EMK aims to become Asian musical production powerhouse

Music & Performance

Published: 14 Aug. 2023, 15:59

EMK aims to become Asian musical production powerhouse

Vice President and Producer of EMK Musical Company Sophy Kim, left, and director Robert Johanson pose for photos before speaking to the press in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. [EMK MUSICAL COMPANY]

EMK Musical Company is vying to become Asia’s musical production powerhouse.

“[Blockbuster] musicals are staged all around the world but only a handful of countries actually produce them, and with over a decade of experience in successfully producing shows we think that EMK can do it too - heck, we can do it better!” Sophy Kim, vice president and producer of EMK, told the press at a briefing on Monday in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Founded in 2010, EMK largely established its footing in the industry through non-replica productions of foreign shows such as the Austrian musical “Mozart!” and the Viennese musical “Elisabeth." It has also produced successful new musicals such as “Mata Hari” in 2016 and “The Man Who Laughs” in 2018.

At the center of the company's international endeavors is “Sister Act.” EMK is currently producing the international tour version of the musical, set to open in Busan's Sohyang Theater on Nov. 4. The show will be performed in English.

It will continue performances at D-cube Arts Center in Guro District, western Seoul, from Nov. 23, followed by a national tour hitting a total of 15 cities through May 2024. EMK expects the show to begin an Asian leg from late 2024 to 2026.

A musical's international production is the version that goes on tours around the world and everything, including the cast and crew, is separate from Broadway or West End. International productions are usually helmed by production companies in North America or Australia.

Over the years, EMK noticed that some international productions significantly lack quality or scale compared to their originals while the content is strong and much loved in Seoul as well as by other Asian audiences.

That was the case of the 2017 "Sister Act" international production which saw a full house almost every single night during its two-week run in central Seoul. There were plans to re-stage it in Korea in 2019, but Covid-19 struck and those plans were canceled.

“That’s when we changed our perception and decided to produce the musical ourselves,” Kim said.

A scene from the international production of the musical "Sister Act" in 2017 [JOONANG PHOTO]

Auditions for EMK’s “Sister Act” concluded in April 2023, with the cast and the creative team comprising both Americans and Koreans.

Robert Johanson, who was tapped as the director of EMK's "Sister Act," has been directing EMK-produced musicals in Korea since 2012. He has helmed productions including “Rebecca,” “Phantom” and “The Man Who Laughs.”

“I think this will be a wonderful opportunity [for actors and staff] from the two countries to learn from each other,” Johanson said at the press conference. “And I would love the rest of the world to know [about Korean talent and its musicals], just like K-pop or K-culture. I feel its musical theatre is still a secret to the rest of the world.”

Seven Korean actors have been cast for the upcoming production, in both the main cast and the ensemble, although their names are yet to be disclosed.

A scene of the movie "Sister Act" (1992) starring Whoopi Goldberg, center [JOONANG PHOTO]

The musical "Sister Act" is based on the 1992 movie of the same title starring Whoopi Goldberg. She plays the title role of Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer who ends up hiding in a convent, disguised as one of the sisters, after witnessing a murder by her gangster boyfriend Vince LaRocca. Although she struggles to adapt to life in a convent, Deloris builds true friendships with the other sisters as she joins the church choir, helping the sisters break free from convention and bring out their musical side.

In the 2017 international production of “Sister Act,” the show garnered attention for the role of Mary Robert, one of the nuns at the covenant, in particular as she was played by Korean actor Kim So-hyang.

Musical actor Kim So-hyang as Mary Robert during the 2017 international production of "Sister Act," in Yongsan District, central Seoul [EMK MUSICAL COMPANY]

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]