I saw the premiere performance of the licensed Korean-language production of The Choir of Man on September 18, 2026. It was held at NOL Theater Daehakro Woori Investment & Securities Hall.

I have mixed feelings about jukebox musicals built around good songs. It is fun to hear familiar songs on stage. But unrelated songs often have to fit into one plot. The story can feel forced. Sometimes the songs stop the story instead of moving it forward.

The Choir of Man avoids this problem. It does not need a complex plot. Nine men gather in a pub. Each has a different nature, private life, and pain. Songs, live music, and dance show small parts of their lives. Their stories are not complete plots. They give each song an emotional setting. The pub and the sense of community hold the show together.

This made the show feel more like a concert with characters and a setting than a regular jukebox musical. The men drink, sing, laugh, and look back on loss with the audience. The show does not hide its thin plot. It is clear from the start that it wants to play with the audience. I liked that honest approach.

The Korean production keeps much of the original pub setting and character structure at first. Korean details and the actors’ own stories appear more often later. The use of Lee So-ra’s “Please” instead of Adele’s “Hello” is one clear local change.

I will now go back to the moment when I entered the theater.

The show runs a working pub on the stage. A long line of audience members was waiting to go up. The actors entered one by one. They began to offer beer. It was non-alcoholic. I looked through my opera glasses and saw what seemed to be support from Terra. The actors played music and took photos with the audience. They also came down from the stage and walked to the back of the theater to greet people.

It reminded me of Once. I also saw Lee Choong-joo in that show. He spoke to the audience with no hesitation here. I wondered if this was also his way of dealing with the tension before the first performance.

The show began by asking the audience members on the stage to return to their seats.

The opening number was “Welcome to the Jungle.” The choral arrangement suited the show. I liked the way several voices joined and made the song larger. But this was a GNR song. I wanted the band and choir to hit the audience with much more sound.

My seat was at the very back of the first floor, under the balcony. This may have blocked some direct sound and high notes. Still, I did not expect to hear “Welcome to the Jungle” sound this gentle. Other people were already cheering. I was not excited yet.

The Poet, played by Lee Choong-joo, introduced the nine choir members and their links to The Jungle. He slowly explained their sad pasts and hidden pain. He then called himself the quietest poet in the pub. The whole audience laughed.

“Save Tonight / Wake Me Up” had good vocal harmony.

Four actors then chose four women from the audience. They took them onto the stage, gave them beer, and seated them there. One of the women was seated in front of The Beast, played by Moon Xion, and he sang “Teenage Dream” to her.

The next song was “The Impossible Dream.” It was sung while they built a house of cards. At this point, I thought the show might be telling a story about dreams. But the songs came without much explanation. Each one felt like a small piece of someone’s life. It was like sitting beside a slightly drunk person at a bar who suddenly began to tell me a story. I could respond as much or as little as I wanted.

In “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” The Poet sang and The Handyman tap-danced. The number then grew into a full choral piece. The theme of looking back on painful memories continued.

The next song was “Please,” one of Lee So-ra’s best-known songs in Korea. I had expected Adele’s “Hello” at this point. It seemed to have been changed for the Korean production. The Romantic, played by Shin Eun Chong, sang it. His character cannot forget a former lover and asks her to return.

I heard Lee So-ra sing “Please” in concert. Her breathing, pauses, and sense that she may break down at any moment are part of the song. Shin Eun Chong’s version worked for his character. But it made me want to see Lee So-ra in concert again.

I think I began to relax during “Escape (The Piña Colada Song),” sung by The Barman. Another audience member was invited onto the stage and given a piña colada. It was a lively song.

The same audience member stayed for The Maestro’s “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” She seemed shy. When the actors showed her where to move, she thought they were telling her to leave the stage. The audience laughed when she turned back.

Park Chan-yang had a strong sense of fun. He also played the piano with ease. This was one of the most enjoyable parts of the show, although I did not know the song very well.

For “Under the Bridge,” I can only say that people should see it for themselves. I almost raised my opera glasses. Then I understood what was happening and watched with my own eyes. The scene showed men using urinals. I remember the stream more than the song. Go and see it.

The next song was “Chandelier.” All nine men sang it a cappella. Their quiet harmony reminded me of a mashup of “Chandelier” and “Walkin’ After Midnight” that I had heard before.

https://soundcloud.com/babyherron/chandlier-walkin-after-midnight-mashup-scott-hoying-mitch-grassi

The Choir of Man seems to make me want to hear old songs again.

“Bring Tomorrow On” was written for the musical. The actors took short turns singing and playing instruments. It sounded a little like a British folk song. I liked it. The actors came into the audience again. They offered beer and threw snacks.

The Poet sang “Dance with My Father.” His voice was quite dry at first. More reverb and volume came in during the chorus. The change made the emotion grow. The sound was clearly under careful control.

During the song, The Poet introduced the other performers one by one. He used their real names, such as Chan-yang, Eun Chong, and “Du-hee hyung.” The stories sounded like the actors’ own lives, not parts of the fictional setting.

Lee Choong-joo said that he came from the second-largest city. I began to wonder which British city came after London. He then said, “You can tell from my accent,” and began to talk about Busan. It was a funny move from the language of the original show to the actor’s Korean life.

The Romantic is first introduced as a man who cannot forget a former lover. Near the end, however, The Poet spoke about Shin Eun Chong’s hometown. He also said that Shin’s greatest joy was going home at night and hearing his children call him Dad.

The Poet said that Kwon OhHwan, who played The Handyman, had ended his Premier League subscription after Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min left. These stories showed the real actors behind the characters.

The nine men therefore do not remain fully fictional. They begin with fixed names and roles. Korean experiences and parts of the actors’ lives are added as the show continues. By the end, the line between the characters and the actors is less clear. The pub first serves as a place where the actors play with the audience. It later becomes a place where they share parts of their lives.

The show often speaks about people who left before anyone was ready to lose them. Sudden loss still has meaning in any period. But the repeated lines made the show feel tied to the shared loss of the COVID period.

At that time, the words must have been direct and urgent for most people in the audience. They may now need some change. The show could divide the idea into more personal forms of loss. These could include death, separation, broken ties, and people who have grown apart. A song such as “Dance with My Father” already carries memory and grief. It does not need as much explanation.

By the time “Somebody to Love” began, I wanted a sing-along. Many people have sung this song. For me, the best version is still George Michael’s performance at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.

Once again, I wanted to hear the old song. I also thought that the people mentioned by The Poet could include Freddie Mercury and George Michael. At this point, I began to sing quietly.

During “You’re the Voice,” I gave up trying to stay calm. I raised my hand, made a rock sign, and sang part of the chorus.

At last, the show reached fun.’s “Some Nights.” I had waited for this song. Please turn up the volume and let us sing along.

The show included many songs that I like. It felt like a mixed concert. The overall sound was dry and set for a musical. Still, it was enough to bring back many memories.

The sound design was not careless. The changes during “Dance with My Father” showed clear control. I still wanted more volume across the whole show. I like sound that fills every part of the room. I am rarely happy with a moderate volume. Other audience members may have preferred this balance.

The Choir of Man does not ask the audience to follow a tight plot. It offers good songs, live music, dance, and the bond between nine men in one place. Their private pain appears between the songs. But it does not become a heavy drama. It stays within the flow of a night spent singing and playing with the audience.

This makes it different from many jukebox musicals. It does not need to force the songs into a plot. But music and live energy carry most of the show. A stronger sound from the band and choir would have brought more heat and freedom to the pub.

I called my younger son as I left the theater.

“We’re seeing a matinee during Chuseok, right? Let’s also see the evening show. It is called The Choir of Man. It uses ‘Please’ instead of ‘Hello.’”

“What? ‘Hello’? Wouldn’t I be tired after seeing a matinee and an evening show?”

“You won’t be. It also has ‘Somebody to Love’ and ‘Some Nights.’”

“I won’t be tired? Okay, I guess.”

Next time, I have a seat near the front. I want to find out whether the sound fills the room when I am no longer sitting under the balcony.