'Pagwa' sterilizes its poignant source material

Music & Performance

Published: 28 Mar. 2024, 14:58

'Pagwa' sterilizes its poignant source material

A scene from the ongoing musical "Pagwa" at Hongik Daehangno Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul. [PAGE1]

[Review]

They say nothing gold can stay — whether it be dawn, the spring, or, in the case of the new noir musical “Pagwa,” rosy, plump peaches.

“Pagwa,” the title of which refers either to bruised fruit or to the prime of one's youth, follows two hired assassins: 65-year-old Jogak, who is staring down old age in the twilight years of her career, and the younger and deeply flawed Tuu, whose father Jogak murdered 20 years ago.

The musical is based on a book of the same title published in 2013 by Gu Byeong-mo. Its English version “The Old Woman with the Knife” (2022) was translated by Kim Chi-young, who was shortlisted for last year's International Booker Prize for the translation of Cheon Myeong-kwan’s “Whale.”

The New York Times selected “The Old Woman with the Knife” as one of its 100 Notable Books of 2022, noting its resemblance to other Korean narratives that found fame in the United States like “Parasite” (2019) and “Squid Game” (2021). The paper also praised its handling of “societal attitudes on aging in Korea and elsewhere,” using “occasionally cartoonish action and horror sequences.”

This gothic atmosphere successfully translates to the stage, perhaps in a more pronounced manner than its source material does. Tuu’s toxic obsession with Jogak is explored further in the musical. He takes on a much more significant role on the stage than he does in text, bolstered by star casting: TV-theater actor Shin Sung-rok, model-actor Kim Jae-wook and theater actor Noh Yun alternate Tuu.

It may come as a disappointment to fans of the book that Tuu’s inflated importance is traded for a deeper narrative dive into Jogak, portrayed by veteran theater actors Cha Ji-yeon and Gu Won-yeong, and other characters surrounding her.

The end product thus becomes a histrionic revenge tale rather than the kind of poignant social commentary for which the book is acclaimed.

A scene featuring Jogak, left, and Tuu in the ongoing musical "Pagwa" at Hongik Daehangno Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul. [PAGE1]

The contrasting energy of the enigmatic and maniacal Tuu and the subtly warm Jogak on stage obfuscate the musical’s identity and atmosphere as well, leaving the audience craving better development in both of the characters’ stories.

The musical is helmed by Lee Ji-na, who is best known for directing Korean productions of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

The musical’s action scenes, arranged by martial arts director Seo Jeong-joo, on the other hand, are impressive. They can be quite lengthy — up to two minutes — and sometimes in slow motion, overlaid with narration that directly quotes the novel. The staging, lights and stunts — all clearly the product of laborious practice — together to create intensity comparable to that of a movie.

The show, lasting 150 minutes including intermission, has a playlist of more than 20 numbers composed by Lee Na-yeong. An eight-piece band, seated behind the stage, accompanies the score. The performance starts strong, but, amid the changing musical styles and genres catering to the back-and-forth of Jogak and Tuu’s stories, loses color.

“Pagwa” runs through May 26 at Hongik Daehangno Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul.

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