The story of King Arthur, which contains the founding myths of England. This myth, which deals with heroes in the Celtic Medieval Knights legends, is like the mythology of Dangun in Korea, which is a tale of the integration of the nation.
Arthur, in particular, was the next famous hero in the Middle Ages in Europe. It is regarded as one of the greatest productions of the King of the past Britain. Not only literary, but also movies, dramas, animations and games have changed a lot. Although the characters are processed, the image of the king who worried about the people has gained sympathy from many people.
This year, domestic licensees dealing with King Arthur and domestic musicals are attracting attention.
This is not the first time that Arthurian musicals have appeared in Korea. In 2010, it was the first time in Korea and the ‘Spamalot’ was re-launched in 2013.
It is a musical that transformed the British comedy group Monty Python’s comedy “Monty Python’s Holy Grail” (1975). It was premiered on Broadway in 2005. At the time, he was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won three awards, including Best Musical.
The story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table was accompanied by satire and imagination. King Arthur, who is not smart but strong-willed, has five knights and goes to the Holy Grail.
This work, titled Zore, which combines Spam with Camelot, the main stage of King Arthur’s story, is satirical in character, as the brand name of canned ham and e-mail sent in batches.
The two musicals, which first appeared in Korea in parallel, deal with King Arthur’s story in front.
“King Arthur,” which will be performed at the Chungmu Art Center from March 14 to June 2, premiered in Paris in 2015. Notre Dame de Paris and Romeo and Juliet are considered French musicals to succeed.
It is the latest production of Dove Attia , producer of one of the three great musicals in France, ‘Decalogue'(the Ten Commandments). It is based on Acrobat, and features a colorful costume.
Arthur, who didn’t know his true identity, picked up Excalibur, a rock-clad opportunity, and discussed the story after he was crowned king.
The splendid casting of the cast draws attention. Jang Seung-jo, Han Ji-sang, and Ko Hoon-jeong have been cast for the title role, Arthur. Jang Seung-jo, who made his debut in recent dramas such as “Money Flower,” “A Wife,” and “My boyfriend,” has been an active actor since her debut in 2005.
Han Ji-sang has appeared in several popular musicals, including “Hourglass,” “Frankenstein,” and “Gentleman’s Guide: Love and Murder,” while Ko Hoon Jeong is also working on the crossover vocal group “Porte di Quattro.”
Another strong point of King Arthur is the music of various genres, including French pop, Celtic pop, and Uptempo Ballad. It boasts a musical personality such as overwhelming high-pitched tones and lyrical lyrics.
Arthur ‘s willingness to accept his fate before the journey to find the Holy Grail is revealed. It sounds like a character’s character, but the sound is intense and heavy. He has been working on the most recent musicals, such as ‘Rocky Horror Show’, ‘Hope: Unread Books and Unread Life’.
EMK Musical Company will showcase “Xcalibur,” a Korean-made creative musical featuring King Arthur, at Sejong Theater from June 15 to August 4.
EMK raised its musical scale with European material, such as ‘Matahari’ and ‘The Man who laughs’. Xcalibur is the third creation. This time, King Arthur and his sword, Excalibur, are central. ‘
The movie was under development in March 2014 with the title “Artus-Excalibur” at St. Gallen Theater in Switzerland.
Since then, EMK has secured the rights to worldwide performances and changed the title of the work to musical ‘Xcalibur’. In order to convince the story, about 60% new musical number was added.
Frank Wildhorn, who was named “Jekyll and Hyde” and participated in “Matahari” and “The Man who laughs” will perform music in Korea. Like ‘King Arthur,’ Celtic music centered around Ireland and Scotland is also used, but it has a cinematic feel.
Wildhorn said, “In short, it is Celtic rock and roll,” adding, “It was influenced by Irish-born band “The Chieftains” and “U2,” an international rock band from Ireland that played various world music, and added a sense of cinematography such as “The Lord of the Rings.”
Along with the general producer of EMK, “Matahari” and playwright Ivan Mechell worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company and produced “Matahari” in 2017.
It features a large-scale battle scene where 80 characters appear on stage at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, and special effects that express the ancient British background in which the magic coexist in modern science.
Above all, the filmmaker plans to reflect the emotions of universal audiences in Asia to the stories of ancient British myths. However, the story of a true leader who governs King Arthur’s country and cares for people who have kept the ancient Britain confused by the Saxon invasion is already a sympathetic factor to any country audience.
Mencel said, “We have made it possible for Korean audiences to familiarize themselves with things that are familiar to us, such as the sword extraction from rocks, knights of the Round Table, Arthur and Lancelot, “The story of a leader who cares for the world seems to be needed by the world now.” ‘Excalibur’ casting will be released later.
Source: Naver News
Trans/Shared by: Musical in Life
Musical in Life 