Kim Woojeong and Choi Hoseong on the "Jeolchang" Stage: "Look Forward to a Sophisticated and Unique Simcheongga"

April 24-25 at the Daloreum Theater, National Theater

A stage that condenses the five-hour-long Gangsan-je version of "Simcheongga" into a 100-minute performance with a modern sensibility is set to open. This is the sixth installment in the National Changgeuk Company's "Jeolchang" series, to be performed at the Daloreum Theater of the National Theater on April 24–25.

"Jeolchang," which means "an exceptionally outstanding song," is a planned performance first introduced by the National Changgeuk Company in 2021. Each year, two young singers present a stage reminiscent of a concert, featuring sophisticated production and a variety of musical experiments, in an effort to explore the contemporary relevance of pansori. For young singers who have had difficulty fully showcasing their abilities due to the limitations of casting in changgeuk performances, this is also an opportunity to take full responsibility for the stage for about two hours and demonstrate their honed skills to the fullest. "Jeolchang" also serves as an intermediate step toward a full-length pansori performance, which typically lasts more than three hours.

This year's "Jeolchang" stage will feature National Changgeuk Company members Kim Woojung and Choi Hoseong. Since joining in 2020, Kim Woojung has been in the spotlight as a next-generation singer, taking on leading roles in productions such as "Chunhyang," "Byeongangsoe Jeom Jjikgo Ongnyeo," and "Jeongnyeoni."

Choi Hoseong (left) and Kim Woojung, the main performers of the play 'Jeolchang' scheduled to be held at the Daloreum Theater of the National Theater on the 24th-25th. National Changgeuk Company

Kim Woojung returns to the stage with the same work as last year’s changgeuk "Simcheong." While last year’s "Simcheong" drew attention for opera director Yona Kim’s bold interpretation, this year’s "Jeolchang" performance will present Simcheong in a manner closer to the original character. However, due to the nature of pansori, in which a single singer takes on multiple roles, Kim will also portray other characters such as Sim Bongsa in addition to Simcheong. Kim explained, "Last year’s changgeuk 'Simcheong' delivered a message about Simcheong living her own life, but this time, 'Jeolchang' focuses on Simcheong’s life as it appears in the original story. As a result, Simcheong may come across as a bit more stifled compared to last year."

Last year, Choi Hoseong won first prize in the Master Singer division at the 51st Jeonju Daesaseup National Competition held at the National Intangible Heritage Center, captivating the audience with his passionate rendition of the "Indangsu" scene from "Simcheongga." He said, "I spent a lot of time and effort coordinating the vocal tones with Woojung. Woojung’s voice is beautiful and delicate. For scenes that require the deep sorrow of a man, I take the lead. Performing alongside a female singer allowed us to divide the vocal parts in a way that brought out the strengths of both performers."

Choi Hoseong (left) and Kim Woojeong of the National Changgeuk Company are demonstrating a scene from "Jeolch창," which will be performed on the stage of Daloreum Theater at the National Theater on the 24th and 25th. National Changgeuk Company

The "Indangsu" scene that Choi Hoseong performed at the Jeonju Daesaseup competition is one of the most crucial scenes in the Gangsan-je version of "Simcheongga." In the waters that mark the boundary between this world and the afterlife, countless souls who died unjustly already reside. As these spirits speak to Simcheong, various stories of wrongful deaths are introduced.

Director Nam Insu explained, "Among the five major pansori repertoires, 'Simcheongga' contains the most tragic narrative. This performance centers on the scene where Simcheong falls into the Indangsu."

Director Nam stated that while the overall framework of the original "Simcheongga" would be maintained, changes would be made to the Indangsu scene. He said, "Among the stories of the spirits, there will be accounts of independence activists, including especially the story of martyr Yu Gwansun. We also plan to include the recent news story of a 19-year-old intern worker who suffocated to death from factory exhaust gases."

As "Jeolchang" is a stage that seeks the contemporaneity of pansori through new experiments, Director Nam emphasized that he would also use melodies from Mozart’s Requiem to showcase a new facet of pansori’s appeal.

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