1. Overview

Rimbaud premiered in 2018 as a co-production between LIVE Corp. and Double K Film & Theatre, developed over three years after being selected for the Korea Arts Council’s Creative Support Program. Written by Yun Hee-kyung with music by Min Chanhong, the musical adapted more than 25 poems by Rimbaud and Verlaine directly into its lyrics, creating a poetic, non-biographical narrative. Conceived as a tri-national collaboration between Korea, China, and Japan, the musical was designed for overseas licensing from its earliest development stages. Just 43 days after its Seoul premiere, it opened in Shanghai, marking one of the fastest confirmed overseas transfers for a Korean small-theatre musical. Since then, the piece has remained a steady seller with frequent revivals.

2. Story

The musical followed the intertwined lives of Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, and their friend Delahay. Near Rimbaud’s final days, Delahay asked Verlaine to join him on a journey to Africa to find the poet’s last lost manuscript. The narrative then shifted to the past, tracing Rimbaud’s arrival in Paris as a seventeen-year-old prodigy, his artistic bond with Verlaine, their escape to London, and their eventual collapse under poverty, conflict, and creative despair.
Their relationship unraveled after a violent argument, and Rimbaud abandoned writing altogether, leaving for Africa in pursuit of a different kind of truth. When Delahay and Verlaine finally reached the place where Rimbaud had lived, they discovered not a final poem but a notebook filled with plain entries about work, illness, and survival. Verlaine recognized this simple record as Rimbaud’s last act of authorship. The story closed with Rimbaud embracing the unknown in search of a new form of poetry beyond words.

3. 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in New York

Rimbaud made its United States debut at the 2025 K-Musical Roadshow in New York City, an invitation-only industry event held on November 18, 2025, at Open Jar Studios. The 40-minute English-language presentation was directed by Zi Alikhan, featuring book and lyrics by Heekyung Yun, music by Chanhong Min, music direction by PJ Ju, English translation by Hansol Oh and Yunhye Park, and English lyrics adaptation by Trevor K. Band. It was produced by Double K Entertainment Co. and Live Corp. The New York cast included A.J. Shively, Taylor Trensch, and Charles Joseph Webb.

The Roadshow was presented by the Korea Arts Management Service, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Korea), and The Business of Broadway. Created to introduce Korean originals to industry professionals, the program featured Rimbaud alongside Let Me Fly and Dalí, Gala Exhibition. Since its first staging in Shanghai in 2016, the Roadshow has supported international development opportunities for Korean musicals in the UK, Japan, and the United States. After the increased visibility of Korean works following the Broadway success of Maybe Happy Ending, Rimbaud was positioned as a notable new title entering the global market.