The Last Empress (musical)
The Last Empress (Hangul: 뮤지컬 명성황후) is about Empress Myeongseong of Korea. It debuted in 1995 as South Korea's first original musical with Peter Casey as Orchestrator,[1] and was continuing its run in Seoul as of February 2007. It is based on a historical novel written by the well-known South Korean author Yi Mun Yol, composed by Kim Hee Gap, with lyrics by Yang In Ja (translated by Georgina St George), and directed by Yun Ho-Jin. The 21⁄2-hour musical is produced by Seoul-based Arts Communication (A-Com).
The Last Empress | |
---|---|
Music | Kim Hee Gap |
Lyrics | Yang In Ja Georgina St George |
Book | Yi Mun Yol |
Basis | Historical novel by Yi Mun Yol |
Productions | 1995 Seoul 1997 Lincoln Center 2002 West End 2003 Los Angeles 2004 Toronto 2007 Seoul |
The original production at the Seoul Performing Arts Center was expected to reach one million ticket sales by March 2007.
It played at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, in 1997 and 1998, to favorable reviews. It also played in London's West End in 2002 , the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles in 2003, and at Toronto's Hummingbird Centre in 2004 .
See also
- Empress Myeongseong (Historical figure)
- Empress Myeongseong (TV series)
References
External links
- 'Last Empress,' Musical Echo of Korea's History by Don Kirk, International Herald Tribune (March 27, 1998)
- Making of an Asian hit: A Korean royal tragedy in the Broadway style by Ricardo Saludo, Asia Week (December 18, 1998)
- New York Times review 1998
- New York Times review 1997
- LA Weekly review
- Asiaweek article