Pretty cherry blossoms and work productivity hitting rock bottom confirms that spring is here. And for most Koreans in their 20s and 30s, it unavoidably means spring fever: beautiful afternoon strolls with your lover, while singles out there unite in solidarity.
But regardless of age or dating status, spring is a time to break out of winter`s monotony and head to the theater for a taste of love.
If winter is the season for watching dark tragedies and existential dramas, spring is the season for romances and light theater, and a number of options are available at venues around Seoul. Especially when covering the mundane topic of love, however, there are multiple points of view and a variety of performances - plays or musicals - now on stage, showing the good, bad, ugly and sometimes the perverted sides of love.
There is sure to be something to fit everyone`s interest.
For the unlikely, uncertain couple
Sometimes it seems the most unlikely of couples come together. "The Goodbye Girl," is such an instance - both in the story and in the acting.
Actress Ha Hee-ra, known for her career on television dramas, returns to the musical stage for the first time since her 1998 appearance in "Nonsense." Her partner, on the other hand, is one of Korea`s most renowned and fastest rising musical actors. Jung Sung-hwa, who was named the Top Male Newcomer at the 2006 Daegu Musical Awards, is a versatile man of the stage, having starred in a variety of musicals such "Radio Star" and "The Man of La Mancha."
As actors, they make an unlikely couple, but play an even more unlikely couple on stage. Ha, as well as Kim Tae-ri, plays Paula, a single mother who has once again been abandoned. With virtually no earthly possessions, she even confesses "All I have is my body and my daughter."
While her 12-year-old daughter, played by a pair of shining child actors - Lee Ji-min and Song Da-won - remains loyal to her mother throughout, even her body seems to be abandoning her, as she can no longer keep up with her counterparts at the dance company.
The twist comes when Elliot, played by Jung and Kwon Yoo-jin, shows up with lease papers for a New York apartment in which Paula and her daughter reside. What ensues is a struggle for control over the house and a painfully foreseeable romance developing between Elliot and Paula, complete with cheesy, gag-invoking whispers of love.
But to call "The Goodbye Girl" a love story between a man and a woman would be to sell the musical short. In contrast to the musical`s posters plastered all over the city, which show a handcuffed Jung in bed with Ha, the main story is a message of family and setting priorities. Through the process of their romance, both Paula and Elliot discover the importance of family and learn that before they can stand together as a couple, they must be able to stand up on their own.
Though the message is a good one, Ha`s singing is far from spectacular and possibly reveals why it has been ten years since her last musical. As Ha tries valiantly to keep up with her counterparts on stage, but her voice is overshadowed by everyone, even the children.
Drawing from her acting background, however, Ha shines when there is no accompaniment, doing all the small things and delivering lines with the same sharpness and pizzazz she did as a steel-hearted mom in the wildly popular drama, "Gangnam Mothers."
Jung`s ability as a singer has been well-documented and is on display once again, but the most surprising musical performance comes from Choi Na-rae, playing the role of Mrs. Crosby. She delivers plenty of strength as the trusting neighbor while bringing comic relief to the show.
While it may be star power that fills the seats of Baekam Art Hall for "The Goodbye Girl," it is the supporting cast and the heartwarming story that magnifies the "good" experiences of love.
When the lies begin
While two unlikely people come together under one roof in "The Goodbye Girl," the opposite is true in the play "Run for Your Wife" - known as "Liar, Part 1" in Korean. This play puts a comedic spin on the life of an ordinary man living two ordinary lives with two different wives.
Song Sang-wook plays the role of John Smith, a man with a life as plain as plain can be. He, however, is married to both Mary and Barbara, and spends the better part of his life trying to keep his two lives separated while driving his taxi to pay the bills.
John`s double life is turned upside down after he intervenes in a robbery and becomes a town hero of sorts. With the press involved and two police offers investigating, John must pump out lie after lie to try to keep everything under wraps.
The story may sound complicated, but thankfully the characters are not. Everyone, from the loud-mouthed cops and the unemployed neighbor to the effeminate fashion designer are all very stereotypical. Even the two wives - one who is homely and protective, the other being glamorous and sexy - play on some men`s desires of having both aspects in a partner.
While the characters play on common archetypes, they have been adapted to be distinctly Korean. When British playwright Ray Cooney wrote the original play 20 years ago, he didn`t have characters talking in a Chungcheong dialect. The adaptation to Korean culture makes the play relatable to the audience, however, keeping the names of English people and streets does not. Going halfway and adjusting certain parts while keeping others only confuses the audience.
Confusion, however, is just one element used in the play to create a laugh-out-loud experience. While it may be short on content and deep moral lessons, the play is a hilarious masterpiece.
More so than anyone else, the best teamwork comes between Song and No Jin-won, who plays the role of Stanley - the unemployed neighbor who John enlists to perpetuate his lie. The lie escalates to a point where the two pretend to be male lovers, and the actors pull out all the stops, kissing and even biting each other`s nipples to keep the detectives in check.
It`s the no-holds-barred type of acting that brought the play success at various small theaters in the Hyehwa area, spawning Part 2 and Part 3 spin-offs, but it adapts itself to a more commercial and uptight Gangnam audience for its current open run at the Dongyang Art Hall.
For some laughs the play is sure to do the trick.
Manipulative men and the women who love them
If what John Smith does in "The Goodbye Girl" is an example of a bad relationship, this is where it gets ugly. Installation theater Jungmiso, in the heart of Hyehwa, brings Neil Labute`s "Some Girls" onto its stage, and by no means should it be a role model for anyone`s love life.
Successful movie director Jin-woo returns from Paris to revisit the women of his past just before he gets married. Taking place entirely in Jin-woo`s hotel room, four women - a crazed high school girlfriend, a friends-with-benefits deal, and an acting senior who taught him the business - come and go as the play explores the psyche of an overtly selfish man and the women who love (or loved) him.
Splitting time as the main character - played by David Schwimmer of "Friends" in the opening performance at London`s West End - Choi Duk-moon and Lee Seok-june showcase their versatility. The two actors successfully adapt to each of the four women, going from a wide array of emotions from suave and cool to desperate and begging.
Despite Choi and Lee`s shining performances, one thing that holds back this production is the limitations of the theater. While it is small, the theater - like many in the area - lacks the spacing to give everyone a clear view of the stage without obstruction by other audience members. The seating also creates an echo effect, resonating even the smallest noises within the crowd, yet fails to do the same for the actors - who are not amplified, and therefore hard to understand at times.
The intimacy of the theater, however, creates an atmosphere that assists the audience in feeling like they are a part of the play. Dubbed as a production that all women in the 25 to 35 age bracket can relate to, there is undoubtedly a piece of every character in each woman who comes to see this play, creating a greater sense of empathy with the actresses.
Very much a social commentary of relationships, the play depicts common stereotypes - albeit extreme - men have of women.
Through a surprising twist at the end, however, the play paints a manipulative picture of men.
If you recently broke free from a relationship, this play is definitely for you.
Ahn`s theatrical debut plays the perverse
The common manipulative male lead - which appears in both "Running for your Wife" and "Some Girls" - returns in the play "Closer," this time played by a man not known for breaking hearts on the live stage, but doing so behind a microphone. Danny Ahn, member of the pop R&B group "god" makes his theater debut with "Closer," which is adapted into Korean from the 1997 Patrick Marber play and the 2004 film of the same name.
Ahn, who splits time with Lee Shin-sung, plays the role of Dae-hyun, an obituary writer who falls in love with a stripper, Ji-hyun. His wandering eyes, however, reset their sights on photographer Tae-hee, who gets married during the course of the play. Outwardly, the play may appear as a simple story of trading partners, but the subtleties within the story make it extremely complicated and socially profound and the set is integral in carrying out the complex message.
Featuring a multi-layer design, the set uses the front and back simultaneously, and therefore a seat on the balcony is recommended to get a bird`s eye view. Though minimalist and strikingly simple, the stage design does a superb job of handling all the action. Characters flow back and forth in time, and multiple locales are simultaneously represented. But never does the action lose the audience.
The design also allows for the projection of a bawdy internet chat high above the stage, which turns an otherwise R-rated play into something perverse enough to rival pornographic films. "Closer" is definitely not a play for children, but for mature audiences, it is a very frank look into the realities of relationships, complete with explorations of intimacy and sexuality - a theme most productions avoid in order to appeal to a wider audience.
Ahn is charming on the stage, trying to do the little things to keep the audience on its toes, but the best acting performance, and the majority of the humor, comes from the potty mouth of Bae Sung-woo, who plays Dae-hyun`s rival in his romantic endeavors.
When it`s all said and done, this frank and perverted look on love proves that faithfulness is the only way to go in relationships.
Viewing information
"The Goodbye Girl" will run until June 15 at the Baekam Art Hall, located near Samsung Station (Line 2, Exit 8). Performances are Tuesdays to Fridays at 8 p.m. with a 4 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, and at 3 and 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The performance is 150 minutes, including intermission, and tickets are 45,000 to 55,000 won. For more information, call (02) 501-7888.
"Run for your wife" performs Tuesdays to Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 7 p.m. and at 3 and 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. The current show at Dongyang Art Hall, near Sinsa Station (Line 3, Exit 2), is an open run. Performances are 100 minutes and adult admission is 25,000 won. For more information, call (02) 515-6510 or visit dyarthall.co.kr
"Some Girls" runs until Aug. 10 at Jungmiso Theater, accessible from Hyehwa Station (Line 4, Exit 2). Performance are 100 minutes and occur at 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays with an additional 4 p.m. matinee on Fridays, and at 3 and 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Adult admission is 35,000 won. For more information, call (02) 766-6007 or visit idsartcenter.co.kr
"Closer" runs Tuesdays to Fridays at 7:30 and weekends at 7 p.m. until April 27. There are also 3 p.m. matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Performances are 120 minutes and are being held at Jayu Theater of the Seoul Arts Center, accessible from Nambu Bus Terminal Station (Line 3, Exit 5). Tickets are 30,000 to 40,000 won. For more information, call (02) 764-8760 or visit sac.or.kr
By Kim Kyu-heong
(kyukim@heraldm.com)
< 아이디어의 보물섬! 최신 아이디어 모여라! www.idea-club.com >
But regardless of age or dating status, spring is a time to break out of winter`s monotony and head to the theater for a taste of love.
If winter is the season for watching dark tragedies and existential dramas, spring is the season for romances and light theater, and a number of options are available at venues around Seoul. Especially when covering the mundane topic of love, however, there are multiple points of view and a variety of performances - plays or musicals - now on stage, showing the good, bad, ugly and sometimes the perverted sides of love.
There is sure to be something to fit everyone`s interest.
For the unlikely, uncertain couple
Sometimes it seems the most unlikely of couples come together. "The Goodbye Girl," is such an instance - both in the story and in the acting.
Actress Ha Hee-ra, known for her career on television dramas, returns to the musical stage for the first time since her 1998 appearance in "Nonsense." Her partner, on the other hand, is one of Korea`s most renowned and fastest rising musical actors. Jung Sung-hwa, who was named the Top Male Newcomer at the 2006 Daegu Musical Awards, is a versatile man of the stage, having starred in a variety of musicals such "Radio Star" and "The Man of La Mancha."
As actors, they make an unlikely couple, but play an even more unlikely couple on stage. Ha, as well as Kim Tae-ri, plays Paula, a single mother who has once again been abandoned. With virtually no earthly possessions, she even confesses "All I have is my body and my daughter."
While her 12-year-old daughter, played by a pair of shining child actors - Lee Ji-min and Song Da-won - remains loyal to her mother throughout, even her body seems to be abandoning her, as she can no longer keep up with her counterparts at the dance company.
The twist comes when Elliot, played by Jung and Kwon Yoo-jin, shows up with lease papers for a New York apartment in which Paula and her daughter reside. What ensues is a struggle for control over the house and a painfully foreseeable romance developing between Elliot and Paula, complete with cheesy, gag-invoking whispers of love.
But to call "The Goodbye Girl" a love story between a man and a woman would be to sell the musical short. In contrast to the musical`s posters plastered all over the city, which show a handcuffed Jung in bed with Ha, the main story is a message of family and setting priorities. Through the process of their romance, both Paula and Elliot discover the importance of family and learn that before they can stand together as a couple, they must be able to stand up on their own.
Though the message is a good one, Ha`s singing is far from spectacular and possibly reveals why it has been ten years since her last musical. As Ha tries valiantly to keep up with her counterparts on stage, but her voice is overshadowed by everyone, even the children.
Drawing from her acting background, however, Ha shines when there is no accompaniment, doing all the small things and delivering lines with the same sharpness and pizzazz she did as a steel-hearted mom in the wildly popular drama, "Gangnam Mothers."
Jung`s ability as a singer has been well-documented and is on display once again, but the most surprising musical performance comes from Choi Na-rae, playing the role of Mrs. Crosby. She delivers plenty of strength as the trusting neighbor while bringing comic relief to the show.
While it may be star power that fills the seats of Baekam Art Hall for "The Goodbye Girl," it is the supporting cast and the heartwarming story that magnifies the "good" experiences of love.
When the lies begin
While two unlikely people come together under one roof in "The Goodbye Girl," the opposite is true in the play "Run for Your Wife" - known as "Liar, Part 1" in Korean. This play puts a comedic spin on the life of an ordinary man living two ordinary lives with two different wives.
Song Sang-wook plays the role of John Smith, a man with a life as plain as plain can be. He, however, is married to both Mary and Barbara, and spends the better part of his life trying to keep his two lives separated while driving his taxi to pay the bills.
John`s double life is turned upside down after he intervenes in a robbery and becomes a town hero of sorts. With the press involved and two police offers investigating, John must pump out lie after lie to try to keep everything under wraps.
The story may sound complicated, but thankfully the characters are not. Everyone, from the loud-mouthed cops and the unemployed neighbor to the effeminate fashion designer are all very stereotypical. Even the two wives - one who is homely and protective, the other being glamorous and sexy - play on some men`s desires of having both aspects in a partner.
While the characters play on common archetypes, they have been adapted to be distinctly Korean. When British playwright Ray Cooney wrote the original play 20 years ago, he didn`t have characters talking in a Chungcheong dialect. The adaptation to Korean culture makes the play relatable to the audience, however, keeping the names of English people and streets does not. Going halfway and adjusting certain parts while keeping others only confuses the audience.
Confusion, however, is just one element used in the play to create a laugh-out-loud experience. While it may be short on content and deep moral lessons, the play is a hilarious masterpiece.
More so than anyone else, the best teamwork comes between Song and No Jin-won, who plays the role of Stanley - the unemployed neighbor who John enlists to perpetuate his lie. The lie escalates to a point where the two pretend to be male lovers, and the actors pull out all the stops, kissing and even biting each other`s nipples to keep the detectives in check.
It`s the no-holds-barred type of acting that brought the play success at various small theaters in the Hyehwa area, spawning Part 2 and Part 3 spin-offs, but it adapts itself to a more commercial and uptight Gangnam audience for its current open run at the Dongyang Art Hall.
For some laughs the play is sure to do the trick.
Manipulative men and the women who love them
If what John Smith does in "The Goodbye Girl" is an example of a bad relationship, this is where it gets ugly. Installation theater Jungmiso, in the heart of Hyehwa, brings Neil Labute`s "Some Girls" onto its stage, and by no means should it be a role model for anyone`s love life.
Successful movie director Jin-woo returns from Paris to revisit the women of his past just before he gets married. Taking place entirely in Jin-woo`s hotel room, four women - a crazed high school girlfriend, a friends-with-benefits deal, and an acting senior who taught him the business - come and go as the play explores the psyche of an overtly selfish man and the women who love (or loved) him.
Splitting time as the main character - played by David Schwimmer of "Friends" in the opening performance at London`s West End - Choi Duk-moon and Lee Seok-june showcase their versatility. The two actors successfully adapt to each of the four women, going from a wide array of emotions from suave and cool to desperate and begging.
Despite Choi and Lee`s shining performances, one thing that holds back this production is the limitations of the theater. While it is small, the theater - like many in the area - lacks the spacing to give everyone a clear view of the stage without obstruction by other audience members. The seating also creates an echo effect, resonating even the smallest noises within the crowd, yet fails to do the same for the actors - who are not amplified, and therefore hard to understand at times.
The intimacy of the theater, however, creates an atmosphere that assists the audience in feeling like they are a part of the play. Dubbed as a production that all women in the 25 to 35 age bracket can relate to, there is undoubtedly a piece of every character in each woman who comes to see this play, creating a greater sense of empathy with the actresses.
Very much a social commentary of relationships, the play depicts common stereotypes - albeit extreme - men have of women.
Through a surprising twist at the end, however, the play paints a manipulative picture of men.
If you recently broke free from a relationship, this play is definitely for you.
Ahn`s theatrical debut plays the perverse
The common manipulative male lead - which appears in both "Running for your Wife" and "Some Girls" - returns in the play "Closer," this time played by a man not known for breaking hearts on the live stage, but doing so behind a microphone. Danny Ahn, member of the pop R&B group "god" makes his theater debut with "Closer," which is adapted into Korean from the 1997 Patrick Marber play and the 2004 film of the same name.
Ahn, who splits time with Lee Shin-sung, plays the role of Dae-hyun, an obituary writer who falls in love with a stripper, Ji-hyun. His wandering eyes, however, reset their sights on photographer Tae-hee, who gets married during the course of the play. Outwardly, the play may appear as a simple story of trading partners, but the subtleties within the story make it extremely complicated and socially profound and the set is integral in carrying out the complex message.
Featuring a multi-layer design, the set uses the front and back simultaneously, and therefore a seat on the balcony is recommended to get a bird`s eye view. Though minimalist and strikingly simple, the stage design does a superb job of handling all the action. Characters flow back and forth in time, and multiple locales are simultaneously represented. But never does the action lose the audience.
The design also allows for the projection of a bawdy internet chat high above the stage, which turns an otherwise R-rated play into something perverse enough to rival pornographic films. "Closer" is definitely not a play for children, but for mature audiences, it is a very frank look into the realities of relationships, complete with explorations of intimacy and sexuality - a theme most productions avoid in order to appeal to a wider audience.
Ahn is charming on the stage, trying to do the little things to keep the audience on its toes, but the best acting performance, and the majority of the humor, comes from the potty mouth of Bae Sung-woo, who plays Dae-hyun`s rival in his romantic endeavors.
When it`s all said and done, this frank and perverted look on love proves that faithfulness is the only way to go in relationships.
Viewing information
"The Goodbye Girl" will run until June 15 at the Baekam Art Hall, located near Samsung Station (Line 2, Exit 8). Performances are Tuesdays to Fridays at 8 p.m. with a 4 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, and at 3 and 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The performance is 150 minutes, including intermission, and tickets are 45,000 to 55,000 won. For more information, call (02) 501-7888.
"Run for your wife" performs Tuesdays to Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 7 p.m. and at 3 and 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. The current show at Dongyang Art Hall, near Sinsa Station (Line 3, Exit 2), is an open run. Performances are 100 minutes and adult admission is 25,000 won. For more information, call (02) 515-6510 or visit dyarthall.co.kr
"Some Girls" runs until Aug. 10 at Jungmiso Theater, accessible from Hyehwa Station (Line 4, Exit 2). Performance are 100 minutes and occur at 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays with an additional 4 p.m. matinee on Fridays, and at 3 and 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Adult admission is 35,000 won. For more information, call (02) 766-6007 or visit idsartcenter.co.kr
"Closer" runs Tuesdays to Fridays at 7:30 and weekends at 7 p.m. until April 27. There are also 3 p.m. matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Performances are 120 minutes and are being held at Jayu Theater of the Seoul Arts Center, accessible from Nambu Bus Terminal Station (Line 3, Exit 5). Tickets are 30,000 to 40,000 won. For more information, call (02) 764-8760 or visit sac.or.kr
By Kim Kyu-heong
(kyukim@heraldm.com)
< 아이디어의 보물섬! 최신 아이디어 모여라! www.idea-club.com >
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