Free Virtual Musical Performances for You
Attending live performances has become difficult because of the COVID-19 outbreak. To help people cope with boredom at a time of social distancing and self-quarantining, we are pleased to stream a highly comforting musical every night online for four days. This virtual event is called “K-Musical On Air,” featuring four original Korean musical productions most beloved by local audiences for the past few years. It is designed both for Korean and international viewers as these shows will come with English subtitles. To watch the shows online, you must install the Naver TV and V Live apps. You can enjoy higher-resolution videos if you choose to use the streaming services on your computer.
| Date | 20:00 on August 31 (Monday) | 20:00 on September 1 (Tuesday) | 20:00 on September 2 (Wednesday | 20:00 on September 3 (Thursday) |
| Session | Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 | Session 4 |
| Event Title | Fan Letter | The Goddess Is Watching | Red Cliff | The Fiction |
| Subtitles | English | |||
| Channels | NAVER TV (tv.naver.com/kmusicalonair) for local viewers V Live (channels.vlive.tv/EDE229/home) for overseas viewers |
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| Website | www.kmusicalonair.com | |||
Fan Letter
“My muse, my secret love more mysterious than my imagination”
This is an original musical production that is famous for its melancholic melodies and poetic lyrics, reminding everyone of a literary work. It is also the first K-musical that entered the Taiwanese market. Wong Kar-wai, a Hong Kong film director best known for his film Chungking Express, raved about it by saying, “It is so captivating that I would like to turn it into a film.” Set in the 1930s during the Japanese Occupation of Korea, this musical focuses on a pure literature society called Circle of Seven. Although the world has taken away their freedom, it couldn’t take away their inner freedom. They truly believe that literature can save people and make the world a better place. The central figures of the society are writer Kim Haejin, his errand boy Sehun who dreams of becoming a writer someday, and Hikaru, a beautiful and daring girl who loves writing novels and sends fan letters to Kim Haejin. Although they know their relationships are going nowhere as they get to know each other, they dare to take the leap into love. The musical was selected as the Best Project by the Korea Creative Content Agency that discovers and supports excellent creators in 2015. After the original production premiered in 2016, it made two comebacks to the stage. It was created by drawing inspiration from the stories behind a literary circle called Guinhoe (Circle of Nine) in the 1930s that had a famous modernist poet Yi Sang and a folksy novelist Kim Yujeong as its members. Its poetic lyrics and melancholic melodies will speak to your heart throughout the show.
Point
Pay attention to how Hikaru changes over time. You should also watch out for the captivating 1930s costumes.
- Related Information
- Genre: Musical
- Cast: Kim Jonggoo, Moon Taeyu, So Jeonghwa, Jeong Min
- Duration: 146 min
The Goddess Is Watching
“A musical comedy similar to a beautiful fairy tale for adults”
It is one of the “top-grossing original K-musicals” that had six productions from 2013 to 2020. Set in the 1950s during the Korean War, this hilarious yet heartwarming story unfolds around South and North Korean soldiers. It also managed to release a soundtrack album consisting of excellent musical numbers thanks to the demand of audiences. In 1952 amid the Korean War, a South Korean ship transporting four North Korean prisoners gets hit by a storm and is stuck in an uninhabited island. Sunho, a North Korean soldier and the only person who can repair broken parts on the crashed ship, can barely speak out of fear and anxiety. Yeongbeom, a quick-witted South Korean soldier, suggests that they collaborate to convince Sunho that his favorite “goddess” is watching them on that island. The South and North Korean soldiers work together because that is the only way to get Sunho work. Moreover, they agree to stop fighting and swearing and instead begin to respect each other and share food fairly to please the goddess of peace, manners, and sharing. The Goddess Is Watching is a long-time steady seller famous for its strong plot and catchy musical numbers. It brings together exciting songs and dances, heartwarming comedy, and touching moments. It received positive reviews both from critics and from the public as it won five awards including Best Script at the 2013 Korea Musical Awards. As it has a compelling narrative and vivid portrayals of characters, you will fall in love with it without noticing.
Point
It has a surprising twist at the ending that may make you shed tears.
- Related Information
- Genre: Musical
- Cast: Seo Kyungsu, Park Junhwi, Yun Seokwon, Ahn Jihwan
- Duration: 123 min
Red Cliffs
“A magnificent fusion of pansori and dance to reenact one of the greatest battles in history!”
It is Jeongdong Theater’s best-known repertoire gaining several foreign audiences who watch the performance repeatedly during their stay. It brings together stunning pansori (epic chant) choruses, charismatic group dances, and exciting live music. It is also a gender-neutral performance, making it more interesting. This visually compelling musical shows a dynamic and exciting collaboration of contemporary dance and traditional Korean music called pansori. Incorporating pansori into its form, the musical Red Cliffs is based on the Battle of Red Cliffs described as the greatest battle of all time in one of the best-known Chinese classics, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Set in the second century, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is also a historical novel widely beloved by people across East Asia still in the 21st century. In particular, the musical’s narrative is centered around Cao Cao begging Guan Yu to spare his life and fleeing with the remaining troops after being defeated in the Battle of Red Cliffs. Many changes have been made to the original Chinese story to make it more appropriate for Korean audiences particularly by incorporating pansori into it. What is surprising about this work is its form rather than its story. You will not help but twist your body to the beats of drums in harmony with traditional Korean musical instruments and the sounds of the choir breaking the conventions of pansori while enjoying the dynamic performances of about 20 actors going around in every corner of the stage. Above all, it is fascinating to see an extraordinary scene in which all cast members use white and red fans to signify winds, spears, fire, and a flowing river in turn. The perfectly synchronized group dance will amaze you as K-pop groups do.
Point
Red Cliff is particularly known for its highlight scene centered around the summoning of the southeastern winds. Do not miss a chance to enjoy it!
- Related Information
- Genre: Musical
- Cast: Ahn Yiho, Lee Sanghwa, Jeong Jihye, Kim Eungyeong
- Duration: 85 min
The Fiction
“Do you really believe that writing can change the world?”
This musical production begins as a thriller but changes over time and becomes a heartwarming story. It has emotionally touching moments that embrace the audience. There are only three people on the stage, which is more than enough. What happens if fictional events in a novel become real? What if that novel is a thriller? The Fiction focuses on these questions. The story is centered around Gray Hunt’s novel, A Man Without a Shadow, which flopped for many years after being published. However, as a newspaper company decides to pick up and serially publish this novel, serial murders begin to take place just as in the novel. Another thing in common between the novel and the reality is that the murder victims are all criminals. Thanks to these murder cases, Gray Hunt becomes popular. Who is the serial killer? Detective Hue Decker is about to unveil the truth after meeting White Hismann, a reporter of the newspaper Tribune. Although it takes the form of a thriller, this musical focuses more on the characters’ stories and their meanings rather than who the killer is. It is hard to find a crime story as comforting and peaceful as this. The original production of The Fiction officially premiered in Daehangno after being selected as a grant recipient of production support programs by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) in 2016 and the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) in 2017.
Point
Many women are such big fans of the handsome actors starring in this musical. Make sure that you pay attention to how the characters’ props change to indicate the passing of time!
- Related Information
- Genre: Musical
- Cast: Park Yoodeok, Park Jungwon, An Jihwan
- Duration: 85 min
