Festivals

“Taebaek Sunflower Festival”: More than 1 million sunflowers will stretch across a vast field of Taebaek, Gangwon Province along with more than 300 kinds of wild flowers that usually grow at an altitude of around 900 meters. The sunflower festival offers a rare chance to be surrounded by sunflowers and participate in hands-on activities such as painting and photography contests and animal feeding. The festival is also a chance to take photos of beautiful scenery ranging from sunflower beds to the nearby wind power plant in Maebongsan, and the sources of the Han and Nakdong rivers. Small concerts will continue throughout the festival period to keep up the festive mood. The festival is held at Guwau Village in Taebaek, Gangwon Province till Aug. 19. For more information, visit www.sunflowerfestival.co.kr. 

“South Korea-Japan Comedy Festival”: Comedy stars from South Korea and Japan will deliver the laughs in a joint performance during the 2012 Korea-Japan Comedy Festival in Busan on Aug. 9. Leading comedians from the two countries will perform for two hours from 7:30 p.m. at a special outdoor stage set up on the resort beach of Haeundae in Busan and hold a press conference. The press event will be attended by festival organizer Kim Jun-ho, veteran comedian Jeon Yoo-seong, and Japan’s popular comedian Tomonori Jinnai.

“Bonghwa Sweet Fish Festival”: Bonghwa in North Gyeongsang Province hosts a sweet fish festival, offering a variety of activities and fun experiences for families and children during the peak summer days from July 28-Aug. 8. The 14th festival will feature diverse hands-on activities including catching the sweet fish, water races and craft-making. Several education programs are planned for children as well at the sweet fish museums and other art exhibitions. Music concerts will celebrate the opening of the festival, and night time concerts, rock concerts and singing contest will take place through the festival period. For more information, visit www.bonghwafestival.com.

“Donghae Horizon Festival”: The beach festival held by the east coast city of Donghae features a variety of summer activities. The city, famous for long stretches of beach, will offer sports activities as well as B-boy dance performances and rock concerts. A special concert with famous singers including Bobby Kim will open the festival. Other events held during the festival period include a Korean beef tasting event, a photo exhibition and cultural performances by local students and artists. The festival runs from July 31 to Aug. 5 at Mangsang Beach in Donghae, Gangwon Province. For more information, call (033) 531-1020.


Dance

“Seoul International Ballet Festival”: The Korea Ballet Association is hosting the 2012 Seoul International Ballet Festival. Dancers from renowned ballet companies, including the Innsbruck Tanz Company and Korea’s Universal Ballet Company will be featured during the upcoming festival. Up-and-coming dancers from the all over the world ― including Izmir National Ballet’s Burcu Olguner, and Portuguese Contemporary Ballet Company’s Patricia Henriques ― will also perform for the festival’s “Young Star Classic” gala program. The event runs from Aug. 23 to Sept. 1 at the Arko Arts Theater in Seoul. For more information, call (02) 538-0505 or visit www.koreaballet.or.kr

“Swan Lake”: Russia’s Novosibrisk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre is presenting Tchaikovsky classic “Swan Lake.” The piece is directed by Igor Zelensky while its stage and costume have been designed by Louisa Spinatelli. The show runs until July 29 at Seoul Arts Center. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 250,000 won. For more information, visit www.sac.or.kr or call (02) 2650-7481.

“Orpheus and Eurydice”: Kim Yong-geol Dance Theater presents its original creative repertory “Orpheus and Eurydice” from July 28 to 29 at Gangdong Arts Center in Seoul. The troupe is led by former Opera de Paris dancer Kim Yong-geol, who now teaches at the Korean National University of Arts. An original piece entirely choreographed by Kim, the show tells the famous tragic love story of Orpheus and his wife Eurydice from the ancient Greek myth. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 440-0500.

Theater

“Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks”: Celebrating the 40th anniversary of her debut, veteran actress Go Doo-shim returns to the stage as a passionate dancer. A Korean adaptation of American playwright Richard Alfieri’s 2001 play of the same title, the play begins as past-middle-age Lily Harrington (Go) receives her first visit from her private dance instructor Michael Minetti (Ji Hyun-jun). She has been living alone in an expensive, gulf-front condo in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, ever since her husband’s death a number of years before. Michael visits Lily once a week, for six weeks. The two, who come from very different backgrounds, dance the swing, tango, waltz, foxtrot, Cha-Cha and contemporary dance while gradually sharing their fears and secrets of their difficult past. “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” runs until Sept. 2 at Doosan Art Center in central Seoul. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 70,000 won. For tickets and inquiries, call 1588-0688.

“Bungee-Jump”: “Bungee-Jump,” a musical adaptation of filmmaker Kim Dai-seung’s 2001 unusual romance “Bungee Jumping of Their Own,” is to be staged next month. The 2001 film deftly linked the themes of magic, the curse of first love, reincarnation and homosexuality. The show, which tells the story of a man who lost his first love to a car accident in the 1980s, is directed by Adrian Osmond, who previously orchestrated the Korean production of “Sweeney Todd.” American Broadway composer Will Aronson is taking charge of music. The show promises a one-of-a-kind musical theater experience this summer. “Bungee-Jump” opens on July 14 and runs until Sept. 2 at Blue Square’s Samsung Card Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, call 1544-1555.

“Kongchilpalsaesamryuk”: On April 8, 1931, two young, sophisticated-looking women, dressed in Western clothes, jumped into the path of a train steaming toward Incheon at Yeongdeungpo Station in Seoul. One of the two women was Hong Ok-im, the daughter of Severance Medical School professor Hong Seok-hoo and niece of composer Hong Nan-pa (1897-1941). Killed alongside Hong was 19-year-old housewife Kim Yong-joo, whose father was the owner one of the biggest bookstores in Seoul at the time. It was later reported that the two women were secret lovers. Inspired by this real-life story from the 1930s, local musical production company Moby-Dick has come up with “Kongchilpalsaesamryuk.” The musical, whose title means “gossiping behind one’s back” in old Korean, tells the story of the star-crossed, same-sex lovers stifled in unwanted marriages. “Kongchilpalsaesamryuk” runs until Aug. 5 at Chungmu Art Hall in Seoul. Tickets cost 40,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2230-6601 or 1577-3363.

“Hairspray”: Broadway musical “Hairspray” is returning for its third run in Seoul. Having premiered in Seoul in 2007, the musical had another successful run in 2009. “Hairspray” has won a total of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2003, since it first opened in Broadway in 2002. It takes place in the early 1960s, and tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, an overweight yet optimistic teenager who dreams of becoming a star dancer by appearing on a dance-themed TV show. The role of Tracy is shared by rising musical star Oh So-yeon (Next to Normal, Lovers in Paris) and Kim Min-young, who appeared as the dowdy girl in filmmaker Kang Hyung-chul’s retro flick “Sunny.” “Hairspray” runs until Aug. 5 at Chungmu Art Hall in Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 90,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2230-6601.

“Heotang”: Filmmaker and theater director Jang Jin is staging his 1995 play “Heotang,” meaning “labor in vain,” for the third time. The plot of the play develops as two male prisoners, who have been living comfortably in their unusual jail cell, greet a third member in the shared room. She turns out to be a young pregnant woman, who has lost most of her memory and suffers a minor speech disorder stemming from what seems like severe trauma. Unlike the two male prisoners, however, it is revealed that she used to know why she was being sent to the jail before losing her memory. Yearning for freedom and truth, one of the two men tries to get the troubled woman’s memory back by doing a therapy-like role-play. “Heotang” runs until Sept. 2 at Dongsung Art Center in Daehangno, Seoul. For more information, call (02) 747-5885.

“Chicago”: Veteran singer and musical star Insooni (Cats) and heavyweight musical actress Choi Jung-won (”Mama Mia,“ ”Guys and Dolls“) are returning as Velma Kelly, the vaudevillian and murderess in “Chicago.” First opened in 1975, the “celebrity criminal” musical, which delves into the corruption of the authorities dealing with a murder case and a cabaret singer in Chicago in the 1920s, is Broadway’s fourth-longest-running show. The Seoul production’s music is directed by popular conductor and actress Kolleen Park, who will also conduct a 14-member band that performs live along with the cast. “Chicago” runs until Oct. 7 at the D-Cube Art Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 110,000 won. For tickets and more information, call 1544-1555.

“La Cage aux Folles”: Award-winning musical star Jung Sung-hwa (“Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Hero: the Musical”) is returning as a gay man in the first Korean run of the 1983 Broadway musical “La Cage aux Folles.” The six-time Tony Award-winning musical pivots around the story of gay couple Georges, who owns a nightclub called “La Cage aux Folles,” and Albin, the star drag queen of his partner’s club. Its plot develops as Jean-Michel, Georges’ son from an affair with a woman some 20 years before, gets engaged. Things get complicated as Jean-Michel wants to bring his fiance Anne and her extremely conservative parents to meet his father and Albin. Jung, who previously starred as a gay character in “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” is returning as the drag queen Albin, while another musical heavyweight, Nam Kyung-ju, stars as his partner Georges. The role of Jean-Michel is being performed by K-pop band 2AM member Lee Chang-min and rising TV actor Lee Min-ho. “La Cage aux Folles” runs until Sept. 4 at LG Arts Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 130,000 won. The show is restricted to those aged 13 or older. For more information, call 1566-7527.

Exhibitions

“Nostalgia is an extended feedback”: Nam June Paik Art Center holds a retrospective of pioneering video artist Paik Nam June until Jan. 20 next year in celebration of Paik’s 80th birthday. The exhibition features his major works as well as works by other artists who share Paik’s artistic goals that shed light on Paik’s philosophy that combines man, machine and nature. Major works displayed at the exhibition include “The Rehabilitation of Genghis Kahn,” an assemblage of a TV set, a bicycle and other materials made into a human-like form, “Marco Polo,” a human-form robot riding a car, and “Happy Hoppi,” a depiction of a Native American on a scooter wearing a glowing headdress and holding a bow and arrow. The art center is located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. For more information, visit njpartcenter.kr or call (031) 201-8571.

“ArtSpectrum 2012”: Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, holds a group exhibition of eight young Korean visual artists as part of its biennial ArtSpectrum project, which seeks to uncover young artists with great potential. A solo exhibition of the world-famous Swiss visual artist Pipilotti Rist is also held during the same period. The artist’s video installation “Spear to Heaven” by Rist offers a whole new level of video art to viewers. The “ArtSpectrum” and “Pipilotti Rist” exhibitions run from July 19 to Sept. 16 at Leeum in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The museum is closed on Mondays. For more information, call (02) 2014-6900 or visit www.leeum.org.

“Ha, Chong Hyun Retrospective”: The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea is holding a solo exhibition of Ha Chong-hyun, a pioneer of modern abstract painting in Korea. The exhibition features his “Conjunction” series, created by the coalescence of paint and hemp cloth, started in 1974 and continued through today. Covering all periods of the artist’s career, the exhibition offers insight into the birth of abstract painting and how it has evolved. The exhibition continues through Aug. 12. For more information, visit www.moca.go.kr.

“The Civilizations of Turkey: Emperors in Istanbul”: National Museum of Korea’s special exhibition, “The Civilization of Turkey: Emperors in Istanbul” offers a rare opportunity for Seoulites to see exquisite collections of Turkish relics. A total of 184 artifacts are showcased in four different sections, categorized by the time periods: The ancient Anatolian civilizations, the Greek and Roman Civilizations, the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire (1299-1923). The most fascinating of the exhibits are, undoubtedly, the relics from the Ottoman Empire. The exhibition runs until Sept. 2 at the Special Exhibition Gallery of the National Museum of Korea. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000.

“Korean Art from the United States”: The National Museum of Korea’s current exhibition, “Korean Art from the United States” features a total of 86 artifacts that are currently housed in nine U.S. museums and their Korea-themed galleries, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Honolulu Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The show offers an interesting overview of how the exhibited pieces ended up on foreign soil since the late Joseon period. The exhibition runs until Aug. 5 at the National Museum’s special exhibition hall. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000.


Classical Music

“Great Mountains International Music Festival & School”: The Great Mountains Festival, now in its ninth run, will kick off July 21 and will run through Aug. 11 at the Alpensia Resort in Gangwon Province. The festival will focus on the inseparable relationship between music and dance. To highlight its theme, the festival will invite two stars from the American Ballet Theater, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko as well as Kim Joo-won, guest principal dancer for Korean National Ballet. Korean music for dance performances “Chohi and Her Imaginary Dance” and “Hang-Sang V,” both composed by Korean composer Park Young-hee, will be introduced for the first time at the festival. For more information on the festival, call (02) 725-3394-5 or visit www.gmmfs.com.

"Lorenzo Gatto recital in Seoul": Belgian violinist Lorenzo Gatto, the second-prize winner at the prestigious 2009 Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, holds his first solo recital in Korea at the Seoul Arts Center on Aug. 6. Together with Italian pianist Roberto Giordano, the 26-year-old will perform Paganini’s variations on the G string on a theme from Rossini’s “Moses,” Kreisler’s variation on a theme by Corelli and Ravel’s Tzigane. Gatto will also perform with Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra led by maestro Gum Nan-se on Aug. 8 at Incheon Culture and Arts Center. Tickets for the Lorenzo Gatto recital in Seoul are from 20,000 won to 80,000 won.For more information, call (02) 746-8821 or visit www.sensmanagement.com. Tickets for the Incheon concert range from 5,000 won to 10,000 won. For more information, call (032) 438-7772.

“La Boheme”: An outdoor production of Puccini’s “La Boheme” featuring two world stars ― opera diva Angela Gheorghiu and maestro Chung Myung-whun -- is coming to Seoul this summer. The opera will be staged at the Amphitheater at Yonsei University in Seoul on Aug. 28- Sept. 2. Based on Henri Murger’s novel “La Vie de Boheme,” the opera in four acts portrays young artists living in the Latin quarters in Paris in the mid-19th century. The opera mainly tells the unfortunate love story between young poet Rodolfo and Mimi, which ends with Mimi’s tragic death. In addition Gheorghiu, and other famous European opera singers such as Fiorenza Cedolines, Vittorio Grigolo and Marcello Giordani will play the title roles. Tickets range from 30,000 to 570,000 won. Call 1544-1555 or 1544-6399, for reservation.

“Salon Concert Namsan”: A small concert for gugak, or traditional Korean music, is currently being held every Monday and Tuesday evening at Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater near Mount Nam, Seoul. It runs through July 31. Featuring the country’s famous gugak musicians, the concert takes place in a hanok room, a part of the theater that fits only 20 audience members. The concert is a reenactment of Joseon’s pungnyu culture or the cultural events appreciated by Joseon’s high society. The audience will get the chance to talk to gugak musicians while drinking tea after the concert. Tickets are 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2261-0511~2 or visit sngad.sejongpac.or.kr.


Pop Music

“Jamiroquai Korea Concert”: Jamiroquai, one of the world’s most famous acid jazz bands, is returning to dazzle Korean fans. For the first time in four years, the band will hold a concert on Aug. 22 at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul. For its Korean stopover, the “Audi Live 2012 ― Jamiroquai Korea Concert,” the band will perform with brass, percussion and keyboard instruments to create a perfect dance floor during the hot summer, which would entice the fans, the band’s promoter Access Entertainment said. Ticket prices are 110,000 won and 132,000 won. For reservation, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488.

“Marketa Irglova Live in Seoul”: Marketa Irglova, Czech singer songwriter who rose to fame from movie “Once” holds her first solo concert in Seoul on Aug. 15 at AX Korea in Seoul. In 2010, Irglova with her ex-lover and music companion Glen Hansard, mesmerized Korean fans with their dramatic songs. The two starred in the critically acclaimed film as struggling musicians in Dublin and fell in love during the film’s shoot. The song they sang together “Falling Slowly” in the film won an Academy Award. Tickets are 77,000 won-88,000 won. For more information, (02) 3143-5156.

“Jisan Valley Rock Festival”: The annual Jisan Valley Rock Festival kicks off July 27-29 at Jisan Valley Ski Resort south of Seoul. It has already announced its headliners Radiohead and the Stone Roses. Also planning to take to the stage are Busker Busker, Beady Eye, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, James Blake, Nell, Apollo18, the Black Skirts and Hollow Jan. Tickets run at 250,000 won for a 3-day pass and 150,000 won for a 1-day pass at the gate. Starting May 30, there will be 1,000 one-day tickets available for 130,000 won. Official internet booking starts on June 5 and three-day tickets are 225,000 won while one-day tickets are 140,000 won. For more information, visit www.valleyrockfestival.com or call 1566-2226 or 1577-3363.

“Ultra Music Festival”: The electronic music festival is planning to stage six festivals worldwide this year on four continents, with the show to hit Seoul’s Jamsil Sports Complex Stadium on Aug. 3 and 4. Coming to Seoul are Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Tiesto, Carlox&Friends, John Digweed, Yousef, Jon Rundell, Sidney Samson, Elioriso, Shut Da Mouth, Freak Houze, Tokyo Big Boy, Chuckie, the Crystal Method, BeatBurger, Ken Ishii, DJ Koo, Sander Kleinenberg and more to be announced. A Friday pass is 93,500 won while tickets for Saturday are priced at 112,200 won. A two-day combo is currently available for 153,000 won. Tickets on the day of the event are 110,000 won for Friday, 132,000 won for Saturday, and 180,000 won for both days. For more information, visit www.umfworldwide.com.