The Story of Poet-Swordsman 'Cyrano', Familiar from Musicals, on the Theater Stage

National Theater Company Presents "Ballad for Roxanne"
April 10-27 at Myeongdong Arts Theater
Based on the Same Original Work as the Musical "Cyrano"

The National Theater Company of Korea's Children and Youth Theater Research Institute will perform the youth play "Ballad for Roxanne" at the National Theater Company Myeongdong Arts Theater from April 10 to 27.

"Ballad for Roxanne" is based on the play "Cyrano de Bergerac," written in 1897 by French playwright Edmond Rostand (1868?1918). "Cyrano de Bergerac" is also the original work for the musical "Cyrano." In other words, the story of the poet-swordsman Cyrano de Bergerac, which was performed as a musical at the Seoul Arts Center until last month, will be staged as a play next month.

The protagonist of the original play, Cyrano, is a poet and swordsman skilled with both the pen and the sword. He is a typical heroic character with human qualities. He cannot tolerate injustice, protects the weak, and stands up to the strong as a righteous figure. However, his large and grotesque nose is his complex, and he cannot confess his feelings to Roxanne, whom he has loved since childhood.

Performance scene from the play 'Ballad for Roxanne'
[Photo provided by National Theater Company of Korea]

The play "Ballad for Roxanne" is an adaptation by writer Kim Tae-hyung, who transformed the original play into a four-person, four-color love story. The female lead Roxanne is reinterpreted as an independent character, simplifying the vast original narrative and newly structuring the relationships among the four main characters: Roxanne, Cyrano, Christian, and De Guiche. Except for Roxanne, the other three men are portrayed as figures reflecting conditions of love such as appearance, wealth, and power, questioning what the true value of love is.

Writer Kim Tae-hyung explained, "From a writer's perspective, the protagonist should always be the one making choices in the flow of the story. Although Roxanne was overshadowed by Cyrano in the original, she was already a character making many choices." He added, "I adapted the play focusing on highlighting Roxanne's choices." Kim Tae-hyung also said, "If we compare the four characters to seasons, Roxanne is spring, Christian is summer, Cyrano is autumn, and De Guiche is winter. Just as winter must come for spring to arrive, followed by summer and autumn, and then winter again, these four different characters meet, influence each other, and grow together. I believe this story of mutual growth is the true message the play wants to convey to the audience."

"Ballad for Roxanne" is a representative youth theater repertoire of the National Theater Company and a work that embodies the expertise of the Children and Youth Theater Research Institute, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. It premiered in a small theater in 2015, was revived at the Baek Seong-hee Jang Min-ho Theater in 2017, and has since been performed several times in regional areas. This is the first main performance in Seoul in eight years.

The 10th-anniversary performance features Do Jun-young, Ahn Chang-hyun, Won Bin, Lee Jeong-hee, Jang Seok-hwan, and Choi Ha-yoon.

Tickets for "Ballad for Roxanne" can be reserved on the National Theater Company website and Interpark Ticket. The performance on April 23 at 4 p.m. is a "Youth Day" show with a 30% discount. Additionally, after the April 13 performance, a "Talk with the Artists" will be held, attended by adapter Kim Tae-hyung, director Seo Chung-sik, dramaturg Kim Ok-ran, and the cast. English subtitle service is provided every Thursday and Sunday, and Korean subtitle service is available every Monday and Friday.

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