Musical producer points out merits, problems of Korean market

Korea's musical market is expected to generate record-breaking ticket sales of 500 billion won ($370 million) this year. But musical producer Park Myung-sung raises concerns about the use of commercial tactics that could lower their quality.

Park Myung-sung, producer of Seensee Company, rehearses for the opening and closing ceremony of the 104th National Sports Festival, which was held in South Jeolla from Oct. 13 to 19. [SEENSEE COMPANY]

Korea's musical market this year is projected to usher in an unprecedented 500 billion won ($370 million) in ticket sales, according to Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System (KOPIS). The market in Korea already achieved a record-breaking revenue of 425.3 billion won last year, the first time that it surpassed 400 billion won. Industry insiders say the great performance is due to the pent-up demand for musicals, after the performing arts sector had all but shut down during Covid-19 pandemic.

There are 10 musicals that have each surpassed a cumulative 1 million ticket sales in Korea now, including "Hero," which reached the milestone in March, and "Rebecca" in September.

But musical producer Park Myung-sung of Seensee Company says the Korean musical industry has some red flags, too.

“Using commercial tactics can't necessarily elevate the quality of a show, but these days, up to four to five actors get cast to alternate a single role,” Park said. “I see that as a problem. When multiple actors share a role, the practice time for each shortens, which may potentially lower the quality of the performance."

Park, 60, began his career as a theater actor in 1982. During his 40-some years in the performance industry, he has gone from working as an assistant director to founding a musical production company, Seensee. A few years ago, he handed over the position to focus more on producing musicals.

Seensee Company was behind hit musicals such as "Chicago," "Mamma Mia!" and “Aida.”

Seensee Company's hit musical "Aida" [SEENSEE COMPANY]

"In terms of the number of musicals being staged yearly, Seoul ranks third, after London and New York,” Park said. “The Korean musical market has grown and expanded at a rate that has astonished the world.”

However, there he has noticed some concerns since this summer.

“Instead of being star-centric, productions should stay true to the essence of the piece. It's a delicate time,” he said in a recent interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

“I think the Korean musical industry has been riding the wave, as the target audience expanded from musical enthusiasts to the general public. However, there’s been a slight downturn in the number of theatergoers in the second half of the year,” he said. “Only well-known and verified works will survive, while new and unfamiliar works will struggle. In other words, there’s going to be polarization.”

As large-scale productions have increased in number, competition among production companies to secure musical venues has also intensified, according to Park.

Coupled with the surge in rental fees post-pandemic, there are productions that barely reach the break-even point even with shows that completely sell out, Park added.

Musical "Mamma Mia!" [SEENSEE COMPANY]

This year, many of Seensee Company's musicals have been cash cows, which are "Matilda," "Mamma Mia!" and the original performance of "Chicago" in Korea.

However, the premiere of the musical "SheStars!," which revisits the origins of K-pop girl groups, saw lackluster results.

"We started with director Kolleen Park to create a new style, but with it being a premiere, it lacked recognition,” Park said.

Kolleen Park, left, and Park Myung-sung, in 2011 [JOONGANG PHOTO]

"Still, we must stay on the right path,” Park said. “We should continue to challenge new productions and consistently work on plays as well. After all, we have blockbuster content. The profits from productions like 'Mamma Mia!,' 'Chicago,' 'Aida,' 'Billy Elliot' and 'Matilda' allow us to venture into creating original musicals."

From farmer boy to musical trailblazer Park has been a trailblazer when it comes to bringing licensed musicals to Korea. Born as the last son among five sons and two daughters in a farming family in Haenam, South Jeolla, Park says he was captivated by Cha Bum-seok's play "Burning Mountain" (1962) during high school and decided to pursue a life on stage. Starting as an actor in Troupe Seensee, he went on to assistant directing and planning.

After participating in a talent development program by the Arts Council Korea in 1998, he visited musical capitals New York and London for training. This experience exposed him to the systematic Broadway-style production style and in turn led him to transform the Troupe Seensee into Seensee Musical Company in 1999 to which he assumed the role of the company's head the following year. The company was renamed to Seensee Company in 2009.

"Even just before that, a lot of things were done haphazardly,” Park said. “We performed works like ‘Guys and Dolls,’ ‘Nunsense,' and 'West Side Story' without proper licensing. It was an era where musicals were performed to recorded tracks, and sometimes they'd just use songs recorded by other actors. It was a rather laughable time.”

"Formalizing licensing agreements brought us closer to lyricists and composers, providing invaluable insights and assistance. Importing original stage equipment elevated the standards for Korean audiences. Collaborating with foreign actors has also significantly enhanced the skills and development of our own performers."

He pinpointed these changes as pivotal moments in the leap by Korean musicals.

A scene from musical "Rent" that was staged in Korea in 2003 [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Park brought the first Broadway-licensed musical “The Life” to Korea in 1998. Selling out the 2,200-seat Seoul Arts Center’s Opera House, he gained confidence and later introduced the provocative and acclaimed Broadway musical “Rent” to Korea in 2000.

Topics like homosexuality, AIDS, drug addiction and orphans, which were largely taboo topics in Korea at the time, resonated with the audience through the musical's message of "young people's love, dreams and hope," making it a big hit. The ninth season will premiere on Nov. 11 at the COEX Shinhan Artium in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Park says “Rent” is the musical that most embodies the essence of Seensee.

"I realized that the Korean audience could relate well to such a groundbreaking story,” he said.

“'Rent’ itself broke the mold of Broadway musicals. It was an innovative production that progressed solely through songs, without lyrics."

The musical also served as a launching pad for talented young actors in their 20s, earning the company the nickname "actors' training school" in Korea.

"Even if ticket sales are slightly lower, we boldly employ newcomers. Discovering and nurturing new talent is crucial for the future of Korean musicals," Park said.

Following this belief, he has also supported young talents in lead roles in musicals like “Billy Elliot” and “Matilda."

Musical "Billy Elliot" [JOONGANG PHOTO]

"Starting from a young age, watching many musicals can nurture one's artistic taste, and that's how we can become a cultural powerhouse," he said.

According to Park, “Hamlet,” staged in 2016 and directed last year by Son Jin-chaek, is a play that truly represents Seensee’s ingenuity. The production saw a convergence of veteran actors like Kwon Seong-deok, Jeon Moo-song, Park Jeong-ja, Son Sook, Jung Dong-hwan, Kim Seong-nyeo, Yu In-chon and Yoon Seok-hwa alongside younger talents.

"I'm right in the middle of the two generations. It's crucial to play a messenger role that bridges the two,” he said.

Plays to musicals, films to plays

Currently, Seensee is preparing for the musical adaptation of "Hamlet" and a theatrical production based on the film " Chi-hwa-seon," (2002) which portrays the life of the painter Jang Seung-eop.

A scene from a play "Hamlet," which was staged on July 17 at the National Theater of Korea, features Culture Minister Yu In-chon, right. [SEENSEE COMPANY]

Next year, it will stage "Burning Mountain" in commemoration of what would be Cha Beom-seok's 100th birthday. The play is getting a new adaptation by writer Bae Sam-sik and will be directed by Son Jin-chaek and produced by Park.

In the case of the musical “Aida,” performance rights have expired in Korea. While Disney has recently previewed a newly revamped version in the Netherlands, the decision regarding future performances in Korea has not yet been made.

Park also emphasized the importance of fostering regional performances. He recently directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Korean National Sports Festival, held in his hometown in South Jeolla.

The event featured a mix of traditional performances of namdo sori (the folk music of Korea’s deep south) and K-pop, topped with drone shows.

On stage, he depicted nature's wrath and warnings against environmental destruction by putting together traditional sound narrations, state-of-the-art musical stage technology and elements of madangnori (a traditional Korean interactive play that engages the audience, combining musical genres such as mask dances and percussion music).

Park's production of the musical "Arirang" was staged in 2015 and again in 2017. [SEENSEE COMPANY]

“Just across the bridge [from my hometown] is Jindo, where I always visited to watch ssitgimgut [a Korean traditional shamanistic ritual performed to guide the souls of the deceased to the afterlife] and bukchum [traditional Korean drum dance] performances,” Park said.

"The gap in arts and culture between the metropolitan and rural areas is too wide,” he added. “There are countless traditional cultural treasures in Honam, like ssitgimgut. We need initiatives to modernize and rejuvenate them, perhaps turning them into contemporary musicals. Just as the musical 'Aida' doesn't merely feel like an ancient story when performed on a cutting-edge stage."

BY NA WON-JEONG [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]