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공룡이 살아있다

2018

恐龙复活了!

Taru (공룡이 살아있다) is a Korean family musical centered on living dinosaur fossils inside a museum, designed as an immersive, effects-driven adventure for children and parents. Its export relevance lies in its continued licensed adaptations in Taiwan and Singapore under the title Musical TARU! 恐龍復活了!, marking one of the most commercially successful Korean family musicals in Asia.

공룡이 살아있다

English:

Taru

Korean:

공룡이 살아있다

Country: Singapore | Language: Chinese

🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.

ORIGIN

2016, conceived and produced by Culture Holic. Premiered in Seoul as an original family musical using large-scale dinosaur puppetry, wire action, and museum-themed staging. Marketed as “No.1 Family Musical” after receiving support from the Korea Arts Council and surpassing 400,000 domestic audience members. The show was later reformatted under the streamlined domestic title 공룡이 살아있다 for museum-based reruns.

STORY

The plot follows a group of children who visit a natural history museum on the night of a lunar eclipse, when the dinosaur fossils mysteriously come to life. After a thief steals the baby T-rex fossil TARU, its mother TIRA goes on a rampage, forcing the children to restore peace. The musical blends adventure, comedy, and light educational themes about nature, friendship, and responsibility, while featuring oversized moving puppets and high-energy pop musical numbers.

POSTER COLLECTION

Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.

KOREAN RUNS

2016 – premiere, Culture Holic, Seoul Arts Center; later revised and restaged regularly at the National Museum of Korea Theater Yong, continuing as a recurring museum-based family title.

GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS

Hong Kong – Y Theatre, Youth Square (2017)
K-Musical Roadshow (Showcase Performance)
Taru was presented as part of the 2017 K-Musical Roadshow, held on Nov 28–29, 2017 at Y Theatre, Youth Square in Hong Kong. Organized by the Korea Arts Management Service with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Cultural Office in Hong Kong, the roadshow showcased six Korean musicals to international presenters and industry professionals. The appearance functioned as a non-commercial showcase, introducing Taru to overseas markets rather than as a licensed local production.

Taiwan – National Tour (2018–present)
Licensed Mandarin-language adaptation by AM Creative
Premiered in 2018 and has toured multiple cities with locally built dinosaur puppets based on the original Korean designs. Marketed as “近年最具娛樂性的家庭音樂劇,” the production has passed 600 performances and 400,000 cumulative attendees across Taiwan. A 2025 return run includes Taoyuan Exhibition Center in partnership with Culture Holic Korea.

Singapore – Sentosa (2018–2019)
Licensed English-Mandarin hybrid adaptation by Resorts World Sentosa, AM Creative, and Culture Holic
Staged at Resorts World Theatre from Dec 2018 to Jan 2019, featuring life-size fossil puppets, full cast vocals, and localized dialogue. Promoted as a holiday family attraction and positioned alongside major international shows, helping introduce Korean family musicals to Singapore’s commercial entertainment market.

China – Multiple Cities (2021–2024)
Licensed Mandarin-language adaptations
Musical TARU! 恐龙复活了! has been presented in several licensed Mandarin-language productions across mainland China since 2021. Beginning with early performances in major cultural venues such as Shanghai, the show has continued to appear in regional theatres—including revivals and touring engagements in cities such as Wuhan and Yichun—using locally built dinosaur puppets and localized dialogue. Each staging follows the Korean original’s museum-adventure format while emphasizing educational family entertainment for Chinese audiences. The franchise’s ongoing presence reflects growing demand for Korean family musicals within the mainland commercial market.

REFERENCES

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