1. Overview

The family musical Cloud Bread (구름빵) is based on the beloved Korean children’s book written and illustrated by Baek Hee-na, which has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. The musical adaptation premiered in Busan in 2009 as a locally produced “Made in Busan” project, marking the city’s first major children’s musical created and financed entirely by Busan-based talent and institutions.

Produced by DS Musical Company and the Musical Cloud Bread Cultural Industry Company, with investment from Asia Cultural Technology Investment (ACTI), the show reimagined Baek’s gentle, dreamlike tale through a vibrant stage experience combining wire-based “flying” sequences, reorchestrated Korean children’s songs, and imaginative choreography. The original production, directed by Heo Seung-min with music by Kim Sung-kyun and music direction by Shin Kyung-mi, blended familiar nursery tunes such as 괜찮아요 (It’s Okay) and 씨앗 (Seed) into a jukebox-style family spectacle.

2. Story

On a rainy morning, siblings Hongbi and Hongshi discover a piece of cloud caught in a tree branch and bring it home. Their mother bakes bread from the cloud — and once they take a bite, they begin to float into the sky. Worried about their father, who left for work without breakfast, the children embark on a heartwarming airborne adventure to deliver the magical bread to him.

The musical captures the charm and simplicity of Baek’s original story while expanding it into a visually rich stage narrative filled with music, laughter, and the warmth of family.

3. International Performances (Australia, 2025)

In 2025, Cloud Bread made its international debut in Australia, presented by The Stage Theatre Production and Education Inc. The production was performed in both English and Korean in Sydney with surtitles, and in Korean in Melbourne with English surtitles — a bilingual presentation designed to welcome audiences of all backgrounds.

The show’s producers, Kevin Jin Wook Kim and director Chloe Hwang, emphasized that Cloud Bread was conceived as a family musical “filled with imagination and love.” The Australian performances were both an introduction of Korean family theater to local audiences and a meaningful experiment in cultural translation — using bilingual presentation to preserve the warmth of the original while making it accessible to English-speaking children.

4. Critical Context

Cloud Bread has become an enduring symbol of Korea’s growing capacity to export not only large-scale historical musicals but also family-oriented creative works rooted in Korean literature. Its 2025 Australian performances mark one of the rare occasions a Korean children’s musical has been staged abroad in full production format, rather than as a festival or showcase.

The musical continues to remind audiences — children and adults alike — that imagination, kindness, and family love can make even the rainiest days feel lighter.