[Kulture Issue] The rise of Korean original musicals

The Korean original musical "Maybe Happy Ending," which made its debut on Broadway last year and this year won six Tony Awards, has raised the global recognition of Korean musicals.

Following that, this summer, a number of other Korean original productions are notable in the musical scene.

Let's talk about those with culture critic, Professor Chie Hye-won at Kyung Hee University. Welcome back Professor Chie!

Q1. We hear a lot about Korean original musicals, especially following the latest achievement of "Maybe Happy Ending", but let's start with a definition of what "original musicals" actually are.

Q2. So, which Korean original musicals are currently generating positive word of mouth?

Q3. These are all revivals. Works that have already been proven successful. Do you see any commonalities among recent original musicals?

Q4. So, we're consistently seeing original musicals featuring prominent female characters. based on real-life figures and as we see in the case of Marie Curie and Frida, works that reinterpret foreign women from a Korean perspective. How do you explain this trend?

Q5. Marie Curie has been staged in London's West End, and there is talk of Frida being staged overseas as well. What is most important for original musicals to be successful abroad?

Q6. In the past, there was a bigger focus on licensed musicals from abroad, but now Korean original musicals created by Koreans from the story to the lyrics and composition. are making up a major part of the musical industry. What do you think is the appeal of Korean original musicals?

Q7. As the variety of materials increases, the colors of music also seem to become much more varied. What do you think are the prominent trends or characteristics in the music of original musicals?

Q8. Finally Professor Chie, do you see chances of a success as big as "Maybe Happy Ending" on the global stage?

Thank you Professor Chie for your insights, have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you Bella, have a great weekend and see you next week.