2021
桑塔露琪亚 (Santa Lucia)
Mio Fratello (미오 프라텔로) is a Korean original musical set in a 1930s Manhattan mafia world, blending noir storytelling with jazz-inflected music and a three-actor multi-role format. It became one of the few Korean musicals to secure multi-city licensed runs in China under the localized title Santa Lucia, beginning with a 2021 immersive residency in Shanghai and later expanding to Beijing and Guangzhou.
English:
Mio Fratello
Korean:
미오 프라텔로
Country: China | Language: Chinese
🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.
ORIGIN
The musical premiered in 2014, written by Lee Hee-joon with music by Park Hyun-sook and originally produced by MJStarfish. It was later acquired and revived by Contents Planning, which developed continued stagings and branding after 2020. The title translates from Italian as “My Brother,” and the show is often called “Mio” in Korea. It is loosely connected to Mia Familia and Apollonia as part of an unofficial “mafia trilogy,” sharing characters and motifs while differing in tone and dramatic structure. Its signature device is the use of only three performers who play more than twenty characters across shifting memories and timelines.
STORY
Inside the clandestine casino Santa Lucia, Stevie is ordered to write the hagiographic biography of mafia boss Sonny Boy ahead of his political ascent. The sudden reappearance of Chichi, the long-presumed-dead son of the former boss, forces the narrative to move between past and present, exposing buried loyalties, betrayal, and grief. Through noir humor, jazz-driven numbers, and a fractured memory structure, the musical explores brotherhood, myth-making, and the rewriting of personal history. Although built on dark material, the tone balances melancholy with stylized theatricality and absurdist comedy.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2014 premiere – MJStarfish; 2020 revival, 2022 revival, 2024–2025 revival by Contents Planning
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
China (Shanghai), 2021
Licensed resident immersive adaptation – Chinese-language production Santa Lucia (桑塔露琪亚)
Opened April 30, 2021 at Star Space (Asia Building), produced by Yitai Haoxi and directed by Gao Ruijia. Staged as an environmental casino-style musical with actors circulating through the audience and performing multiple roles in real time. Localized book by Jin Qi and Zhao Yang. Established a long-term residency model paralleling the Korean version’s intimate scale.
China (Beijing), 2022
Licensed proscenium adaptation – touring edition of Santa Lucia (桑塔露琪亚)
Ran at West End Theatre (formerly Fengchao Theatre) from September 2022. Retained the Chinese script and score but shifted to a frontal stage layout, emphasizing narrative clarity over immersive interaction. Marked the work’s expansion from Shanghai into a major capital-city commercial venue.
China (Guangzhou), 2022
Licensed resident adaptation – Santa Lucia (桑塔露琪亚)
Launched as part of Guangzhou’s emerging “mini-theatre cluster” for boutique musicals, maintaining the immersive casino configuration and introducing new local casting. Targeted at younger urban audiences and demonstrated regional demand for small-cast Korean IP beyond first-tier hubs.
China (Shanghai revival), 2024
Licensed resident revival – Star Space (Asia Building)
Returned in February 2024 with refreshed staging and new rotating casts, continuing the immersive format and marketed as a narrative prequel to Apollonia (阿波罗尼亚). Its multi-cycle operation confirmed the title as a rare Korean musical sustaining repeated commercial seasons in China rather than a single-run license.
REFERENCES
Namu Wiki – Korean production history (미오 프라텔로)
https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%AF%B8%EC%98%A4%20%ED%94%84%EB%9D%BC%ED%85%94%EB%A1%9C
Baidu Baike – Santa Lucia (桑타露琪亚) Chinese production entry
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%A1%91%E5%A1%94%E9%9C%B2%E7%90%AA%E4%BA%9A/60889984
China Daily HK – “Santa Lucia adapted from the Korean musical Mio Fratello” (Chinese export mention)
https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/254216
IAFOR Conference Paper – Table of Chinese licensed imports (lists Santa Lucia 2021.4 launch)
https://papers.iafor.org/wp-content/uploads/papers/accs2022/ACCS2022_63878.pdf
Musicalholic21 – Article noting Shanghai resident model and Apollonia prequel branding
