The locally produced tap dance musical “Ro Gi-su” has made its way back to the Seoul stage, following its successful premiere last spring which was met with rave reviews.

Set against the backdrop of a North Korean prisoner of war camp, the musical is not at all the grimacing tale of war and tragedy one might expect.

The musical by director Kim Tae-hyeong tells the tale of a young North Korean prisoner of war who, in the unlikeliest of scenarios, discovers a love for dancing. In the midst of the Korean War, the young Ro Gi-su meets an American Officer Fren at a prisoner-of-war camp and is introduced to tap dance by him.  

“Since its premiere last year, the cast members have improved so much both vocally and in their dancing numbers,” said director Kim during a press conference at the DCF Daemyung Culture Factory in Daehangno on Tuesday.

“Despite all the good reviews, I felt there were parts of the show that could have been improved,” he continued. “So I, along with staff members, made a number of changes not only to the music and the choreography, but to the story line as well.” 

“I think that this time around people are really going to enjoy the musical a lot more than they did during our premiere because we are more focused on the personal relationships of the main characters, adding another layer to the story,” said Kim. “I think audiences will be pleased with this new and improved production, beyond its flashy tap dancing appeal.” 

The show’s latest rendition stars musical actors Lee Seung-won and Yoon Na-mu as Ro Gi-su. Other cast members include Kim Jong-gu, Hong Woo-jin, Choi Young-min, Baek Jeong-pyo and Jung Soon-won.

“Ro Gi-su” is currently being staged daily, except Mondays, at the DCF Daemyung Culture Factory in Daehangno, Seoul until April 3. Ticket prices are between 44,000 won and 66,000 won. For more information, call (02)-541-2929.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)