Review: 'Ghost Bakery,' is a hauntingly sweet Park-Aronson classic

Home > Entertainment > Music & Performance

Review: 'Ghost Bakery,' is a hauntingly sweet Park-Aronson classic

Published: 31 Dec. 2024, 14:30 Updated: 31 Dec. 2024, 18:57

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Park Ji-yeon as aspiring baker Sun-hee, left, and Song Won-geun as the ghost in the ongoing run of horror rom-com musical ″Ghost Bakery″ at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul [LIBRARY COMPANY]

As Korea’s “Maybe Happy Ending” successfully set sail on Broadway this fall, a new show written by the same musical duo, Will Aronson and Hue Park, premiered in Seoul last week.

“Ghost Bakery” is a quirky horror rom-com set in 1960s Seoul. It follows the unlikely partnership between two determined bakers: Sun-hee, a spirited junior baker with big dreams, and Henri, an experienced but deceased pastry chef who haunts the bakery.

Song Won-geun as the ghost in the ongoing run of horror rom-com musical ″Ghost Bakery″ at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul [LIBRARY COMPANY]

When Sun-hee is fired from a bakery for talking back to a customer, she decides to open her own shop, which has been a lifelong dream of hers. She finally finds a space, but in this new shop, lives a resentful ghost who had planned to open a bakery there himself before his sudden death. He refuses to leave, and the two reach a bitter agreement to run the bakery together.

It is a classic Park-Aronson show that taps into humanity’s loneliness and passion in an intriguing setting with seamless flow and charming storytelling. Compared to the duo’s other musicals, however, “Ghost Bakery” is less tragic and more comical, drawing in a familiar rom-com vibe that makes for an easy, feel-good show. The plot is bolstered by endearing performances from its alternating lead Park Ji-hyun and rookie supporting actor Yoon Chul-joo, though Song Won-geun gives a rather dull portrayal of the ghost.

Song Won-geun as the ghost, left, and Yoon Chul-joo as a part-time employee at the bakery, second from right, in the ongoing run of horror rom-com musical ″Ghost Bakery″ at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul [LIBRARY COMPANY]

If “Maybe Happy Ending” hooked audiences in a futuristic Seoul, “Ghost Bakery” turns back the clock to 1969, a pivotal era in Korea’s burgeoning economy. The musical explores the beginnings of Korea’s pastry industry, from the rise of Christmas cakes to its whimsical twist: a ghostly presence shaping the story.

A pale blue spotlight trails the ghost, depicting his invisible nature on stage. Unlike in “The Phantom of the Opera,” where the so-called phantom is actually a living person, “Ghost Bakery” brings an actual spectral figure to life. As a third person watching the ghost live, glide across the stage, move various kitchenware, and turn Sun-hee white with terror, it is a refreshing, delightful, and even, at times, spooky experience.

Another highlight of the show is the picturesque scenes recreated between the ghost and Sun-hee. Park and Aronson have proved very adept at capturing the particular emotion of happiness on stage. In “Il Tenore” Korea’s first tenor in the 1930s discovers his love for music. In “Maybe Happy Ending,” the two robots begin to feel human emotions while seeing fireflies together on Jeju Island. In “Ghost Bakery,” love blossoms as two bakers throw flour into the air like snow.

These short yet beautiful moments make for a painful end, as they do, and “Ghost Bakery” is no exception. As the show's translated lyric goes, “Time will coldly pass, and the end will likely come quicker than expected. "

But unlike Park and Aronson’s other shows, “Ghost Bakery” feels lighter, staying true to the rom-com genre, which the duo haven’t done together before. That emotional levity feels intentional and measured. The outcome is a very simple yet beautiful show that may not have a dramatic bang or a plot twist, but its emotional impact as a whole is bound to be quite memorable.

Of all their works, “Ghost Bakery” feels the closest to the heart.

Park Ji-yeon as Sun-hee, right, and Do Yul-hee as her older sister in the ongoing run of horror rom-com musical ″Ghost Bakery″ at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul [LIBRARY COMPANY]

On the same lines, Aronson's music doesn’t stand out, and audiences may catch themselves in a song without realizing that the actor has even begun singing. The approach, consistent throughout his work with Park, suggests a different paradigm in viewing musicals where audiences typically expect songs to be impactful and memorable at the expense of a more calibrated narrative.

Park’s lyrics are witty and satisfying, particularly as the audience catches the rhymes dotted across the score.

The scenes are staged in spaces adorned with dozens of props, which rotate through scenes like the pages of a storybook.

A scene in the ongoing run of horror rom-com musical ″Ghost Bakery″ at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul [LIBRARY COMPANY]

Park Ji-yeon, who alternates Sun-hee, is brilliant and the undeniable star of the show. The role carries the heavy responsibility of driving the story and keeping it engaging, but Park effortlessly rises to the challenge. With her impeccable blend of offbeat humor and heartfelt sincerity, she brings the character to life in a way that feels both authentic and captivating.

Three Sun-hee-ghost actor pairs alternate performances throughout the week.

A scene in the ongoing run of horror rom-com musical ″Ghost Bakery″ at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul [LIBRARY COMPANY]

Song Won-geun, who plays the ghost, gives what feels like a standard performance for male actors in theater: charismatic but lacking character. He hits all the lines and notes, but compared to his colleagues on the show, his performance lacks nuance and complexity beyond his physical appearance.

Rookie actor Yoon Chul-joo, who plays the part-time employee at Sun-hee’s bakery and later develops a crush on her, is an unexpectedly pleasant discovery in the show. The supporting role itself is thoughtfully incorporated into the story, but Yoon plays his character’s gawkiness with such heartfelt charm that is both very sweet and genuinely funny to watch.

“Ghost Bakery” is 110 minutes without intermission. Admission costs range from 70,000 won ($47) to 90,000 won. The show runs through Feb. 23 at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul.

Lee Bom-sori as aspiring baker Sun-hee, right, and Lee Jae-hwan as the ghost in the ongoing run of horror rom-com musical "Ghost Bakery" at the Doosan Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul [LIBRARY COMPANY]

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]