Performances offer entertaining ways to cool off : Air-conditioned theaters and concert halls putting on scary and exciting shows as a respite from the brutal heat
Following the success of last year’s film concert which performed world renowned composer Tan Dun’s “Martial Arts Trilogy” with a live orchestra, the Lotte Concert Hall will be presenting “The Bride of Frankenstein” for this year’s horror-film concert which will certainly bring chills to those in the audience. [LOTTE CONCERT HALL]
A favorite way to cool off during the dog days of summer for many Koreans is heading to theaters to check out horror movies. To attract people to their classical concerts during the summer, Lotte Concert Hall has organized a unique concert that will send chills down the spine titled “Summer Night Orchestra - The Bride of Frankenstein.”
According to Lotte Cultural Foundation, it will show the classic horror movie “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) directed by James Whale on a large screen inside the concert hall while an orchestra plays the bone-chilling soundtrack of the film by Franz Waxman on stage.
After seeing that movie theaters release more horror movies in the summer, Lotte Concert Hall decided to give classical music fans the chance to enjoy a similar experience inside its concert hall. Last year, it performed renowned composer and conductor Tan Dun’s “Martial Arts Triology,” which attracted a large audience looking for a unique, late night summer experience.
This year’s “Assitej Korea International Summer Festival” will be showcasing an array of works that can appeal to young Koreans including “Inside Out” by an American team that will present an interactive play where a bedroom turns into a playground, top, and “Sticky Maze,” above, an interactive outdoor performance from Australia. [ASSITEJ KOREA]
According to the Lotte Cultural Foundation, maestro Richard Kaufman, who conducted a concert with the movie with the Cleveland Orchestra last year, said that the charm of film concerts is that the live orchestra maximizes audiences’ experience of the film being screened.
To really help audiences feel the chill, Lotte Cultural Foundation said it will hold the film concert, which will be held twice on Aug. 11 and 12, at 10 p.m. instead of 8 p.m., when evening concerts are normally held. The Korean Symphony Orchestra will play under the baton of young Korean maestro Christopher Lee.
The concert will go on for 80 minutes without intermission and Korean subtitles will be provided for the movie. Tickets cost 30,000 won each.
Meanwhile, to draw younger audiences to the theater, this year’s 25th “Assitej Korea International Summer Festival” is showing off an array of theater performances that is sure to excite all five senses. According to Assitej Korea, Assitej, which stands for “International Association of Theatre for children and Young People,” was established in 1965 to “enrich the lives of children and young people and to raise the artistic standards of theater for younger audiences.”
This year’s festival, according to the organizers, will focus on theater works from Mexico to celebrate the 55 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Mexico. The festival will kick off on Wednesday for 12 days at various venues around Daehangno, central Seoul, including the Daehakro Arts Theater, the Jongno Children’s Theater, the IEUM Center and the Multipurpose Hall at Marronnier Park, under the theme “Curiosity on the Stage.”
Some notable works include “Vera and the Water,” a dance drama by a troupe from Iceland which is aimed at children aged between three and seven, allowing them to experience all five senses through “the use of various sounds and images evoked by changes in the weather.” Mexico, which has long been famous for its puppetry, will present a puppet show titled “Post-Mortem,” which according to the organizers will be appealing to teenage and older audiences.
“With different performances aimed specifically at audiences of varying ages, this festival is a collection of works composed not only of traditional theater pieces but also of works from the various participating countries, whose diverse genres include pieces involving creative uses of objects and puppets among many other elements, suitable for the enjoyment of all members of the family,” said an official from Assitej Korea.
Tickets and more information about the program are available at www.assitejkorea.org or calling (02) 745-5863.
BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [sharon@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)