Musical 'Wicked' Returns to Korea After 5 Years... Opening in Seoul in February and Busan in May Next Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The Broadway blockbuster musical "Wicked" (produced by S&Co) will open its Korean-language performance in mid-February next year at the Blue Square Interpark Hall in Seoul. Following the Seoul performance, the show is scheduled to premiere in Busan at the Busan Dream Theater in May next year. Ticket reservations are expected to begin in early December.

"Wicked" is a musical adaptation of Gregory Maguire's best-selling novel of the same name, which humorously overturns "The Wizard of Oz." The story centers on the friendship and love between the two witches of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda, as well as themes of good and evil, growth, and courage.

It premiered on Broadway in 2003 and has since been performed in over 100 cities across 16 countries in six languages, attracting nearly 60 million viewers. "Wicked" is the third Broadway production, after "The Lion King" and "The Phantom of the Opera," to surpass $1 billion in revenue. Among these three, "Wicked" is the only show that premiered in the 21st century.

The production has received critical acclaim for its spectacular stage effects, including 54 seamless scene transitions without a single blackout, a massive 12.4-meter Time Dragon, flying monkeys, and over 350 beautiful costumes, as well as its beautiful music such as "Defying Gravity" and "Popular." It has won more than 100 major awards worldwide, including the Tony Awards and Grammy Awards.

Although it has been a global hit since its premiere, due to the spread of COVID-19, the only cities currently scheduled to host "Wicked" performances are Seoul and Busan in South Korea.

Busan will be the third city in South Korea to premiere "Wicked," following Seoul and Daegu. This will be the first domestic performance of "Wicked" in five years since 2016.

"Wicked" premiered in South Korea in 2013. At that time, it set unprecedented records in the Korean musical market, including the highest paid occupancy rate, the largest audience in the shortest period, and the highest sales. The Korean-language premiere, held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Broadway premiere in 2013, ran for 11 months. In 2016, the first regional tour took place in Daegu, followed by a performance in Seoul.

Stephen Schwartz, a master composer and lyricist who has won three Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards for works such as "Gospel," "Pippin," and the films "Pocahontas" and "The Prince of Egypt," provided the music and lyrics. The book was written by Winnie Holzman, direction was by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello, musical staging by Wayne Cilento, and costume design by Susan Hilferty.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.