Barbie leads kids on classical music odyssey

And we all thought Barbie was just a doll for girls.
For three nights starting May 4, audiences in Seoul will have the opportunity to enjoy music by Tchaikovsky and Beethoven with the help of Barbie, the famed blonde doll.
The purpose of the show is to spice up classical music and encourage children who might otherwise find Beethoven as exciting as learning grammar rules to get more interested.
Production companies IS Plus and Credia, the organizers behind the Seoul performance, have scheduled the first performance for the eve of Children’s Day.
A virtual Barbie will appear on a screen above the orchestra and will guide the audience through the evening’s program, adding information about the composers and other tidbits.
She will even take on the guise of characters from classic children’s stories such as “The Nutcracker,” “Rapunzel,” “Swan Lake” and “The Princess and the Pauper.”
The performances will open with the Overture from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet.
Other classical pieces include “From the New World,’’ excerpts from Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, plus excerpts from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6.
Every night will end with the “Grand Waltz” from the Nutcracker.
Arnie Roth, a Grammy Award winner and a long-time member of the New Age group Mannheim Steamroller, will conduct the Ditto Orchestra.
The Ditto musicians in the orchestra are young performers who have studied classical music in prominent schools in Korea and in the United States and France.
In addition to the music, other Barbie-related events include makeovers, a Barbie dress event and an opportunity to take photos with Barbie.“Barbie at the Symphony” made its debut in February 2007 in the United States, and the show has toured Portugal, Taiwan and England.
Barbie, created in 1959, is one of the most beloved dolls in the world.
According to a Girls U.S. tracking study, as of 2006 over 90 percent of girls aged 3 to 10 ten owned a Barbie.
ojlee82@joongang.co.kr
“Barbie at the Symphony” will be performed at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts for three nights starting May 4.
The shows start at 7:30 p.m., and on Children’s Day, which falls on May 5, there is a matinee at 3 p.m.
Tickets cost between 30,000 won ($30) and 70,000 won.
Call (02) 1577-5266 for more details.

By Lee Ho-jeong Staff Reporter