Listen to Your Inner Voice to Be Happy

National Changgeuk Company 'Namu, Mulgogi, Dal'
Sorikkun Lee Jaram in charge of lyrics, composition, and music direction
Next month 4-12 at National Theater Haneul Theater

Soriggun Lee Jaram, who took charge of the libretto, composition, and music direction in the National Changgeuk Company's new work "Tree, Fish, Moon." Photo by National Changgeuk Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "Yesol, grandpa is calling. If you say 'yes,' it’s not you but your father...."

The changgeuk (traditional Korean opera) created entirely by Lee Jaram, a former gugak prodigy famous in the 1980s for the song ‘My Name (Yesol!)’, is returning to the stage.

According to the National Changgeuk Company, the resident troupe of the National Theater, the changgeuk ‘Tree, Fish, Moon’ will be performed at the Sky Theater from October 4 to 12. Lee Jaram is a versatile talent as a sorikkun (traditional Korean singer), actor, and indie band leader. After gaining nationwide attention with ‘Yesol!’, she majored in pansori at Seoul National University’s Department of Korean Traditional Music and its graduate school.

She later expanded her musical horizons as the vocalist of the folk rock group ‘Probably Lee Jaram Band’, also working as a radio DJ and guitarist.

This work is a creative changgeuk inspired by Eastern folktales from Korea, India, and China. It depicts the journey of characters heading toward the ‘Wish Tree’. Lee Jaram took charge of the lyrics, composition, and music direction. The production is directed by Bae Yoseop, who stimulates the audience’s imagination with fresh aesthetics. It returns to the stage about a year and a half after its premiere in early 2021.

National Changgeuk Company_Tree, Fish, Moon_Performance Photos. Photo by National Changgeuk Company

The story unfolds as a poor girl, a boy seeking true family, a pilgrim undergoing hardship for enlightenment, and a deer tree longing to bloom flowers join the journey one by one. Under the Wish Tree, everything drawn in the heart is realized before one’s eyes, but negative thoughts like sadness, fear, and terror are no exception.

The work poses philosophical questions such as ‘Will we be satisfied if we get what we want?’ and ‘What is true happiness?’ through the characters facing the Wish Tree. As the line goes, "There is neither good nor bad. Good and bad all arise from your mind, so just watch," the piece ultimately reminds the audience that good and bad are distinctions born from the mind, and everything depends on one’s mindset.

Lee Jaram presents various musical experiments while preserving the original form of pansori. Using not only traditional Korean instruments but also Indian traditional instruments like the harmonium and percussion instrument unla, she creates a fantastic atmosphere for the play. The harmonies built by the sorikkun enrich the work. The choreography, arranged by Heo Changyeol, a master of the national intangible cultural heritage Goseong Ogwangdae, adds further visual enjoyment.

‘Tree, Fish, Moon’, where everyone is both protagonist and ensemble, features nine sorikkun from the National Changgeuk Company?Seo Jeonggeum, Min Eun-gyeong, Lee Soyeon, Choi Hoseong, Jo Yua, Yoo Taepyeongyang, Wang Yunjung, Kim Suin, and Kim Woojeong?who sometimes act as narrators and sometimes take on roles to lead the performance. On October 4, the production team will appear on stage, and on the 7th and 9th, the cast will share various sincere stories about the production process.

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