Theater

“Wedding”: Popular musical producer Song Seung-hwan, whose 1997 non-verbal piece “Nanta” made a global hit, has made a comeback with another foreigner-friendly work. Titled “Wedding,” Song’s latest musical is also non-verbal; its actors and actresses sing, dance, act and play over 20 musical instruments. The one-of-a-kind performance is specifically designed to draw foreign audiences. The show is a comical theatrical portrait of an ordinary Korean wedding, where the bride‘s father isn’t particularly fond of his future son-in-law. Song follows the groom’s hilarious efforts to impress his father-in-law prior to the wedding ceremony, mixed with rhythmic music and dance. The show features a number of popular folksongs of many different countries, including Japan’s “Sakura,” the old American folk piece “Yankee Doodle,” and the Scottish piece “Annie Laurie.” “Wedding” runs from June 14 to July 29 at PMC Daehangno Theater in Daehangno, Seoul. All seats are 40,000 won (U.S.$34.60). For tickets and information, call (02) 736-8289.

“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 Georges 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” opens July 4 and 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.

“Bungee-Jump”: “Bungee-Jump,” a musical adaptation of filmmaker Kim Dai-seung’s 2001 unusual romance “Bungee Jumping on Their Own” is to be staged next month. The 2001 film featured the late actress Lee Eun-joo and hallyu heartthrob Lee Byung-hun, and deftly linked the themes of magic and curse of first love, reincarnation and even homosexuality. The show, which tells the story of a man who lost his first love to a car accident back 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.

“Wicked”: Popular Broadway musical “Wicked” is being performed in Korea for the first time. The musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which is a parallel novel of the classic “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” It tells the story of the two witches in the Land of Oz -- green-skinned Elphaba and beautiful Glinda. The upcoming show is an Australian production, with actresses Jemma Rix and Suzie Mathers taking the leading roles. The show is also a part of the Australian team’s first Asian tour, which kicked off in Singapore in December. The show runs May 31-June 30 at Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 160,000 won. For tickets and information, call 1577-3363.

“Catch Me If You Can”: “Catch Me If You Can,” a successful 2002 U.S. comedy-drama movie is being staged as a musical in Seoul. The plot is based on the real-life story of Frank Abagnale Jr., one of the most famous impostors of modern times. The movie’s Broadway musical adaptation was made in 2011, and its Seoul run features some of the most celebrated Korean musical stars as well as K-pop idols. Musical and TV actor Um Ki-joon shares the role of Abagnale with singer Kim Jeong-hoon, popular boy band Super Junior member Kyuhyun and SHINee member Key. Girls’ Generation member Sunny and singer Dana share the role of Abagnale’s love interest, Brenda. The musical runs at Blue Square’s Samsung Card Hall in Seoul until June 10. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 130,000 won. For more information, call (02) 764-7857-9 or visit www.catchmeifyoucan.co.kr.


Exhibitions

“De quoi s’Agit-il? (What are we Dealing With?)”: The photographs of Henri Cartier-Bresson, the co-founder of the photography agency Magnum, are on exhibit at Sejong Arts Center in Seoul until Sept. 2. The Seoul exhibition titled “What are we Dealing With?” is the 11th retrospective of Cartier-Bresson held worldwide starting in France in 2003. The photographer died shortly after his retrospective started. The exhibition features Cartier-Bresson’s earliest photographs, selection of his best images and books, monographs and portfolios including one of the perfectly timed shots of a man jumping over a puddle of water behind the Saint Lazare train station in Paris and scenes of historical upheaval in the early 20th century. For more information, call (02) 735-4237.

“Move: Art and Dance since the 1960s”: The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea in Gwacheon presents an exhibition combining art and dance. The exhibition features installations and sculptures complemented with live dance performances and continues through Aug. 12. The exhibition is a reinterpretation of the showcases that drew much attention to the mix of art and dance at renowned galleries in England and Germany in 2010 and 2011. It also holds performances by professional dancers throughout the exhibition period from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call (02) 2188-6114.

“Photography of Choi Min Shik ― Childhood”: Lotte Gallery holds a solo photo exhibition of the photographer Choi Min Shik, featuring photos of children taken from 1957 to the present in Busan. The exhibition marks the memorial month of June and unveils 150 pieces featuring children in their everyday activities in alleys, markets, train stations and beaches of the port city. Some of the photos have been developed for the first time for the exhibition. The exhibition runs from June 13 to July 8 at Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong, Seoul. For more information, call (02)726-4428.

“Reserved Moonlight”: Gana Art Gallery presents Park Yung-nam’s solo exhibition from June 7 to July 1 at the gallery in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul. Park, known for his abstract finger paintings, showcases 50 paintings under the title “Reserved Moonlight“ which reflects the inner peace and purity the artist admires in nature. Park features geometrical forms such as squares, straight and diagonal lines to portray landscapes in the painting series “Landscape against Blue Sky.” For more information, call (02) 720-1020.

Festivals

“2012 Boryeong Mud Festival”: The annual mud festival in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, will be held from July 14 to 24 at Daecheon Beach.
In its 15th year, the mud festival has become one of the few internationally known festivals, attracting over 2 million visitors from in and out of Korea.
With mud from the Boryeong mud flats, visitors can experience the well-known health effects of mud on skin and play in the mud with friends and other participants. The festival will offer a variety of fun events featuring mudslides, mud fights, a mud tub, mud fountain and colored mud zone.
For more information, visit www.mudfestival.or.kr.

“Taean Lily Festival”: Taean in South Chungcheong Province hosts a summer lily festival from June 20 to July 1. The annual flower festival is held at Nature World on a vast land planted with summer flowers such as lilies, dahlia and gladioli. The festival also holds craft-making events for visitors. Families and children can experience traditional kite making and arrow making.
The entrance fee is 9,000 won for adults and 7,000 won for those who come in groups. A special discount is given to those who book in advance.
For more information, call (041) 675-9200.

“Gochang Bokbunja and Watermelon Festival”: Gochang, a major producer of “bokbunja,” Korean wild black raspberry, and watermelon, holds its annual fruit festival from June 22-24 at Seonwoon Mountain Park and Banam village in Gochang, North Jeolla Province. The festival holds fun events themed around bokbunja and watermelon, including bokbunja and watermelon juice drinking contests, running events carrying watermelons, and games to guess the weight of watermelons. It will also hold events featuring other local products including eel and corn.
The festival also features music concerts on opening evening and a parade and roadside concerts throughout the festival. For more information, visit bokbunja.gochang.go.kr.

Dance

“Shaking the Mold”: Contemporary ballet choreographer and dancer Jo Joo-hyun will premiere her new work “Shaking the Mold” at Arko Art Center in Daehangno, Seoul, for two days on June 15-16. The 60-minute show explores the transformation of classical ballet into contemporary and seeks diverse types of human movement. Cho, professor at the Korean National University of Arts, has won numerous awards in and out of the country. She was a member of Washington Ballet Company in the U.S. and has been exploring the world of contemporary ballet for many years. Tickets range from 10,000 won to 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 393-2210.

“The Lady of the Camellias”: Renowned South Korean ballerina Kang Su-jin, a principal dancer in Germany’s Stuttgart Ballet, and her dance company will showcase in Korea with “The Lady of the Camelias” from June 16-17 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul. The ballet, based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel, is choreographed by John Neumeier and features music by Chopin. Tickets range in price from 50,000 won to 250,000 won. For more information, call 1577-5266 or visit www.clubbalcony.com.

“Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2012”: A number of Korean dancers active on U.S. and European stages will come together to perform not only classics, but their latest creations at the Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2012. The four-day festival kicks off at Theater Yong of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on June 28-29, at Inje Cultural Complex in Gangwon Province on June 30 and Yeoncheon Sureul Art Hall in Gyeonggi Province.
The annual festival features Jun Eun-sun, now a soloist with the Royal Swedish Ballet; Cho Soo-youn, principal dancer for the Tulsa Ballet in the United States; Lee Sang-eun of Dresden Semperoper Ballet in Germany; and ballerina Chae Ji-young of the Washington Ballet in the U.S. Tickets for the festival range in price from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3674-2210 or visit www.ipap.co.kr.

“Giselle by American Ballet Theater”: The American Ballet Theater, one of the prestigious ballet companies in the world, will stage one of its representative works “Giselle” at the Seoul Arts Center on July 18-22. The ballet troupe will feature a Korean ballerina Seo Hee as its title role. Seo, now an ABT member, made her Metropolitan Opera House debut in “Romeo and Juliet” in 2009, impressing the audience with her excellent technique as well as her delicate portrayal of the role. Tickets range from 16,500 won to 400,000 won. For more information, call (02) 598-3119 or visit www.thehent.com.

Classical Music

“I Musici”: I Musici nicknamed “the legend of chamber music,” will travel to major cities in Korea starting with Seoul on June 15 at Seoul Arts Center, followed by Uijeongbu Art Center in Gyeonggi Province on June 16, Daegu Suseong Artpia on June 17 and Gyeongnam Culture and Art Center in South Gyeongsang Province on June 19. The orchestra also performs at Anyang Art Center on June 21 and at Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on June 23. It will collaborate with Kim Se-hwang, guitarist for Korean rock group N.EX.T, in its performance of Bacalov’s Concerto Grosso for I Musici’s 60th Anniversary. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 140,000 won. For more information, call (02) 6249-4500 or visit www.arcadiakorea.com.

“Russia National Orchestra and Mikhail Pletnev”: The Russia National Orchestra led by maestro Mikhail Pletnev will perform in Korea for three days from June 19 to 21 at three different venues -- Gangdong Art Center in Seoul, Incheon Art Center in Incheon and Seoul Arts Center, respectively. The orchestra will collaborate with Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin on Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 200,000 won. For more information, call (02) 541-3183.

 “Duo Charis’ 1st Recital”: Acclaimed Korean pianists Lee Jin-ah and Cho Sang-eun will give their first recital as a duo on June 30 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Lee, professor at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and Cho, professor at Baekseok Arts University in Korea, have been exchanging their musical talents and built a strong friendship over many years. As part of their project “Four Hands: A Musical Journey,” the two will play repertoires by Rachmaninoff, Saint-Saens, Bach and Bennett. Tickets are 20,000 won. For more information, call (02) 391-9631 or visit www.buamart.co.kr.

“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 

“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 and 88,000 won. For more information, (02) 3143-5156.

“Guro Indie Rock Festival”: The Guro Indie Rock Festival kicks off July 5-7 at the Guro Arts Valley near Daerim Station on Subway Line No. 2 and invites numerous groups particularly those who are based in Hongdae. Weekday tickets are 15,000 won for second floor seats and 30,000 won for first floor seats, with prices going up to 20,000 won and 35,000 won on the weekend. The shows kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Some of the bands gracing the stage this year are BigBaby Drive, The Moonshiners, Galaxy Express, Micro Kid, Baek Hyun-jin, Kim Mok-in and Lee Young-hoon. For more information or to reserve tickets in advance, go to the art center’s website at www.guroartsvalley.or.kr.

“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 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, 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.