Will musicals provide S. Korea's next big break onto the global stage?

CJ ENM co-produced "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" swept the Tony Awards with 10 wins, a promising sign for Korea's future in the industry

A photo from “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” (provided by CJ ENM)

The 74th Tony Awards were held at Winter Garden Theater on Broadway on the evening of September 26, returning after a hiatus of two years and three months. The COVID-19 pandemic kept most employees from CJ ENM’s performance division from attending the ceremony.

But the staff were as informed about the awards as people present in the theater because a local employee in the audience was sending texts in real time. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” which was co-produced by CJ ENM, picked up 10 awards, including Best Musical, at the Tonys.

“The Tony Awards tend to go to shows with a strong message, rather than shows with strong sales. In all honesty, we didn’t expect the show would win 10 awards,” recalled Ye Ju-yeol, head of CJ ENM’s performance division.

“I think that ‘Moulin Rouge!’ won so many awards partly because there haven’t been a lot of new shows over the past two years, but also because of its immense scale, quality, and popular appeal,” he added.

“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is the second show globally co-produced by CJ ENM to be honored at the Tonys, following “Kinky Boots.” But it’s not the only show invested in by CJ ENM that’s in the spotlight. “Back to the Future: The Musical,” which opened on London’s West End last month, has been performing to sold-out theaters. And “MJ: The Musical,” the first show to cover the life and greatest hits of Michael Jackson, will be arriving on Broadway in December.

Ye Ju-yeol, head of CJ ENM’s performance division (provided by CJ ENM)

So how does CJ ENM decide which shows to invest in?

“We look at the show’s overall quality to determine if it’s capable of succeeding on Broadway. We also consider whether it would be popular in Korea,” Ye said.

“We started planning for ‘Moulin Rouge!’ five or six years in advance. We used our network on Broadway to express our interest in joining production and got the green light. We also worked to upgrade the piece by offering reviews and voicing opinions during production.”

The network and know-how that CJ ENM has built up over the years in the global musical industry paid off.

“Seven years have passed since we sent a staffer to the US. I think we’re seeing the fruits of all the connections we’ve made in Broadway and West End during that time,” Ye said.

“There have been some snags, but communicating directly has expanded our insight into the local market and helped us build up our network.”

In 2019, CJ ENM became the first Korean company to take part in judging the Tony Awards.

A photo from “Back to the Future: The Musical” (provided by CJ ENM)

CJ ENM’s short-term goal is to co-produce good shows in other countries and then bring them to Korean audiences. But in the long term, it hopes to make a Broadway show based on Korean films, TV shows, or other media.

“With that in mind, we’re working on acquiring the intellectual property rights for domestic media content. So far, we’ve narrowed down 400-plus items to 10, and we’ll select the top five this year. Our plan is to start developing [a musical] early next year. We hope to stage it first in Korea and then bring it to Broadway or West End within five years,” Ye said.

Could a Korean musical attract the kind of global popularity enjoyed by “Squid Game,” the Netflix original series that has gotten so much media attention of late?

“After winning the Tony Awards, we got a lot of congratulatory messages from local producers. They mentioned ‘Parasite’ and ‘Squid Game’ and said that Korea has really stepped up its production game. The door is open for Korea to have a successful Broadway musical, too.”

Ye said, “The trend on Broadway nowadays is to make musicals that are about cultural and racial diversity. That could provide a good opportunity for a Korean musical.”

By Jung Hyuk-june, staff reporter

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