Reviews and Reflections from the Audience Seat
Welcome to my musical theatre review archive. This page gathers reviews of productions I have personally attended—works that remained vivid in my memory long after the performance ended. Each entry reflects what lingered after the curtain call: moments shaped by performance, music, staging, and the atmosphere of the theatre itself.
This page serves both as an overview and as a living archive. Reviews are organized by category, and summaries of all entries are collected here, allowing you to scroll through the archive at your own pace before moving into individual reviews.
You may use the links below to visit each category directly, or simply scroll down to explore the full archive in sequence.
Korean Original Musicals Reviews
Korea produces over 200 musicals every year—from intimate two-handers to large-scale historical dramas. This section collects my reviews of original Korean musicals I’ve personally attended, each linked through a thumbnail image and short description.
Many of these works explore identity, memory, family, or love through uniquely Korean narratives. Some—like Laundry or Maybe Happy Ending—have become cultural touchstones at home and abroad. Others remain hidden gems.
Click any image to explore each show’s review or synopsis. For a chronological list of all attended performances, click here.
🧲 CLICK THE IMAGE to read the review, synopsis, or reflection—each one is based on a magnet or keepsake from my collection.
이날치전
The Story of Lee Nal-chi
A rope-walking jester reshapes his fate through pansori
윌리엄과 윌리엄의 윌리엄들
William & Wiliam’s Wil(l)iam
Forged Shakespeare by a boy desperate to be seen
타조 소년들
The Ostrich Boys
Friends take Ross’s ashes to Ross, Scotland
레드북
Red Book
Anna writes erotic novels in 1894 London
스 트라빈스키
Stravinsky
Stravinsky, reimagined by two actors and two pianos
마리 퀴리
Marie Curie
Radium and Responsibility - Truth vs. Twisted History
스웨그에이지: 외쳐, 조선!
Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!
From Injustice to Rhythm - Sijo Strikes Back!
긴긴밤
Long Long Nights
A penguin, a rhino, and the quiet making of a family
라흐 헤스트
L’Art Reste
A poet, a painter, and the art that remains
명성황후
The Last Empress
Politics, loyalty, and a queen’s final stand
부치하난
Buchihanan
A floating whale, tangled timelines, and love across lives
곤투모로우
Gone Tomorrow
Kim Ok-gyun’s final days, where politics and fate collide
빨래
Laundry
Neighbors. Hardship. Hope on a rooftop
어쩌면 해피엔딩
Maybe Happy Ending
Two helperbots who discover love as time runs out
아몬드
Almond
A boy who feels no fear learns empathy and courage
쉐도우
Shadow
Sado and his father, bound by a time-twisting rice chest
설공찬
Seol Gongchan
Korean folklore meets rock energy and K-pop moves
심청 (창극)
Sim Cheong (Changgeuk)
Sacrifice and Silence - A Daughter’s Fate Reimagined
프리다
Frida
Four faces of Frida: Memory, fate, love, and pain
베니스의 상인들 (창극)
Merchants of Venice (Changgeuk)
Changgeuk reimagines Shakespeare with Korean voices
라이카
Laika on B612
The space dog meets the Little Prince
스윙데이즈
Swing Days: Code Name A
A secret agent. A choice between country and safety
고스트 베이커리
Ghost Bakery
Love. Memory. A handsome bakery ghost
더 데빌 파우스트
The Devil Faust
Faust, a deal, and the stock market
루드윅
Ludwig
Beethoven’s life - genius, grief, and the nephew he loved
김종욱 찾기
Finding Mr. Destiny
Looking for first love… and bumping into destiny
Most of the thumbnails are cropped photos of my personal items — such as magnets and pins — along with images generated with the help of ChatGPT
Korea’s licensed musical scene has flourished over the past two decades, bringing global productions to life through Korean casts, language, and creative interpretations. This section features reviews of licensed musicals I’ve personally attended in Korea, each linked through a thumbnail image and short description.
These shows range from Broadway megahits to modern revivals, often adapted with remarkable vocal performances, inventive staging, and cultural nuance. Seeing them in Korean offers a fresh lens on familiar works—revealing what’s universal, and what shifts in translation.
Click any image to explore each show’s review or comparison. For a full list of licensed musicals covered in chronological order, click here.
🧲 CLICK THE IMAGE to read the review, synopsis, or reflection—each one is based on a magnet or keepsake from my collection.
Evita
에비타
Eva and Che carry a bare stage with full presence
Death Note
데스노트
A sleek, cerebral duel of Light, L, and a fallen soul
Mrs. Doubtfire
미세스 다웃파이어
Playing nanny turns a man-child into a parent
Phantom
팬텀
Abundance of Erik, Finally loved
The Bridges of Madison County
매디슨 카운티의 다리
Ordinary days, Extraordinary love
Aladdin
알라딘
A genie, a street rat, a whole new world
Lizzie
리지
Silence, rage, forty whacks, and rock
Chicago
시카고
She plays dumb, thinks sharp, shoots first
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
그레이트 코멧
She falls, he watches, the firmament teaches
Les Misérables
레미제라블
Branded for life, the fearless fall, the people sing and rise
Rent
렌트
Modern Bohème, New York; borrowed love
The Phantom Of The Opera, Seoul
오페라의 유령
A haunted opera
Mozart!
모차르트!
Amadé writes, Wolfgang bleeds, Leopold controls
The Phantom Of The Opera, Busan
오페라의 유령
A masked genius
Hadestown
하데스타운
Love, labor, and a song to defy the gods
Billy Elliot
빌리 엘리어트
Billy, ballet, bloody brilliant, breaking free
#0528
#0528
Second licensed import from China - ghosts’ Broadway dreams
Mamma Mia!
맘마미아!
Revisit to ABBA in translation, heart warmed
42nd Street
브로드웨이 42번가
Broadway’s myth sparkled through tap
Bare: A Pop Opera
베어 더 뮤지컬
Fragile honesty and belated realization of what truly matters
Once
원스
Dublin, strings, piano, almost love
Jekyll & Hyde
지킬앤하이드
Two men, one body, no mercy
Kinky Boots
킹키부츠
Lola leads on heels, Charlie learns and earns
Dear Evan Hansen
디어 에반 핸슨
Awkward silence, a single lie, viral sympathy, real pain
Notre-Dame de Paris
노트르담 드 파리
Touched by desire, manipulated by powers
The Phantom Of The Opera, Daegu
오페라의 유령
A love that can't let go
Monte Cristoe
몬테크리스토
Justice is patient, Vengeance has a name
Memphis
멤피스
Beale Street, Huey believes, Felicia sings it true
Mamma Mia!
맘마미아!
One wedding, three dads, ABBA on a Greek island
West Side Story
웨스트 사이드 스토리
Love and violence on the edge of Manhattan
Rebecca
레베카
Manderley, madness, flame, redemption
Jekyll & Hyde
지킬앤하이드
One man, two natures, a war within
Most of the thumbnails are cropped photos of my personal items — such as magnets and pins — along with images generated with the help of ChatGPT
Broadway has long been a center of musical storytelling—blending spectacle, tradition, and innovation. This section features reviews of Broadway productions I’ve personally attended over the years, each linked through a thumbnail image and short description.
The shows range from timeless classics to contemporary award-winners, staged in one of the most iconic theater districts in the world. When I’ve also seen their licensed Korean versions, I include comparisons that highlight differences in casting, staging, or interpretation.
Click any image to explore each show’s review or reflection. For a full list of Broadway musicals I’ve attended, organized chronologically, click here.
🧲 CLICK THE IMAGE to read the review, synopsis, or reflection—each one is based on a magnet or keepsake from my collection.
Fun Home – Boston Production
펀홈 – 보스턴 공연
A restrained musical where Alison revisits her past with clarity
Ragtime
래그타임
History as it was lived — a nation in formation
Chess
체스
A story of strategy, sacrifice and freedom in Cold War chess
Beetlejuice
비틀쥬스
Controlled chaos, superbly executed by Mr. Juice
Wicked – International Tour in Korea
위키드 - 내한공연
Magic scaled down, language still powerful
Gypsy
집시
A stage mother chases her dreams through her daughters
Heathers
헤더스
High school turns deadly in a darkly comic game of revenge
Maybe Happy Ending
어쩌면 해피엔딩
Robots in future Seoul discover what it means to be human
Cabaret
카바레
Love and decadence in Berlin on the brink of darkness
Les Misérables – North American Tour
레미제라블
A sinner’s redemption against a man of God’s unyielding law
Hamilton
해밀턴
Revolution raps, history rhymes, one shot ambition
The Great Gatsby
위대한 개츠비
The green light stays, he fades, she doesn't flinch
Aladdin
알라딘
Diamond polished - magic or self-made?
Tina - BroadwaySF
티나
She suffered, she survived, she rocked the world
Moulin Rouge!
물랑루즈!
Paris, he writes, she sings, they burn
Lion King
라이온 킹
Circle of life, roar of loss, a king returns
Kinky Boots
킹키부츠
Drag, dignity, and stilettos that dare
Rock Of Ages
락 오브 에이지
LA, rising stars, falling dreams, and a guitar
Spring Awakening
스프링 어웨이크닝
Punished for being young and innocent
The Phantom Of The Opera
오페라의 유령
Genius in shadows, love distorted, music divine
The Queen of Versailles
베르사유의 여왕
A spectacle of excess with sharp performances, little depth
Death Becomes Her
죽어야 사는 여자
A Broadway comedy powered by two superb actresses
Mamma Mia!
맘마미아!
Lovely Sophie matures as Donna finds love at a Greek wedding
Hell's Kitchen
헬스 키친
A girl in Manhattan Plaza learns that growth comes from within
Wicked
위키드
Power feared, friendship tested, gravity defied
Chicago
시카고
Velma struts, Roxie smirks, the jury melts
Just In Time
저스트 인 타임
Jonathan Groff smiles, sings, sweats, and dances
Vital's The Wizard of Oz
오즈의 마법사
An hour of original music for audiences aged 2 and up
& Juliet
& 줄리엣
Anne Hathaway gives Juliet a second chance
The Book of Mormon
북 오브 몰몬
Elders, Africa, and very white teeth
Back To The Future
백 투 더 퓨처
A DeLorean, past collides, future saved
MJ the Musical
MJ 더 뮤지컬
He endured, he practiced, he beat it
School Of Rock – International Tour in Korea
스쿨 오브 락
Rock rules in prep school
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
스위니 토드
Sharp blade, smooth slide, a big red oven
Hadestown
하데스타운
Brick and mortar king, a boy who makes spring come again
Hairspray
헤어스프레이
Big hair, bigger dreams, barrier-breaking beats
Newsies
뉴시즈
Extra, extra! Paperboys vs. power
Billy Elliot
빌리 엘리어트
Duckling in miners breeds swan
Beauty And The Beast
미녀와 야수
She sees the soul, he learns to love
Mamma Mia!
맘마미아!
Donna belts, the crowd rides a roller coaster
Most of the thumbnails are cropped photos of my personal items — such as magnets and pins — along with images generated with the help of ChatGPT