Singing ‘King and the Clown’ in the works

The recent hit film “The King and the Clown,” which was based on the play “Yi” (generosity), is now going to be made into a musical. A version of the play, directed by Kim Tae-ung, has just finished a one-month run at Theater Yong.
Jeong Jae-wal, 42, the new director of Seoul Performing Arts Company, said at a recent press meeting that the production company would budget 800 million won for the musical. The musical is scheduled to debut in September, but a director and venue have not yet been selected.
“The company will emphasize dramatic themes such as the homoerotic feelings of King Yeonsangun, the mask performance in the court and Korea’s cultural traditions,” Mr. Jeong said. He stressed that he is going to distinguish himself from former director Shin Sun-hi, who pursued traditional music and dance performances.
“Seoul Performing Arts Company needs to keep its repertoire very Korean, but it shouldn’t neglect recent trends,” Mr. Jeong said. “Traditional factors will be core themes of its repertoire, but the way they are expressed will be something closely related to the public.”
He also mentioned that he has no immediate plan for downsizing. “In discussions with the labor union, we agreed not to imprudently go ahead with retrenchment. But the employees shouldn’t take their situation for granted. When we plan a new project, we are going to induce competition through auditions. The company employees need to accommodate the situation and be more competitive,” he said.
Mr. Jeong added that the company would strengthen its marketing activities to generate more profits to offset planned declines in its budget.

by Choi Min-woo