As the year-end festivities approach, the popularity of musicals soars. Interpark, a ticket sales platform, reports record-breaking revenues. The popularity of performing arts isn't just a seasonal phenomenon. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System (KOPIS), ticket sales from January to September this year reached 829.5 billion won. Last year, the Korean musical market broke through the 400 billion won barrier, accounting for half of the domestic performing arts market.

Chapter 1

The Rise of Musicals in Korea 

South Korea's love affair with musicals shows no sign of waning. "The Phantom of the Opera," currently playing in Busan, Seoul, and at the Keimyung Art Center in Daegu, has surpassed 1,500 performances since its Korean premiere in 2001, drawing over 1.5 million cumulative audience members in April. Not just "The Phantom of the Opera," but the musical "Rebecca" also celebrated its 10th anniversary by breaking the one million audience mark this year. "Les Misérables," which reached 600,000 cumulative audience members in its 2015 rerun, is also gathering anticipation for its 10th-anniversary performance this year.

 

Korea's affection for musicals extends beyond foreign blockbusters. Original Korean musicals have also achieved great success. Based on the novel 'Fox Hunting' by Lee Mun-yeol, "Empress Myeongseong," which debuted at the Seoul Arts Center in 1995, continues to enjoy popularity. In 2007, it became the first domestic musical performance to reach one million audiences. "Empress Myeongseong" also holds the distinction of being the first Asian production to venture into both Broadway in the United States and the West End in the United Kingdom.

 

*Original musical: A musical based on an original story with no original source material, or a musical created for the first time with Korean resources.

※ "Empress Myeongseong" Poster

Chapter 2 

Musical Festival in Korea 

Following the success of "Empress Myeongseong," the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) has led the Korean musical market. Every June, a global musical festival unfolds over 18 days in Daegu's major theaters. Since 2007, DIMF has introduced over 360 works. The festival's diverse lineup includes 'official invitation works' from around the world, 'supported creative works' born from public submission, and 'special performances' showcasing excellent local creations. Additionally, the festival caters to musical students with the 'College Musical Festival' and celebrates achievements with the 'DIMF Awards.'

DIMF's efforts for the Korean musical market go beyond the festival. Since 2007, it has consistently run a creative support project to discover new musicals. The project supports not only production but also domestic premieres and international debuts. It's considered the best platform for Korean musical producers to develop their works. In fact, over the past 17 years, 76 new original musicals have been born from DIMF's creative support project.

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Chapter 3 

From Opera to Film 

The most famous creative musical from DIMF is "Turandot." This work reinterprets Giacomo Puccini's opera, counted among the world's four greatest operas, into a new context. Since its premiere in 2010, it has become a signature piece of DIMF, with more than 142 performances, including extended runs in Korea and a five-city tour in China.

 

DIMF's rendition of "Turandot" is a reimagining of Giacomo Puccini's opera, set in a vast underwater world. It's a tale of Princess Turandot of the deep-sea kingdom 'Okakkeomare', who, driven by vengeance over her mother’s tragic death, turns away from all men, swearing never to give her heart to anyone. The narrative unfolds with Prince Calaf, a royal from a fallen nation, determined to win Turandot's heart by solving her deadly riddles, and Liù, the devoted servant girl, who aids the princess in discovering true love.

In 2017, "Turandot" became the first Korean creative musical to be licensed in six Eastern European countries, including Germany and Slovakia. In March 2020, it premiered to sold-out performances at the Nová Scéna Theatre in Slovakia and continues to be performed annually. In 2021, "Turandot" was the first Korean creative musical to be made into a film. "Turandot: The Dark Kingdom" (2021) was screened at the 'Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival' in 2022 and received high praise.

 

​At the 'The Musical: RaRa's Dream Theatre,' you can experience DIMF's creative musical "Turandot." The exhibition will display costumes used in the performances by Princess Turandot and Prince Calaf, as well as those used in the movie "Turandot: The Dark Kingdom." How about meeting DIMF's "Turandot," leading Korean creative musicals, at the Daegu 83 Tower this coming January?