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연기자이자 프로듀서 송승환이 1997년에 처음 선보인 히트작품 ‘난타’ 이후로 14년 만에 새로운 난버벌(non-verbal) 뮤지컬을 선보인다. 난버벌 뮤지컬은 별다른 대사 없이 노래와 춤으로만 이뤄진 공연으로 특히 외국인 관객들에게 적합하다.
‘뮤직쇼 웨딩’은 제목에서도 알 수 있다시피 결혼식에서 일어나는 일을 바탕으로 한 뮤지컬이다.
이 작품은 지난해 6월에 첫 선을 보인 이후 1년이 넘는 기간 동안 수정 작업을 거치고 21일날 기자회견을 통해 더 세련 된 모습으로 다시 찾아왔다. ‘뮤직쇼 웨딩’은 여러 매체에서 호평을 받았으며 지난 8월 영국에서 열리는 세계 최대의 공연축제인 ‘애딘버리 프린지 페시티벌’에도 참가했다.
‘뮤직쇼 웨딩’의 줄거리는 상당히 간단하다. 결혼식이 올려지는 자리에서 딸을 보내는 것이 못마땅한 아버지의 마음을 돌리기 위해 신랑 신부와 친구들이 춤과 노래를 펼친다.
뮤지컬에는 미니 리퍼턴의 ‘러빙 유,’ 싸이의 ‘강남 스타일,’ 슈퍼주니어의 ‘쏘리쏘리,’ 테레사 텡의 ‘스윗 허니 허니’ 등 올드 팝송에서부터 신나는 케이팝까지 포함되어 있어 다양한 레퍼토리를 자랑한다.
송승환은 지난 30일, 그의 사무실에서 진행된 본지와의 인터뷰를 통해 ‘뮤직쇼 웨딩’을 통해서 “순수한 재미와 웃음을 선사하고 싶었다”고 전했다.
송승환은 “한국 프로듀서 대부분은 진지하고 예술적인 작품을 많이 만들려고 한다”며 “외국인 방청객에게 재미있고 또한 장난스러운 작품을 만들고 싶었다”고 전했다.
그는 이어 “한국에 오는 많은 관광객은 밤에 쇼를 보기 위해 극장을 찾아 올 때 이미 하루 종일 걸어 다니라 지쳐있다”면서 “대사를 이해 하지 않아도 되는 모두가 편하게 즐길 수 있는 공연을 연출하고 싶었다”고 설명했다.
1965년, 아역배우로 영화계에 진출한 송승환은 고등학교 때 대학입시를 위해 연기를 포기하였다. 한국외국어대학교 아랍어과에 입학한 그는 그러나 학업에 별다른 흥미를 느끼지 못했고, 대학교 연극 동아리 활동을 통해 연기와 연출에 대한 관심을 다시 한번 꽃피우게 됐다.
그는 “아역 배우로 오랫동안 활동해왔기 때문에 연극 동아리에서 조명, 대본, 여러 가지 요소가 나에가는 너무 자연스럽게 다가왔다. 이 분야에 재능이 있다는 것을 느끼게 됐다”고 말했다.
1980년대에 송승환은 많은 티비 드라마 시리즈와 연극에서 연기뿐만 아니라 연출도 맡고 다양한 활동을 펼쳤다. 1997년에 시작한 ‘난타’가 그의 대표작이다.
송승환은 “국내 공연 시장이 아주 작다”며 “서울, 광주, 부산 지역에서만 공연을 계획하면 더 이상 진행할 곳이 없다. 해외 시장을 진출하기 위해서 모두에게 쉽고 재미있게 다가갈 수 있는 공연을 계획하고자 했다”고 밝혔다.
지난 1999년, 한국 공연 최초로 ‘애딘버러 프린지 페시티벌’에 올랐던 ‘난타’는 세 명의 한국인 요리사가 웨딩 뷔패를 위한 준비를 한다는 간단한 줄거리를 갖춘 역동적인 난버벌 뮤지컬이다. 이 작품은 ‘한류’ 열풍을 몰고 온 최초의 작품 중 하나로 불린다..
송승환은 “거의 50년동안 한국 공연이 페스티벌에 참가한 적이 없다”면서 “난타를 최초로 페스티벌에 올릴 수 있었다는 자체가 감동이었다. 마치 올림픽에서 금메달을 따는 느낌이었다”고 밝혔다.
송승환은 ‘뮤직쇼 웨딩’ 외에 다른 작품들도 작업하고 싶다고 한다. 그는 “한국에는 좋은 연기자가 많다는 것은 틀림 없다. 하지만 국내 작곡가나 작가가 모자라다. 한국 교육 시스템이 창의적인 학습에 대해 역점을 주지 않아서 그런 것 같다. 그러한 재능이 있는 사람들을 찾고 싶고, 작품을 만드는데 도와주고 싶다”고 말했다.
연기자, 프로듀서, 토크쇼 진행자와 교수직까지 겸임하고 있는 송승환은 스스로 재미있게 느껴지는 작업만 한다고 밝혔다. 그는 “가끔씩 월급이 들어오는 날에는 기분이 이상하다. 그는 “일을 사랑하고 재미있어하는데, 돈까지 받는다는 것이 가끔 신기하다”고 말했다.
‘뮤직쇼 웨딩’은 현재 홍대 뮤직쇼 웨딩전용극장에서 공연된다. 문의전화는 02-739-8288. (번역: 차요림 인턴 기자)
사진: 코리아헤럴드 김명섭 기자
<관련영문기사>
‘Nanta’ producer bets on ‘Wedding’
By Claire Lee
It’s been more than 15 years since actor and theater producer Song Seung-whan’s famed non-verbal play “Nanta” premiered in Seoul in 1997, becoming a mega hit over the years.
Song, now 56, just put together another foreigner-friendly, non-verbal show. And it deals with, in Song’s own words, “one of the most universal events in human life” -- a wedding.
The show, titled “Music Show Wedding,” premiered in Seoul last year, and went through a major revision for its second run this year. The latest version, unveiled to the press on Oct. 21, is a comical portrait of a wedding, where the bride’s father isn’t particularly fond of his future son-in-law. The show was featured at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the U.K. in August.
Unlike the original, the new version no longer includes magic, says Song. What greets the audience is some of the most popular tunes from the U.S., Korea and even China: Minnie Riperton’s “Loving You,” Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” and Teresa Teng’s “Sweet Honey Honey,” just to name a few.
“I wanted to make a show that’s just for pure fun and laughter,” Song tells The Korea Herald in his office in Seoul.
“There are a lot of Korean producers who make shows that are artistic and serious. What I wanted was something that’s just entertaining and even silly for the foreign audiences. Most of tourists who step into the theater at night to see this show are tired from sightseeing and walking around all day. I just want them to relax and enjoy, without having to try to understand what is going on.”
Song, who started his acting career as a child actor in 1965, says working has always been fun for him. One of his favorite memories of being a TV child actor is getting free car rides late at night.
“The nightly curfew was still there at the time,” Song recalls. “So the broadcaster would provide me a ride to get home. It was so nice riding on completely empty streets. It was very liberating.”
Song quit acting when he enrolled in high school, and concentrated on preparing for the college entrance exam. He entered Hunkuk University of Foreign Studies’ Arab Studies program, but did not find the classes too interesting. He once again became interested in acting and directing for a student theater troupe.
“Perhaps it was because I had worked as a child actor for a long time, but everything was strangely too easy for me (when I was working for the student troupe),” Song says. “And what was strange was that other kids did not see what I saw -- the lights, the scripts, everything. That’s when I realized I actually had a talent in the field.”
One of his most memorable roles was in college when he played Tom Wingfield in Tennessee Williams’ 1944 play “The Glass Menagerie.” The character is a young man who works at a shoe warehouse to support his family but hates his job and dreams to be a poet.
“I just felt Tom and I were very similar,” Song recalls. “I was an only child and my parents were financially struggling. And I wasn’t sure if I should continue acting, which I loved, or do something else that would help me support my family better.”
When Song finally informed his parents of his decision -- that he wanted to drop out of university and become a full-time actor -- they were almost mortified. His mother took him to a famed fortune teller for advice.
“The minute we stepped inside the room, the fortune teller just yelled, ‘This man does not need to attend university!’” Song recalled.
“It was our first time visiting the fortune teller, and my mother had not even asked her anything -- but she just knew why we had come and gave the answer right away. It was the strangest thing. After that, my mother just let me do whatever I wanted to do with my life.”
Since the 1980s, Song has been acting on countless TV drama series and plays, hosting TV music shows, as well as producing theater performances. He also currently teaches at Sungshin Women’s University’s culture and art management program. The biggest highlight of his career, however, is undoubtedly the success of his non-verbal show “Nanta,” which premiered in 1997.
“I just felt the local performance arts market was too small,” Song says. “You produce a show and perform in Seoul, Gwangju, Busan, and that’s pretty much it. And I thought I needed to break into the international market if Korea could not get at least three times bigger in size.”
“Nanta,” which tells the simple story of three Korean chefs preparing for a wedding banquet, became the first Korean theater performance to be featured at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999. The show is often cited as one of the early pioneers of hallyu.
“We were featured in the festival’s 52nd edition,” Song says. “For more than half a century, no Korean performance had ever been introduced in the festival. It certainly was moving to stage ‘Nanta’ at the festival. It felt almost as if winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games.”
Although “Nanta” and “Music Show Wedding” are hilarious and often even silly, Song says he personally prefers watching tragedies over comedies. His favorites are Tennessee Williams’ 1944 “The Glass Menagerie” and Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play “Equus,” which is about a psychiatrist who tries to treat a young patient who has a religious fascination with horses.
“As an audience member, I like the kind of plays that make you think,” he said. “Tragedies are often cathartic.”
Aside from “Music Show Wedding,” Song says he is interested in producing homespun musicals. “Korea has great actors, there is no question about that,” he said.
“The problem is the lack of local composers and playwrights. It also has to do with the Korean education system, which does not put a lot of emphasis on creative learning. So I want to work on discovering talent and help them in creating their works.”
Song, who is also a member of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment, says the Education Minister has been attending the committee’s regular meetings.
“Korea has been focusing too much on the economy for the last 50 years or so,” he says. “The committee is thinking of ways for people to be happy not just by material, but by cultural experiences and happenings. And in order for that to happen, quality arts and humanities education are crucial.”
Song, who is known for his multitasking skills -- he’s been working as an actor, a producer, a TV host and a professor -- says he’s only worked on things that interested him, and the things that he thought would be “fun.”
“I sometimes even feel bad on my pay day,” he says. “I just have fun doing what I love to do. So it often feels funny that I get paid for doing that.”
“Music Show Wedding” is currently on open run at Music Show Wedding Theater in the Hongdae area in Seoul. For tickets and information, call (02)739-8288.
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)
‘Nanta’ producer bets on ‘Wedding’
By Claire Lee
It’s been more than 15 years since actor and theater producer Song Seung-whan’s famed non-verbal play “Nanta” premiered in Seoul in 1997, becoming a mega hit over the years.
Song, now 56, just put together another foreigner-friendly, non-verbal show. And it deals with, in Song’s own words, “one of the most universal events in human life” -- a wedding.
The show, titled “Music Show Wedding,” premiered in Seoul last year, and went through a major revision for its second run this year. The latest version, unveiled to the press on Oct. 21, is a comical portrait of a wedding, where the bride’s father isn’t particularly fond of his future son-in-law. The show was featured at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the U.K. in August.
Unlike the original, the new version no longer includes magic, says Song. What greets the audience is some of the most popular tunes from the U.S., Korea and even China: Minnie Riperton’s “Loving You,” Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” and Teresa Teng’s “Sweet Honey Honey,” just to name a few.
“I wanted to make a show that’s just for pure fun and laughter,” Song tells The Korea Herald in his office in Seoul.
“There are a lot of Korean producers who make shows that are artistic and serious. What I wanted was something that’s just entertaining and even silly for the foreign audiences. Most of tourists who step into the theater at night to see this show are tired from sightseeing and walking around all day. I just want them to relax and enjoy, without having to try to understand what is going on.”
Song, who started his acting career as a child actor in 1965, says working has always been fun for him. One of his favorite memories of being a TV child actor is getting free car rides late at night.
“The nightly curfew was still there at the time,” Song recalls. “So the broadcaster would provide me a ride to get home. It was so nice riding on completely empty streets. It was very liberating.”
Song quit acting when he enrolled in high school, and concentrated on preparing for the college entrance exam. He entered Hunkuk University of Foreign Studies’ Arab Studies program, but did not find the classes too interesting. He once again became interested in acting and directing for a student theater troupe.
“Perhaps it was because I had worked as a child actor for a long time, but everything was strangely too easy for me (when I was working for the student troupe),” Song says. “And what was strange was that other kids did not see what I saw -- the lights, the scripts, everything. That’s when I realized I actually had a talent in the field.”
One of his most memorable roles was in college when he played Tom Wingfield in Tennessee Williams’ 1944 play “The Glass Menagerie.” The character is a young man who works at a shoe warehouse to support his family but hates his job and dreams to be a poet.
“I just felt Tom and I were very similar,” Song recalls. “I was an only child and my parents were financially struggling. And I wasn’t sure if I should continue acting, which I loved, or do something else that would help me support my family better.”
When Song finally informed his parents of his decision -- that he wanted to drop out of university and become a full-time actor -- they were almost mortified. His mother took him to a famed fortune teller for advice.
“The minute we stepped inside the room, the fortune teller just yelled, ‘This man does not need to attend university!’” Song recalled.
“It was our first time visiting the fortune teller, and my mother had not even asked her anything -- but she just knew why we had come and gave the answer right away. It was the strangest thing. After that, my mother just let me do whatever I wanted to do with my life.”
Since the 1980s, Song has been acting on countless TV drama series and plays, hosting TV music shows, as well as producing theater performances. He also currently teaches at Sungshin Women’s University’s culture and art management program. The biggest highlight of his career, however, is undoubtedly the success of his non-verbal show “Nanta,” which premiered in 1997.
“I just felt the local performance arts market was too small,” Song says. “You produce a show and perform in Seoul, Gwangju, Busan, and that’s pretty much it. And I thought I needed to break into the international market if Korea could not get at least three times bigger in size.”
“Nanta,” which tells the simple story of three Korean chefs preparing for a wedding banquet, became the first Korean theater performance to be featured at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999. The show is often cited as one of the early pioneers of hallyu.
“We were featured in the festival’s 52nd edition,” Song says. “For more than half a century, no Korean performance had ever been introduced in the festival. It certainly was moving to stage ‘Nanta’ at the festival. It felt almost as if winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games.”
Although “Nanta” and “Music Show Wedding” are hilarious and often even silly, Song says he personally prefers watching tragedies over comedies. His favorites are Tennessee Williams’ 1944 “The Glass Menagerie” and Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play “Equus,” which is about a psychiatrist who tries to treat a young patient who has a religious fascination with horses.
“As an audience member, I like the kind of plays that make you think,” he said. “Tragedies are often cathartic.”
Aside from “Music Show Wedding,” Song says he is interested in producing homespun musicals. “Korea has great actors, there is no question about that,” he said.
“The problem is the lack of local composers and playwrights. It also has to do with the Korean education system, which does not put a lot of emphasis on creative learning. So I want to work on discovering talent and help them in creating their works.”
Song, who is also a member of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment, says the Education Minister has been attending the committee’s regular meetings.
“Korea has been focusing too much on the economy for the last 50 years or so,” he says. “The committee is thinking of ways for people to be happy not just by material, but by cultural experiences and happenings. And in order for that to happen, quality arts and humanities education are crucial.”
Song, who is known for his multitasking skills -- he’s been working as an actor, a producer, a TV host and a professor -- says he’s only worked on things that interested him, and the things that he thought would be “fun.”
“I sometimes even feel bad on my pay day,” he says. “I just have fun doing what I love to do. So it often feels funny that I get paid for doing that.”
“Music Show Wedding” is currently on open run at Music Show Wedding Theater in the Hongdae area in Seoul. For tickets and information, call (02)739-8288.
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)
