From 'Red Book' to 'Spring, Again,' women-centered theatrical shows take center stage

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 07:03

Theater & Others

From 'Red Book' to 'Spring, Again,' women-centered theatrical shows take center stage

Posted : 2023-03-15 08:17

Updated : 2023-03-15 15:56

A poster for the upcoming musical, "Red Book" / Courtesy of ATEOD

By Dong Sun-hwa

Three musicals that either began or will soon start their runs in March ― "Red Book," "Spring, Again" and "Hope" ― have one thing in common. They all illuminate the lives of women, who boldly walk their own paths against all odds.

Set in the 1820-1914 Victorian era, "Red Book" revolves around a British woman named Anna, who faces bigotry and backlash from conservative people for writing novels based on her erotic experiences. Anna, however, does not back down and combats prejudice in her own way. "Red Book" is also a love story of Anna and a conservative lawyer named Brown. Although they have polar-opposite personalities, they gradually learn to respect and understand each other as time goes by.

"Red Book" garnered rave reviews from theatergoers following its premiere in 2018 for depicting a "monumental female character." After having its second run in 2021, it bagged several trophies in 2022 at the Korea Musical Awards. It began its third run on March 14 at the Hongik University Daehakro Art Center in Seoul.

Actress Ock Joo-hyun, Park Jin-joo and Min Kyung-ah alternate the role of Anna. Actors Song Won-geun, Shin Sung-min and Kim Sung-kyu ― who is also a member of K-pop boy group INFINITE ― play Brown in turn.

A poster for the upcoming musical, "Spring, Again" / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theater

On March 15, the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theater is set to present "Spring, Again" at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. It is a story about middle-aged women who feel that they have lost their identities. By portraying how they attempt to open a new chapter in their lives, the upcoming theatrical show will impart a message of hope to all women experiencing an identity crisis.

"Spring, Again" will feature 14 veteran actresses in their 50s, including Moon Hee-kyung. Their average age is 54.

The musical was particularly popular with theatergoers in their 40s and 50s when it premiered last October. According to ticket-booking company Interpark, this will be the same this year. Interpark revealed on March 10 that the percentage of middle-aged people who made reservations (58.5 percent) was far higher than that of people in their 20s and 30s (29.9 percent.)

Also, the musical "Hope" is scheduled to hit the stage at Uniplex, March 16. It follows a 78-year-old woman named Eva Hope Ivgy, who is in a legal battle with an Israeli library over the ownership of an unpublished manuscript written by Joseph Klein, a late master of modern literature. It shows how Eva ― who used to believe that her life would be meaningless if she did not have the script in her hands ― overcomes her negative belief and embarks on a journey to discover her true self.

"Hope" made waves soon after its first run in 2019, winning eight awards at the Korea Musical Awards. This time, it will star actress Lee Hye-kyung, Kim Ji-hyun and Kim Sun-young.

sunhwadong@koreatimes.co.kr