A circus to be held in Seoul in the era of COVID-19 will involve cars instead of circus tents. The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture will host the Seoul Circus Festival from Friday to Oct. 11 at Oil Tank Culture Park in Mapo, western Seoul. The event, normally held in May every year, was postponed twice due to the nationwide spread of the new coronavirus. To guard against the further spread of the virus, it will be a drive-in event. The festival will consist of two parts. The Circus C

Ahn Joo-won became the first Korean male principal dancer of American Ballet Theater. ABT recently announced promotions for six soloists, elevating them to the role of principal dancer. Ahn was promoted to principal dancer a year after being promoted as a soloist in September 2019. Ahn was a student at the Korea National University of Arts in Seoul when he was invited to join the company in 2013 after winning the Gold Medal at Youth America Grand Prix in New York. He joined the ABT as an a

With physical shows canceled, arts companies seek new revenue source

The international tour production of “Cats” kicked off its Seoul run on Wednesday, trying to adapt to the turbulent times of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the iconic musical’s Seoul schedule was decided in July, the COVID-19 situation in South Korea was on a steady path to recovery with the number of coronavirus cases dropping sharply. Except for the two-week self-quarantine requirement for the 40 foreign nationals on the “Cats” team, it seemed as if the disease wou

London-based contemporary dance company Rambert and celebrated Belgian choreographer-filmmaker Wim Vandekeybus have joined hands to present a socially distanced dance performance fit for the COVID-19 pandemic era. Their new dance production “Draw From Within” will be livestreamed for audiences around the world, from London to Seoul. In the show, around 20 Rambert dancers will dance against the backdrop of Rambert’s London South Bank studios. The concept behind the produc

Online festival K-Musical on Air, organized by the Korea Tourism Organization, kicked off its four-day run Monday. On Monday, the musical “Fan Letter” was streamed via Naver TV and V Live. Musicals “The Goddess is Watching,” “Red Cliff” and “The Fiction” will follow. The four musicals come with English subtitles. Since 2017, the KTO has supported 14 musicals in offering foreign-language subtitles with the goal of expanding the global audience b

With the government having imposed stringent health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 on Saturday, the culture sector is scrambling to adjust. As transmission of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area continues at a fast rate, the social distancing plan for the capital area was raised a notch to Level 2 on Saturday. All private and public indoor gatherings are restricted to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100. Musicals are offering ticket refunds without charging a commission.

The Korean National Ballet will perform “Heo Nan Seol Heon - Su Wol Kyung Hwa,” Aug. 21-23 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, presenting the life of the legendary poet Heo Nanseolheon. Heo Nanseolheon (1563–1589), whose real name is Heo Cho-hui, was a prominent Korean poet from the mid-Joseon era. Having left behind more than 200 poems in her name, her works are appreciated to this day. The ballet “Heo Nan Seol Heon - Su Wol Kyung Hwa,” brings her two

A musical actor currently starring in musical “Ludwig” has become embroiled in controversy after photos of the actor at a club emerged. Kim Jun-young came under fire for partying at a Seoul club from Thursday night to Friday after photos of Kim at the club went viral on social media. Kim is a lead actor in musical “Ludwig: Beethoven the Piano.” As his clubbing photos triggered hailstorm online, Kim stepped down from the show beginning with Saturday’s performance.

The original French production of musical “Notre Dame de Paris” will go on stage in Korea Nov. 10 - Jan. 17 at the Blue Square Interpark Hall in central Seoul, Mast Entertainment confirmed Thursday. The Seoul shows will be of the new version of the beloved musical created in 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show the following year with detailed upgrades in costumes, choreography and lights. It will be the first time the new version is staged in Korea. The most rece

Head of international tour production ‘Phantom’ looks forward to Daegu shows

K-pop singer-turned-stage actor shares affection for musical ‘Mozart!’

When Choi Hyun-woo, 41, began to learn magic in high school, he did it to overcome his shyness and impress girls. Choi didn’t get a girlfriend, but he became captivated by the wonders of magic. There weren’t many young Korean magicians back then, but he saw David Copperfield perform when the world’s most famous magician visited Korea in 1995. He was immediately shocked and eventually mesmerized. “I went to Copperfield’s house last year and I found the poster of

It is said that high heels were originally designed for men. Though they are more conventionally worn by women these days, the Korean-language musical “Jamie” blurs the line between men and women with a pair of bright red high heels. The successful West End musical “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” opened in Korea earlier this month under the name “Jamie.” It was the first time the show was staged outside the UK, and the first adaptation in a language

Universal Ballet successfully presented “Onegin,” the first full-length ballet to go on the stage in Korea in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Onegin,” a drama of tragic love, went onstage from July 18 to Sunday at the Chungmu Arts Center in central Seoul. The drama ballet created by celebrated choreographer John Cranko is based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin.” Kurt-Heinz Stolze arranged the music for the production, editing various