Korean Musicals Go International: 'Nero' Trial in London; 'Hunky Show' to Taipei; 'Shadow' in Shanghai
Creatrip Team
25 days ago
Seoul-based producers are taking several Korean musicals abroad this fall. Shinshi Company will stage a trial run of its new musical Nero at the Southwark Playhouse in London from Nov. 2 to Dec. 5. Nero reinterprets the story of the Roman emperor Nero through a modern lens; the production involves Tony-winning playwright Steven Sater, composer Duncan Sheik and West End director Lindsey Posner. The company plans to refine the show based on local reactions before arranging a Korean run. Ara Company will present the show musical Hunky Show in Taipei on Oct. 19–20 — the show’s first overseas engagement — keeping its flashy performances and audience-participation elements while adjusting choreography and adding subtitles and video to bridge language gaps. BluesStage’s Shadow, inspired by the Imo Incident (임오화변) and the tragic relationship of King Yeongjo and Crown Prince Sado in the Joseon era, is playing in Shanghai through Oct. 12 with local producers adapting dialogue and lyrics into natural Chinese; a China tour and a Korean revival are planned. (Imo Incident: a 19th-century military uprising in Korea)
