Yoo In-taek, President of Seoul Arts Center, "Small Theater Opera Has Great Potential for Growth with Public Support"

Officials including Yuin-taek, President of the Seoul Arts Center (second from the right), are seen conducting the production press conference for the "19th Korea Small Theater Opera Festival" on the 24th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] "Just as Korea is gaining global attention through popular arts such as K-pop and K-movies, pure art fields like opera also have ample potential for development if supported by public funding."

Yoo In-taek, President of the Seoul Arts Center, stated this on the 24th at the production press conference for the '19th Korea Small Theater Opera Festival' held at the Seoul Arts Center. President Yoo said, "Creative content such as small theater opera must be revitalized to generate public interest and the potential for the genre's development," adding, "I hope this festival will be loved by the public and flourish."

The Korea Small Theater Opera Festival, the nation's first opera festival, is welcoming audiences again after four years since 2017. The organizing committee of the Korea Small Theater Opera Festival will hold the '19th Korea Small Theater Opera Festival' at the Seoul Arts Center from April 6 to 25.

Since its inception in 1999, the small theater opera festival, with a 22-year tradition involving over 120 private opera groups, aims to expand the opera audience base and discover and nurture original operas. Over 20 days, a total of 22 performances will be presented to the audience.

Veteran opera directors such as Artistic Director Jang Su-dong, Production Director Lee Kang-ho, and Music Director Yang Jin-mo will lead the festival, which will feature three original operas and two adapted operas all at once.

The original Korean operas include 'The Death of Manager Kim' composed by Oh Ye-seung, 'As the Moon Walks on Water' composed by Choi Woo-jung, and 'Chunhyang's Prison Break' composed by Na Sil-in. The adapted operas are 'Hurray for Mom' composed by G. Donizetti and 'The Threepenny Opera' composed by K. Weill. During April, a total of five works will be alternately performed five times each on the stage of the Freedom Small Theater at the Seoul Arts Center. 'Chunhyang's Prison Break' is scheduled for two performances.

Unlike traditional operas where audiences had to listen to singers' lines and songs in difficult foreign languages, all works in this small theater opera festival are performed entirely in Korean. Composed solely of Korean dialogue and songs without the need to read subtitles, these 100% Korean-language operas allow both opera beginners and enthusiasts to enjoy them without burden. Not only original operas but also two foreign adapted operas will be performed in Korean.

A distinctive feature of this festival lineup is the short performance time. Even audiences who found opera boring due to long running times exceeding three hours can challenge themselves with these small theater opera works.

Including intermissions, the average performance time is about 90 minutes, reducing the burden on audiences when enjoying opera. Additionally, the festival adds fun with intriguing works addressing contemporary issues.

The black comedy opera 'The Death of Manager Kim,' which deals with the sorrow of a family man as a Korean version of 'Death of a Salesman,' and the original opera 'As the Moon Walks on Water,' portraying the tragedy of a man who sacrificed everything for love, captivate audiences by expressing the anguish and pain of our times through opera.

'Hurray for Mom,' showcasing the essence of comic opera with cheerful themes and ingenious ideas, 'The Threepenny Opera,' considered a masterpiece of common people's opera, and the romantic comedy opera 'Chunhyang's Prison Break,' which refreshingly blends classic characters with contemporary images of women, are all evaluated as works that evoke laughter while delivering both fun and emotion.

The charm of small theater opera performances lies in the 'ultra-close' seating where the audience can almost touch the stage. Unlike the usual experience of watching singers' performances through opera glasses in large opera houses, this is an opportunity to enjoy the singers' voices and acting more vividly in the Freedom Small Theater seats close to the stage.

Park Soo-gil, Co-chairman of the Korea Small Theater Opera Festival Organizing Committee, said, "For opera culture to be properly established, small theater opera performances must be revitalized," and added, "I hope small theater opera can become one of the representative festivals in Korea beyond just a movement."

This festival introduces a new repertory system where performances change daily on the same stage. This system involves alternating multiple works over a set period within one season. Because the performance changes daily, audiences can enjoy a different opera every day.

Before the main festival, the organizing committee will hold an opening ceremony on April 6 to launch the grand festival. After the final performance on April 25, a closing ceremony and awards ceremony will follow. Winners will be selected based on evaluations of the cast's skills, artistry, and the quality of the works.

Meanwhile, various side events will be prepared for the audience during this festival. These include opera street performances composed of busking, forums for the development of small theater opera, creative opera production investment matching (opera pitching time), and meet-and-greet events with the audience. Anyone can apply and participate, and detailed schedules and participation methods can be found on the Seoul Arts Center website.

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