Dance

“Prince Hodong”: The Korean National Ballet is slated to restage its production of “Prince Hodong,” an original work based on the traditional Korean tale “Princess Nakrang and Prince Hodong” ― a dramatic cultural tale of love, war and death. The ballet is a modernized retelling of the classic tale, combining elements of Western artistic culture with traditional Korean culture. “Prince Hodong” will be staged on Aug. 29 and 30 at the Sungnam Arts Center in Seoul. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“The Seventh Symphony & The Rite of Spring”: The Korean National Ballet is prepping for its upcoming staging of the “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky and Uwe Scholz’s “Seventh Symphony.” The performance combines the dance from Beethoven’s famous “Seventh Seven” score and the classic choreography of “The Rite of Spring,” which was originally created by American dancer and choreographer Glen Tetley in 1974. The KNB’s upcoming performance of “The Seventh Symphony & The Rite of Spring” will be staged from Oct. 16-19 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theatre. Tickets range from 5,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“Don Quixote”: Following the Korean National Ballet’s production of “Don Quixote” in June, Korea’s Universal Ballet is scheduled to present its own rendition of the classic tale of humor and adventure. Based on the eponymous novel by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, the ballet version first made its premiere more than 260 years ago and has since become one of the ballet world’s most beloved comical productions. “Don Quixote” will run from Aug. 15-17 at the Chungmu Art Hall’s Grand Theater in Seoul. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

Pop music

SuperX Summer Festival: International fashion icon and socialite Paris Hilton will be spinning live at the upcoming SuperX Summer Festival in Seoul this month, along with more than 60 other acts including guests from the IBIZA Amnesia World Tour and the Matinee Summer Festival. The SuperX Summer Festival is the first all-day poolside party to hit South Korea and will be held at the Walkerhill River Park from Aug.15-16. Ticket prices are listed at 160,000 won for a one-day pass (includes three free drink coupons) and 300,000 for a two-day pass (includes six free drink coupons). For more information on ticket purchasing and VIP passes, visit www.superxkorea.com.

Hyundai Card City Break: The newly inaugurated Hyundai Card City Break music festival is returning for its second year and is slated to be headlined by big-name artists Maroon 5 and Psy, along with many other notable acts. This year’s City Break festival promises to bring in more than 30 acts, with its first lineup including American rock guitarist Richie Sambora, U.S. indie-rock band The Neighbourhood and local talents Lee Juck and Nell. Last year’s inaugural event attracted more than 75,000 rock fans and included performances by Metallica, Muse, Iggy and The Stooges, and Limp Bizkit, among others. The two-day music festival will be held on Aug. 9 and 10 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Tickets are listed at 230,000 won for a two-day pass, and Hyundai Card members will receive a 20 percent discount. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

Super Sonic: The upcoming Super Sonic 2014 music festival will be headlined by Brian May and Roger Taylor of the legendary English rock band Queen. Taking the place of the late Freddie Mercury will be Adam Lambert, the runner-up of season eight of “American Idol,” who has been filling the shoes of Queen’s former lead vocalist on and off over the past few years. Other acts of the night will include Phoenix, The 1975 and American singer-songwriter duo A Great Big World. Local bands No Brain, Crying Nut, Sultan of the Disco and Gateflowers are also slated to perform. Super Sonic 2014 will be held on Aug. 14 in the Auxiliary Stadium at Seoul’s Jamsil Sports Complex. Ticket prices range from 165,000 won to 240,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

AIA Real Life Now Festival: The inaugural AIA Real Life Now Festival will feature Lady Gaga, arguably the biggest global pop act, and some of the biggest names in K-pop. The upcoming two-day summer music festival will play host to worldwide pop phenom Lady Gaga; members of the YG Family including Psy, Big Bang and 2NE1; and American alternative-rock duo Twenty One Pilots, Crayon Pop, Galaxy Express and more. The festival will be held at the Jamil Sports Complex on Aug. 15 and 16. Ticket prices range from 126,000 won to 220,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

Classical music

Clara Jumi Kang and Da Sol recital: Two rising stars in the local classical music scene ― violinist Clara Jumi Kang and pianist Da Sol ― will hold a concert together on Aug. 14 at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul. The concert, to be held in celebration of Kang winning last year’s Kumho Musician Award, will feature four compositions for violin and piano by Brahms, Debussy and Prokofiev, including Brahms’ “Rain Sonata.” Tickets run from 9,000 won to 40,000 won. For more information, call (02) 6303-1977.

“Absolute Classic”: Cellist-turned-conductor Chang Han-na is presenting three Saturday concerts of orchestral music with young, aspiring orchestral musicians, starting from Aug. 2 at Seongnam Arts Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Chang, who became the artistic director of Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra last September, has led this summer program, the Absolute Classic Festival, since 2009. As for the past six years, she selected 100 musicians through an audition. This year’s program includes Debussy’s “La Mer,” Brahm’s Symphony No. 3 and Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” Tickets cost 10,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call (031) 783-8000 or visit www.snart.or.kr

Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra: Conductor Lim Hun-jeong will lead the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra in its performances of Tchaikovsky and Brahms masterpieces in a concert on Aug. 21 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. The program includes Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 35, featuring violinist Kim Bomsori as soloist, and Brahm’s Symphony No. 4 in E Minor Op. 98. Tickets cost 10,000 won to 30,000 won. For details, call (032) 625-8330 or visit www.bucheonphil.org.

Opera “Tosca”: Korea’s Sol’Opera and Italy’s Rome Opera House are jointly presenting Puccini’s tragic opera “Tosca” for two nights at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. One of the most beloved operas, “Tosca” is a compelling story of love and death, revolving around the beautiful opera singer Tosca, who is in love with the artist Cavaradossi. The tragedy unfolds as the chief of police, Scarpia, becomes infatuated with Tosca and stops at nothing to attain the object of his desire. The joint production features a predominantly Italian artistic team, including an Italian conductor, director, stage designer and costume designers, while three Korean singers have joined the cast. “Tosca” will be staged at 8 p.m. on Aug. 22 and 5 p.m. on Aug 23. Ticket prices range from 30,000 won to 280,000 won. For more information, call 1544-9373.

DITTO encore recital: Two months after this year’s DITTO festival that was themed around Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the four members of ensemble DITTO led by violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill are reuniting for an encore recital. The Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet and oboist Ham Gyeong will join the concert on Aug. 31 at Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall. The program consists of three compositions by Mozart, including Divertimento for String Trio in E-Flat Major K.563 and Oboe Quartet in F major, K.370/368b. Tickets cost 30,000 won to 80,000 won. For details, call 1577-5266.

Festivals

Seoul Fringe Festival: The Seoul Fringe Festival will provide a showcase of independent artists. Individual artists or groups can freely perform dramas, dances, mimes, music and arts in the festival, which will allow both the performers and the audience to enjoy the freedom of expression and selection. A total of 140 individual artists and teams will put on performances in various indoor and outdoor venues like small theaters, live clubs, galleries and the streets near Hongik University in western Seoul. The festival runs from Aug. 15-30. For more information, call (02) 325-8150 or go to www.seoulfringefestival.net. 

Chungju World Martial Arts Festival: The 2014 edition of this annual martial arts festival will stage martial arts of Korean and foreign origins, including the traditional Korean martial arts taekkyeon, taekwondo and hapkido. Foreign martial arts teams will demonstrate their skills. Little known martial arts will be introduced such as Brazilian capoeira, Russian sambo and Cambodian bokator. Officially sponsored by UNESCO, the festival will be held from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 at the World Martial Arts Park in Chungju. For more information, visit www.martialarts.or.kr.

The Great Battle of Hansan Festival: This festival commemorates the historic victory of the Hansan sea battle during the Joseon era. The Joseon fleet commanded by Adm. Yi Sun-sin battled Japanese invaders in waters off Tongyeong near Hansando Island in 1592. The city of Tongyeong commemorates Yi’s victory with a parade, musicals, dances and cultural programs involving visitors. The festival will take place from Aug. 13-17 at various venues of the city, including Yi Sun-sin Park and Youngsan Plaza. For more information, visit www.hansanf.org (Korean only).

Exhibitions

“Confession of a Mask”: This exhibition, titled “Confession of a Mask,” the name of a famous Japanese novel, asks whether confessions and secrets shared on social networking sites reveal who a person really is. With the increasing use of social networking platforms, more people are revealing their private lives online, but do their personal updates really reveal the truth? The dozens of participating artists are all attempting to answer this important question about the digital era. The exhibition runs through Sept. 14 at the Seoul National University Museum of Art. The admission fee is 3,000 won. For more information, visit snumoa.org. 

“Director’s Cut”: Photographs by artist Insane Park are not images of original objects or people. They are “second-hand” versions of existing images that he chose from movies and the Internet. He takes pictures of the images shown on a computer screen and edits them using photo-editing programs. Images are collected from David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive” and randomly on the Internet. The audience will have the impression of looking into a photo file on a computer screen. The exhibition runs through Aug. 24 at Arario Gallery Seoul. For more information, visit www.arariogallery.com.

“Shinseon Play”: This outdoor summer cooling spot, installed in the front garden of the Seoul Museum of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, is an architectural installation by Moon Ji Bang, a group of three architects that won the prestigious Young Architects Program run by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The installation is comprised of more than 30 white balloons which create shade where visitors can rest while sitting on benches. A mist of water from sprinklers cools off the hot summer air in a forest of high-rise buildings. It is on exhibit until Oct. 5. For more information, visit www.mmca.go.kr.

“Edvard Munch and the Modern Soul”: This exhibition presents 99 works by Munch created in diverse mediums throughout his artistic career, ranging from oil paintings, drawings and lithographs to photographs. They include Munch’s most famous works: “The Scream,” “Madonna,” “The Dance of Life” and “Starry Night.” The exhibition will be a good chance to gain insight into the artist’s life. The panoramic view of his works shows how his style changed over the course of his career, highlighting his gift to express emotions and characters in symbolic images. The exhibition will run until Oct. 12 at Hangaram Museum in the Seoul Arts Center. Tickets cost 15,000 won for adults, 12,000 won for teenagers and 10,000 won for children under 12. For more information, visit www.munchseoul.com.

Theater

“Dracula”: One of the most-anticipated musicals this season, “Dracula” raised its curtain on July 15 for a Korean premiere. With a score by Frank Wildhorn of “Jekyll & Hyde,” the musical is based on the original Victorian novel by Bram Stoker of the same title. Kim Jun-su, the hottest musical star in the scene, plays Count Dracula, who loves one woman for more than 1,000 years. Veteran actor Ryu Jung-han shares the role with Kim. It runs through Sept. 5 at Seoul Arts Center’s Opera House. Ticket prices range from 50,000 won to 140,000 won. For details, call (02) 580-1300. 

“Tree and a Boy”: Taken from the motif of children’s book “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, “Tree and a Child” is a nonverbal family-friendly puppet show that follows the life of a tree and a boy. The play depicts the theme of the grand cycles of human life, in tandem with nature’s cycle where all things begin, end and continue. This international childhood classic is reinterpreted with a Korean twist, adding colorful puppets and live music. “Tree and a Boy” runs from Aug. 15-19 at Chungmu Art Hall, Small Theater Blue. All tickets cost 25,000 won. For more information, visit www.artcompany.co.kr or call (02) 3676-3676.

“Wedding Shoes”: A musical about “comfort women,” Asian women who were forced into sex slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II, “Wedding Shoes” is getting a Seoul run after its premiere in Daegu earlier this month. The musical tells the story of Soon-ok, a 16-year-old girl from a poor peasant family who is happily engaged to the love of her life, Yun-jae. On the day of their wedding, her humble but happy life turns into a nightmare as she is enlisted against her will to provide sex to Japanese soldiers at the war front. Veteran musical actress Kang Hyo-sung plays Soon-ok, opposite Seo Beok-seok as Yun-jae. “Wedding Shoes” will run through Aug. 17 at Mapo Art Center. Ticket prices range from 55,000 won to 99,000 won. For details, call (02) 420-2920.

“Priscilla”: A jukebox musical from Australia, “Priscilla” is getting a Korean premiere. Full of well-known pop songs like “It’s Raining Men,” “True Colors,” “Material Girl” and “I Will Survive,” the show tells the story of two drag queens and a transsexual who travel from Sydney to a remote town in the Australian desert aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla, to put on a drag show. The cast includes Cho Sung-ha, a TV actor making his musical debut, Korean-American musical actor Michael Lee, 2AM member Jo Kwon and singer-turned-musical actor Lee Ji-hoon. “Priscilla” runs through Sept. 29 at LG Arts Center near Exit No. 7 of Yeoksam Station, Seoul. Ticket prices range from 50,000 won to 130,000 won. For details, visit www.musicalpriscilla.co.kr or call 1577-3363.