20 Billion Won Turandot, Production Team and Director Conflict... Opening Day Performance Also Disrupted

Livermore Director Declares "Not My Work"
"Cannot Accept Demand to Imitate 2003 Performance"
Production Company States "Considering Criminal Lawsuit Against Livermore Director"

The performance of 'Again 2024 Opera Turandot,' which attracted attention with a dazzling cast including Pl?cido Domingo and Jos? Cura and a top-tier (VIP) ticket price of 1 million won, experienced disruptions from its opening day on the 22nd. Davide Livermore, who was in charge of directing, declared just hours before the opening that the production was not his work after conflicts with the production team. The first performance of the day started about 20 minutes late due to the production company's lack of preparation, and subtitles did not display properly during the show. On the ticket sales website, posts demanding refunds from the audience continued to pour in.

'Again 2024 Opera Turandot' is a stage prepared by Park Hyun-jun, chairman of the Korea Opera Association, who served as the artistic director, aiming to recreate the emotion of the outdoor opera Turandot performed at Sangam World Cup Stadium in 2003, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Puccini's death this year. The 2003 outdoor opera attracted attention with the direction of Chinese film master Zhang Yimou, and Park Hyun-jun also produced that performance as the general director.

'Again 2024 Opera Turandot' also attracted attention with world-renowned vocalists such as Pl?cido Domingo, Jos? Cura, Asmik Gregorian, Yusif Eyvazov, and Yulia Gregorian appearing. The production company, 2024 Turandot Cultural Industry Specialized Company, announced that it invested a whopping 20 billion won in production costs.

However, the production company and director Livermore experienced sharp conflicts during the preparation process. On the 22nd, Livermore claimed via email that the production team forced him to direct Turandot in the style of Zhang Yimou and stated that he could not recognize 'Again Turandot' as his work.

In the email, he said, "(The production team) forced us to imitate a great artist like Zhang Yimou and prevented us from directing our own production," adding, "This is ethically unacceptable to me." He continued, "I respect other artists' ideas," and "I do not use, manipulate, or plagiarize their ideas."

Director Livermore also claimed that "the contract states that, like other European artists and singers, payment is to be made on the first day of arrival in Korea," and accused the production company of failing to properly fulfill the contract.

In response, the 2024 Turandot Cultural Industry Specialized Company issued a press release refuting Livermore's claims.

The company stated, "Artistic director Park Hyun-jun repeatedly requested preparation for the performance based on the 2003 Sangam Turandot version, but director Livermore tried to direct Turandot in a completely different direction without listening to the production team's intentions," adding, "Due to conflicts arising from this process, Livermore's side committed actions far beyond common sense."

The 2024 Turandot Cultural Industry Specialized Company claimed that Carlo Shakaluga, Livermore's assistant, promised about a month of rehearsals and arrived in Korea on November 25, but did not attend even one hour of rehearsal or perform any directing-related duties, yet demanded full payment in an unreasonable manner. They also claimed that Livermore himself did not provide any assistance regarding directing after arriving in Korea.

Furthermore, they explained that when Livermore arrived on site and immediately demanded his guarantee, artistic director Park Hyun-jun clearly stated that this was not possible. They added that Livermore continuously demanded payment and did not hesitate to make threats that could not be accepted, and that they are considering criminal litigation against Livermore.

Amid the conflict between the director and the production team, 'Again 2024 Opera Turandot' opened that day at COEX Hall D. However, the performance started about 20 minutes later than originally scheduled, and posts demanding refunds while criticizing the production team flooded the ticket sales site.

Audience members expressed dissatisfaction, saying the sound was too low and subtitles did not display properly, making it impossible to properly enjoy the performance. They also pointed out that the seats provided were different from those originally reserved, and even then, guidance was inadequate. Complaints also followed about the plastic chairs provided, which lacked proper elevation, making it difficult to see the stage clearly.

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