The Korean production of Rebecca, adapted from the German/Austrian musical by Sylvester Levay and Michael Kunze, retains the Gothic suspense and dramatic staging that made the show a long-running success in Europe and Asia. The original premiered in Vienna in 2006, drawing on Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel, and the Korean staging preserves both the romance and psychological tension while adding its own translation choices. The unnamed heroine, referred to simply as 이히 (“Ich”) in a nod to the musical’s German-language origins, meets and marries the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter in Monte Carlo. The opening is almost comic in tone, showing their whirlwind romance with a light touch. Once they arrive at his sprawling estate, Manderley, the mood shifts into Gothic gloom. There, 집사 (Mrs. Danvers), the devoted and menacing housekeeper, makes it clear that the new Mrs. de Winter will never replace the late Rebecca. In English, Mrs. Danvers is technically a housekeeper, but the Korean choice of “집사” — usually translated as “butler” — gives her a more formal, commanding authority. It sounds less domestic and more like a steward of the estate, which suits her role in the story.

Rebecca’s name echoes throughout Manderley, reprised in a belt-heavy theme song that Mrs. Danvers delivers with obsessive force. This choice becomes the musical’s most iconic moment, but it also revealed a flaw in the sound balance: Maxim de Winter, played by Kai, and nearly all other roles were set at a noticeably lower volume. It may have been a deliberate decision to make Mrs. Danvers’ climactic screams of “Rebecca” more dramatic, but it came at the expense of the other actors’ vocal presence. Having seen Kai in Les Misérables and Monte Cristo, where his voice projected with clarity and strength, I know this was not a limitation of the performer. Rather, it was a missed opportunity to let his performance match the musical weight of the role.

As the plot unfolds, the audience learns that Rebecca, far from being the noble and virtuous figure Mrs. Danvers idolizes, manipulated Maxim, had affairs, and provoked him into a confrontation that ended in her death. Maxim’s confession to Ich becomes the turning point of the show — she sheds her timidity and begins to assert herself as mistress of the house. This growing confidence seems to push Mrs. Danvers toward her final act: in a mix of grief and rage, she sets Manderley ablaze. The staging of the fire is overwhelming, combining real flames with projected video, and the contrast between the bright, elegant party scenes and the dark, weary sea is one of the production’s most effective visual devices. In the chaos, Mrs. Danvers, hair wild and down, screaming “Rebecca” into the inferno, becomes the image that lingers longest. Maxim is injured but survives, and Ich emerges not as a frightened interloper, but as the true mistress of the ruined estate.

In this Korean Rebecca, atmosphere is the true star. The warm playfulness of the Monte Carlo opening makes the oppressive second act all the more gripping, and the Gothic spectacle of fire and sea is staged with technical mastery. While the score’s other numbers are less immediately memorable than the title song, the tension, design, and performances — especially the magnetic presence of Mrs. Danvers — hold the audience’s attention to the end. Even with sound design choices that dulled the impact of its male lead, this production delivers the romance, mystery, and spectacle that keep Rebecca alive on stages around the world.