Director Rachel Chavkin Brings Bold, Nontraditional Musical 'Lempicka' to Korea
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Renowned director Rachel Chavkin, known for Hades Town, has come to Seoul as Broadway’s Lempicka prepares its Korean premiere. The musical dramatizes the turbulent life of Tamara de Lempicka (1898–1980), the “queen of Art Deco,” exploring her survival, desire, love, and art amid the upheavals of the Russian Revolution and world wars. Korea was chosen for the Asian premiere after the 2024 Broadway run; performances run March 21–June 21 at NOL Theatre COEX Woori Bank Hall. Chavkin emphasizes that Lempicka breaks conventional Broadway rules: it centers a female narrative without typical heroic or villainous male roles, relies on visual and musical storytelling over traditional dialogue, and incorporates the painter’s imagery into choreography and asymmetric stage design. While some critics debated the show’s narrative choices on Broadway, Chavkin says the piece challenges male-dominated perspectives and invites audiences to reconsider familiar assumptions. Korean musical stars—including Kim Sun-young, Park Hye-na, Jung Sun-ah, Cha Ji-yeon, Rina, and Son Seung-yeon—share principal roles, and Chavkin praises the cast’s ability to deliver powerful performances and new facets of familiar actors.
