The 11th Daegu International Musical Festival commenced Friday with a bang and thunderous laughter, as UK-produced musical comedy “Spamalot” kicked off the annual event.

“Spamalot,” based very loosely on the King Arthur legend, was adapted from the 1975 cult classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It follows a reimagined version of the famous figure and his “Kinghts of the Round Table” as their adventure jumps in and out of fantasy and reality, shattering the fourth wall to a million pieces of hilarity along the way.

The British production staged in Daegu was not short on winks to the audience, referring to the citizens of Daegu, famous Korean actors like Yoo Ah-in and Jo Seung-woo and even the city’s famous delicacy of “makchang.” It peaks at the mention of political lawmaker Rep. Kim Moo-sung’s infamous “no-look pass” of his suitcase to his assistant last month, video of which went viral online.

“Spamalot” was staged at the Daegu Opera House, where it was to run until Sunday.

Following the opening performance was the opening ceremony for DIMF, where the officials and guests commemorated the festival that will continue through July 10.

“The 11th DIMF is a meaningful event that will mark the first step toward a new beginning, I hope you all enjoy it,” said DIMF president Jang Ik-hyeon, welcoming the audience members.

Bae Seung-hyuk, the executive committee chairman of the event, declared the opening of the DIMF and vowed to establish the festival as an internationally-recognized event.

“We chose a comical piece for the opening performance to give laughter to (citizens) in the time of difficulty,” he said.

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin welcomed the musical-loving Daegu citizens and those who visited from Korea and elsewhere.

“For the next 18 days, Daegu will be overjoyed with the musical fever that is hotter than the heat of Daegu itself,” he said.

The 11th annual DIMF will feature 26 musicals from nine countries across the world, including Korea.

Another piece that has been garnering attention is “Polita,” the first Polish musical ever shown at the event.

Other official invitations include “Game” from Russia, “Shakespeare’s 12th Night” from India, “New York...er” from Taiwan, “Madame Luciole” from France, “The Gift of the Magi” from China, “We are Friends” and “Jang Making Day” from Korea.

In the Special Performance section, the audience members will be treated with local production of “Turandot,” adapted from a famous opera of the same name. In addition, works like “Blue Sky After the Rain” -- a story about Korea’s first female pilot Kwon Ki-ok -- and “55 Days” -- about the 55-day bloody battle during the Korean War -- will entertain the audience.

The DIMF will also feature the College Musical Festival and New Musical segments to demonstrate the up-and-coming shows. While the majority of the shows in these sections are produced locally, “Real Life Fairytales” is from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.

To learn more about the event, visit www.dimf.or.kr for information provided in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)