Sejong Center in Its 4th Year as a Production Theater Breaks Through Recession with Repertoire Works

Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company’s 'Ilmu', Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company’s 'Tungso Sori' and 'Trap', Seoul Metropolitan Choir’s 'Handel, Messiah', and Seoul Metropolitan Gugak Orchestra’s mixed orchestra 'Next Level'.

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will stage these works again this year, which were produced by its affiliated art groups and received great acclaim from audiences.

On the 21st, Ahn Hosang, president of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, said at the '2025 Sejong Season' project presentation held at the Seoul City Ballet rehearsal room on Nodeulseom, "The performing arts industry may face difficulties for a while, so this year we will compete with verified repertoire works and pieces with definite persuasiveness."

Ahn Hosang, President of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, is announcing this year's performance plans of Sejong Center at the '2025 Sejong Season' project presentation held on the 21st at the Nodle Island Seoul Ballet Company rehearsal room.
Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts declared itself a production theater in 2022 and has been striving to secure unique content from its affiliated art groups. As a result, 'Ilmu', premiered by the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company in early 2022, not only succeeded in entering New York last year but also sold out all performances at Lincoln Center, making a remarkable achievement. 'Tungso Sori', premiered by the Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company last year, was selected as one of the 'Top 3 Plays of the Year' by the Korean Theater Critics Association.

President Ahn said, "The biggest achievement last year was being able to close the year with a rich repertoire of works."

Over the past three years, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts has strengthened its identity as a production theater and secured numerous repertoire works. This year, it will stage 11 works that received much love from audiences again. Ten of these works will return to the Sejong Center stage, and the musical 'Again, Spring', which the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Company premiered in 2022 and performed in Seoul for three consecutive years until last year, will tour locally in Hwaseong, Sejong, Ansan, and other cities this year.

President Ahn emphasized that securing repertoire works is a consolation amid the expected difficulties in the performance market.

"The performance market in 2023 was really good. As COVID-19 ended, demand for performances exploded, and various support policies eased the financial burden on audiences. Sejong Center for the Performing Arts achieved the largest scale of self-generated business revenue in its history. However, since last year, the performance market seems to be gradually facing difficulties. I think these challenges will likely continue for quite some time. A boom like that of 2023 is unlikely to return within the next ten years."

This year, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will hold a total of 174 performances of 29 works. Among them, 25 works by affiliated art groups are scheduled for 162 performances, accounting for 86% of the total.

The Seoul Metropolitan Opera Company plans to upgrade and present 'Faust' at the Sejong Center Grand Theater from April 10 to 13. This work was originally premiered at the S Theater through Sejong Center’s 2022 Contemporary Season Sync Next.

The Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company will reprise the play 'Tungso Sori', which premiered last year, from September 5 to 28. This work is a reinterpretation of the Joseon Dynasty novel 'Choe Cheok Jeon' by Go Seon-ung, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company, and received favorable reviews from a wide age range. Another work by the Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company, 'Trap' (November 7?30), will be performed again in November. The Seoul Metropolitan Choir’s 'Handel, Messiah', which has sold out for four consecutive years, will perform on December 4 at Lotte Concert Hall.

From the left: Lee Seung-hwon, Director of Seoul Metropolitan Gugak Orchestra; Go Seon-ung, Director of Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company; Yoon Hye-jung, Director of Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company; Ahn Ho-sang, President of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts; Park Hye-jin, Director of Seoul Metropolitan Opera Company; Kim Deok-hee, Director of Seoul Metropolitan Musical Company; Park Jong-won, Director of Seoul Metropolitan Choir.
Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

In addition to repertoire works, new productions will also be presented. Besides 'Ilmu', the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company will introduce two new works. 'Speed', a modern interpretation of the variations in jangdan (rhythmic patterns) and tempo, the roots of Korean dance, will be performed at the S Theater from April 24 to 27, and the new work 'Mimesis' will be staged at the M Theater from November 6 to 9.

The Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company will present two new works this year. 'Ghost', adapted and directed by director Go Seon-ung, will be performed at the S Theater from May 30 to June 22. From March 28 to April 20, 'Comic', originally by German playwright Karl Valentin, will be staged.

The Seoul Metropolitan Musical Company will perform 'The First Great Show', depicting the birth process of Korea’s first musical, at the M Theater from May 29 to June 15.

Marking its 40th anniversary, the Seoul Metropolitan Opera Company will perform Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece 'Aida' at the Sejong Center Grand Theater from November 13 to 16. The Seoul Metropolitan Gugak Orchestra, celebrating its 60th anniversary, will hold the '60th Anniversary Heritage' concert at the Grand Theater on April 18.

Entering its second year, the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet Company will embark on a full-fledged effort to establish itself as a contemporary ballet company. The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet Company will present seven works through four performances this year. By showcasing representative works of world-renowned choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Johan Inger, and Hans van Manen, it aims to build capability and trust, and in the long term, develop new works unique to the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet Company.

President Ahn Hosang also announced plans to appoint an artistic director for the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet Company next year.

President Ahn said, "Since it is a newly established contemporary ballet company, we plan to appoint an artistic director considering both management ability and international ballet networking. We will form an official organization for the appointment this year and plan to appoint the artistic director in the first half of next year, or at the latest, in the second half of next year."

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