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Korean Original Musicals I’ve Seen
Original musicals make up a vibrant part of Korea’s theater scene, accounting for roughly 30% of the musical market — nearly double the number of licensed productions each year. Landmark works such as Hero, The Last Empress, The Man Who Laughs, and Maybe Happy Ending have gained wide recognition and even international runs. At the same time, Korea’s original musicals continue to thrive in small and mid-sized theaters, where bold storytelling and creative staging flourish.
I also include changgeuk productions, such as Sim Cheong (Changgeuk), within this section. Changgeuk is a modernized form of traditional Korean pansori opera. While closer to opera than to musical theatre in form, it represents Korea’s own original narrative stage tradition, and contemporary productions often reinterpret classic stories with ambitious staging and thematic twists.
This page features a selection of Korean original musicals and changgeuk productions I’ve attended, with summaries and reflections based on personal experience. It’s not a comprehensive list, but a curated record of the performances that have stayed with me — whether for their storytelling, music, staging, or emotional impact.
Sim Cheong (Changgeuk)
Changgeuk Sim Cheong portrays the heroine as a fragmented victim of abuse and sacrifice. Father Sim’s immaturity and selfishness dominate, from discarding his infant to lustful encounters, while Cheong remains powerless. Bold staging impressed, though the story felt overloaded with layers.
Korean Premiere:
2025
Re-Runs:
1
Year Attended:
2025
Marie Curie
Music and staging were strong in this musical about Marie Curie’s discovery of radium and her Nobel triumph. But by mixing in the Radium Girls story two decades later, it forced guilt onto her. Curie’s true legacy rests on integrity and selflessness, not compromise.
Korean Premiere:
2020
Re-Runs:
4
Year Attended:
2025
Frida
Frida: The Last Night Show reimagines Frida Kahlo’s life through four figures, balancing resilience and fate. While performances shine, the production softens her daring contradictions, framing her mainly as a survivor. Frida’s true vitality—her wit, agency, and defiance—remains partly untold.
Korean Premiere:
2022
Re-Runs:
3
Year Attended:
2025
Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!
In a fictional Joseon where Sijo poetry is outlawed, Dan—a streetwise youth whose father was framed for treason despite serving as Minister of Sijo—joins an underground Sijo crew. Through rhythm, dance, and poetic defiance, they fight back to reclaim justice and free expression.
Korean Premiere:
2019
Re-Runs:
5
Year Attended:
2025
Long Long Nights
A quiet, heartfelt small-theater musical where simple staging and a single piano created deep emotional resonance. With delicate performances, especially from a remarkable young actress as the penguin, the show explored grief, love, and acceptance without judgment. The audience wept, the actors wept. One of those rare performances that leaves not just a memory, but an ache in the heart.
Korean Premiere:
2024
Re-Runs:
2
Year Attended:
2025
Laika on B612
Laika on B612 reimagines the space dog Laika’s journey, blending real history with fantasy from The Little Prince. On B612, she meets the Prince and confronts betrayal, longing, and a plan to destroy Earth. With help from the Rose, Laika finds peace and chooses compassion in a bold tale of memory and transformation.
Korean Premiere:
2025
Re-Runs:
1
Year Attended:
2025
Swing Days: Code Name A
Swing Days: Code Name A delivers a gripping mix of espionage, sacrifice, and friendship, set against Korea’s fight for independence. With bold staging and strong performances, it honors real history while weaving a fictional narrative about what it means to choose country over comfort — and legacy over safety.
Korean Premiere:
2024
Re-Runs:
1
Year Attended:
2025
The Last Empress
The Last Empress follows the political ascent and assassination of Queen Min amid late-Joseon resistance to foreign powers. Korea’s first fully orchestrated original musical, it blends operatic style with traditional instruments. Though dated in pacing and tone, its evolving score and legacy still earn respect.
Korean Premiere:
1995
Re-Runs:
20
Year Attended:
2024 to 2025
Ghost Bakery
A spirited young woman opens a haunted bakery in 1969 Seoul and forms an unexpected partnership with a ghost betrayed in life. From Tony-winning duo Will Aronson and Hue Park, Ghost Bakery blends humor, heart, and healing in a whimsical tale of recipes and renewal.
Korean Premiere:
2024
Re-Runs:
1
Year Attended:
2024
Buchihanan
Buchihanan impressed with striking stagecraft — especially its unforgettable floating whale — and a sweeping story of reincarnation, love, and sacrifice. Yet despite its visual ambition, the musical struggled under a dense plot and musically demanding score, leaving the emotional core adrift.
Korean Premiere:
2024
Re-Runs:
1
Year Attended:
2024
The Devil Faust
The Devil: Faust sets Goethe’s tale in 1987 Wall Street, where fallen stockbroker John Faust makes a pact with the dark X-Black for wealth, while X-White fights for his soul. Torn between greed and love for Gretchen, Faust faces temptation, guilt, and redemption in this rock-opera battle of light and darkness.
Korean Premiere:
2014
Re-Runs:
5
Year Attended:
2024
Gone Tomorrow
A musical reimagining of Kim Okkyun’s final days — from political exile to a week of Go matches with his would-be assassin. As timelines intertwine, Gone Tomorrow explores revolution, regret, and fragile hope through bold choreography, poetic staging, and emotional restraint.
Korean Premiere:
2016
Re-Runs:
3
Year Attended:
2023
Ludwig
In a small theatre setting, Ludwig: Beethoven the Piano blends fact and fiction to explore Beethoven’s genius, struggles, and guilt. Real piano is played on stage, and clever lighting conveys his hearing loss. The show avoids melodrama, honoring Beethoven with emotional depth and quiet respect.
Korean Premiere:
2018
Re-Runs:
4
Year Attended:
2022
Laundry
Laundry is a long-running Korean original musical portraying the lives of ordinary people facing economic hardship and social marginalization. While addressing serious issues, it remains rooted in warmth, everyday kindness, and quiet resilience. With gentle humor and emotional honesty, the show offers a hopeful vision of community and connection.
Korean Premiere:
2005
Re-Runs:
30
Year Attended:
2008 to 2025
Finding Mr. Destiny
Finding Mr. Destiny is a witty, long-running romantic comedy about a woman’s search for her first love, brought to life by a shape-shifting Multi-Man and heartfelt charm. A staple of Korean small-theater musicals, it has aged with warmth, humor, and surprising emotional depth.
Korean Premiere:
2006
Re-Runs:
12
Year Attended:
2006 to 2025
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