#visit korea
Daehak-ro Festival: YOU & IT The Musical
YOU & IT is an incredibly touching love story between a human and an AI. It reminded me of Steven Spielberg’s Artificial Intelligence, but with a romantic twist.
The musical opens with a devastated husband mourning his wife’s death. Drowning in his heartbreak, not knowing ho to continue on living, Gyujin receives a letter claiming that an AI robot can be created in the exact replica of his beloved Mina. He decided to take the chance and uploads Mina’s memories to the machine. AI robot does, indeed, look exactly like his late wife and even shows the same personality traits. Life picks up and the couple seems happy, but is the AI truly the same as his human Mina? What does it mean to love and can a machine have true feelings?
The musical is touching and raw. Halfway through the performance I noticed that I wasn’t the only one crying – the feelings of the main characters echoed through the audience and touched our hearts deeply. After the performance ended I saw a little girl crying in the bathroom of the theater, her mom was trying to console her, but the girl kept crying so hard, that her dad had to carry her put of the theater. I think moments like this are what the artists work for - to bring out our feelings, our thoughts, to make us relieve the character’s ups and downs as our own. Beautiful performance by a talented cast and wonderful job by the scriptwriter and director!
WHEN: Oct 2-6
WHERE: YES24 Stage Hall 2 (21, Daehak-ro 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul) 예스24스테이지 2관 (서울 종로구 대학로12길 21)
HOW MUCH: 50000KRW / R seat, 40000KRW / S seat
HOW LONG: 90 mins
Daehak-ro Festival: ONE MORE TIME The Musical
One More Time tells a story of one day repeating over and over again. Much like the hero of “Groundhog Day,” the hero is bound to relive his mistakes in a never ending cycle.
In the center of the story is a young man Yu-tan, a leader and vocalist of an indie band called One More Time. Once full with excitement and creative energy, now he finds himself full of doubts and disappointment. He lets the irritation and exhaustion get the best of him and as a result of a series of his decisions, alienates his best friends and band members Jin-guk and Da-in.
In real life we rarely get a chance for a “one more time” at love or friendship, so watching Yu-tan first try to make sense of it and later - make the best of it, is not only entertaining but touching and thought provoking.
One More Time is a beautiful romantic musical. Performed by 5 actors, and a star cast of idol singers, Yu-na from AOA and Hyo-eun from Stellar.
WHEN: Sep 7 - Oct 27
WHERE: Theater 2, Dongyang Arts Center (27, Daehak-ro 14-gil, Jongno-gu) 동양예술극장 2관 (서울 종로구 대학로14길 27)
HOW MUCH: 60000KRW / R seat, 45000KRW / S seat
HOW LONG: 90 mins
DAEHAKRO: Korean Broadway
To give you an idea, Daehak-ro is the Korean version of Broadway. If you want to truly experience Korean performing arts such as musicals, theatre plays and non-verbal performances, this is the place to check out!
WELCOME DAEHAKRO is a festival that takes place from September 2nd to October 27th 2019. This annual festival was first held in autumn 2017. If you happen to be in Seoul in autumn, make the best of this wonderful opportunity to dive into Daehakro diverse cultural and arts programs: discover new musicals, enjoy the renditions of internationally known musicals, meet K-musical stars and more!
As you can see on the photos, the whole Hyehwa subway station is transformed into a showcase of the most prominent performances of this season!
Get your information on the official website.
Or at the official Information & Ticket Box Booth, located between the Exits 1 and 2 of Hyewha station.
One of the spots to enjoy the night view in Seoul is Dongdaemun Design Plaza.
Designed by Zaha Hadid, the landmark is a stunning piece of architecture. But beyond that, it’s a microcosm of culture, fashion and more.
Once the sun goes down,
Check out the Night Market on the weekends or simply take a stroll around the impressive complex and enjoy one of the cafes on the premises - DDP is a wonderful place to enjoy your Seoul night!
