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2019
笑う男
The Man Who Laughs (웃는 남자) is a large-scale Korean original musical composed by Frank Wildhorn and produced by EMK Musical Company, premiering in Seoul in 2018 and quickly becoming one of the most commercially and artistically visible modern Korean musicals. Its first overseas licensing took place in Japan, where Toho presented a full Japanese-language adaptation in 2019, followed by a major revival in 2022.
English:
The Man Who Laughs
Korean:
웃는남자
Country: Japan | Language: Japanese
🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.
ORIGIN
2018 – EMK Musical Company (Seoul, Korea)
Based on Victor Hugo’s novel L’Homme qui rit, with music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy, book and direction by Robert Johanson. Conceived as EMK’s second original title after Mata Hari, the production was developed over five years with a reported budget of 17.5 billion KRW. The world premiere took place at the Seoul Arts Center Opera House, establishing the work as a flagship large-scale musical with cinematic scenography and star casting.
STORY
Set in 17th-century England, the story follows Gwynplaine, a boy disfigured by child traffickers and abandoned in a snowstorm, who later becomes a famed sideshow performer. Raised alongside the blind girl Dea by traveling showman Ursus, he struggles between a life of anonymity and sudden elevation into the aristocracy when his true heritage is revealed. Themes of class, fate, spectacle, and moral corruption drive the narrative, underscored by a dark romantic tone and Wildhorn’s characteristic pop-orchestral score. The musical blends gothic imagery with political melodrama, ending in tragedy rather than restoration.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2018 premiere – Seoul Arts Center Opera House (preview July 8; official run July 10–Aug 26)
2018 extension – Blue Square Interpark Hall (Sept 5–Nov 4)
2020 revival – Seoul Arts Center Opera House (Jan 9–Mar 1)
2022 third run – Sejong Center Grand Theater (Jun 10–Aug 22)
2025 fourth run – Seoul Arts Center Opera House (Jan–Mar 2025)
Notable for star casting across multiple seasons including Park Hyo-shin, Park Eun-tae, and Kang-hyun Park, the show quickly became a commercial hit and an anchor title in EMK’s original-musical portfolio.
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
Japan, 2019
Licensed adaptation – Japanese-language production by Toho
The first overseas licensing of the musical opened at Nissay Theatre in Tokyo in April 2019, directed and translated by Kazutoshi Ueda with an entirely local cast. Toho re-designed approximately half of the original Korean set to accommodate Japanese venue specifications, while retaining the core score and staging vocabulary. The production starred Kenji Urai as Gwynplaine and ran in multiple cities, including Aichi, Toyama, Osaka, and Fukuoka, receiving positive press coverage for its scale and emotional intensity.
Japan, 2022
Licensed adaptation – Japanese-language revival
Following strong reception of the 2019 premiere, Toho mounted a renewed staging at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo (Feb 3–19, 2022), followed by Osaka (Umeda Arts Theater) and Fukuoka (Hakataza Theater). Marketed as a “newly renovated version,” the revival introduced updated design elements and continued the strategy of positioning the musical alongside Toho’s other Western imports such as Les Misérables and Elisabeth. The production reinforced the title’s status as a repeatable international property.
REFERENCES
Toho – production site (Japanese)
https://www.tohostage.com/warauotoko/
Musicalholic – 2019 opening coverage (English translation)
Engeki Sengen – 2019 press conference report (Japanese)
https://engekisengen.com/genre/musical/11283/
NamuWiki – Korean production history (Korean)
https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%9B%83%EB%8A%94%20%EB%82%A8%EC%9E%90(%EB%AE%A4%EC%A7%80%EC%BB%AC)
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