2023
マリー・キュリー
Marie Curie (마리퀴리) is a Korean original musical that follows the life of pioneering scientist Marie Skłodowska-Curie, exploring themes of discovery, ethics, and female resilience. Since its 2020 premiere, the work has become one of the most internationally developed Korean musicals, reaching China, Poland, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
English:
Marie Curie
Korean:
마리 퀴리
Country: Japan | Language: Japanese
Review
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ORIGIN
Developed through the 2017 Glocal Musical Live program, Marie Curie features book & lyrics by Seeun Choun and music by Jongyoon Choi. Produced by LIVE Corp., the musical premiered at Chungmu Art Center in 2020 and received five major prizes at the 5th Korea Musical Awards (Best Musical, Composer, Book, Director, Producer). From the outset, the creative team positioned the work for global export, framing Curie’s story through universal questions of scientific responsibility, gender inequality, and immigrant identity.
STORY
Set between Paris laboratories and factory floors, the musical traces Curie’s triumph in isolating radium and the moral crisis that follows when the element is commercially exploited and workers begin to fall ill. Confronted with the human cost of discovery, Curie must decide what kind of legacy she will leave behind. Blending dramatic orchestral scoring with emotional duets and ensemble sequences, the show reframes historical biography as a story about courage, consequence, and the weight of knowledge.
POSTER COLLECTION
Poster images are shown for documentation only. All rights belong to the original creators and producers.
KOREAN RUNS
2020 – Chungmu Art Center, Seoul (World Premiere)
2021–2022 – Chungmu Art Center return season + streamed performance (790,000+ online viewers)
2023–2024 – Six-city Korean tour including Daegu, Busan, Gwangju, Suwon, Incheon, and Seoul encore
Awards: 5th Korea Musical Awards – Best Musical, Book, Music, Director, Producer (2021)
GLOBAL STAGINGS & ADAPTATIONS
China – Shanghai (2019)
Showcase presentation – K-Musical Roadshow, Shanghai Culture Square
Excerpted scenes from Marie Curie were presented to Chinese producers and investors alongside Excalibur and Beetlejuice Korea, marking the musical’s first public step toward overseas licensing discussions.
Poland – Warsaw (2022)
Concert-format gala – Music Gardens Festival
Performed in Polish and Korean with support from the Korean Cultural Centre. Awarded the festival’s Grand Prize (Złota Konewka). Curie’s descendant Hanna Karzewska praised the work as “a modern retelling that preserves my family’s history with dignity.”
Japan – Tokyo (2023)
Licensed Japanese-language production – Tennozu Galaxy Theatre
Mar–Apr 2023, starring Reika Manaki, Kurumi Shimizu, and Ryuji Ueyama. Produced by Amuse Inc. in partnership with LIVE Corp. Retained the original Korean score with a new Japanese translation and full local cast.
United Kingdom – London (2024)
English-language premiere – Charing Cross Theatre
Jun 1 – Jul 28, 2024, directed by Sarah Meadows with English book by Tom Ramsay and lyrics by Emma Fraser. Cast included Ailsa Davidson, Chrissie Bhima, Thomas Josling, and Richard Meek. Produced by Aria Entertainment and LIVE Corp., marking the first full-length Korean musical presented with a fully local English cast in a West End–area venue.
REFERENCES
Playbill – London English-language premiere announcement
https://playbill.com/article/marie-curie-musical-begins-english-language-premiere-in-london-june-1
Music Gardens Festival – Poland gala program page
Live Corp. – Japan licensed production listing
http://www.livecorp.co.kr/m31_view.php?idx=65&cate=4
Interview365 – China Roadshow announcement
https://www.interview365.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=88953
Charing Cross Theatre – London production information
https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk
(Additional video and press links will be added when available.)
