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2013
カフェ・イン
Caffeine (카페인) is a two-hander Korean romantic comedy musical set in a café, built around the chemistry between a barista and a sommelier whose identities and intentions blur through mistaken messaging and role play. First staged in 2010, the show became a long-running small-theatre title in Korea and was exported once to Japan in 2013 for a Korean-language licensed run.
ORIGIN
2010, writer/director Song Jae-jung, composer Kim Hyo-geun, produced by Mizcom, premiered at Art One Theater 2, Seoul. Conceived as a compact, actor-driven musical (two actors, one set) combining screwball dialogue, modern pop-jazz music, and physical comedy, allowing for repeat casting and seasonal revivals in Daehangno.
STORY
Sejin, a café manager and barista unlucky in love, leaves daily anonymous messages on the shop’s “Love is…” board. Jimin, a sommelier who prefers wine over coffee, responds under a false name and begins a playful game of misdirection that turns into real attraction. Their flirtation unfolds through duets, comedic identity swaps, and musical numbers themed around caffeine, alcohol, and emotional dependence. The show builds to a confession scene that exposes both characters’ fears and desires, resolving in a romantic but self-aware ending.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2010 – Premiere, Art One Theater 2, Seoul
Subsequently restaged multiple times in Daehangno through the 2010s as a recurring small-theatre romantic musical.
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
Japan – Tokyo (2013)
Korean-language licensed production
Amuse Musical Theatre, Apr – May 2013
Staged under the title カフェ・イン ~Love is a lie?!~ with a full Korean cast and Japanese surtitles. Marketed as the opening production of Amuse Musical Theatre in Roppongi, positioned to introduce Korean original musicals to Japanese audiences through an intimate rom-com format.
REFERENCES
The Musical – Korean production listing
https://www.themusical.co.kr/Musical/Detail?num=1820
Okepi Press Call Report – 2013 Tokyo run
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