National Gugak Center x Game Sound Series," which rearranges 13 popular game melodies into traditional Korean music, starting from last Thursday to May 24. Among the tracks are theme songs and background music from Lies of P, Skul, Sanabi, MapleStory, TalesWeaver, Epic Seven, Lost Ark, Guardia

May 12, 2024