| "A Tale of Two Citizens" will be staged through Aug. 11 at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul. / Korea Times file |
| The musicals involve different historical events surrounding the French Revolution |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
As we approach another anniversary of the French Revolution, the 18th-century event that laid the foundation for modern democracies, Korean theatergoers seem to be fully swept up in the spirit.
Theater buffs continue to line up for epic shows such as "Les Miserables," "A Tale of Two Cities" and the "The Scarlet Pimpernel," musicals either based on the French Revolution and its surrounding events, or borrowing some elements from it.
The musicals share common elements — conflict between the classes, anger of the common people and their violent attempts to topple the elite, and, of course, stories of love. Interestingly, however, the pieces each portray a different stage of the upheaval, which erupted in 1789 and continued for a decade.
The French Revolution is not the central subject of "A Tale of Two Citizens," adapted from the classic Charles Dickens novel. However, it does use the event to portray how people then were anticipating major changes in their lives and society, during the early part of the revolution.
While the plot revolves around British lawyer Sydney Carton, the protagonist, and his relationship with French aristocrat Charles Darnay, a generous part of the piece is devoted to Madame Defarge and other French citizens who participated in the attack of the Bastille.
The song "Everything Stays the Same," which describes the hopes of the middle class after the revolution, is performed along with a mask play that ridicules King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette. It portrays the edgy energy of people at a time of dramatic change. Darnay, an aristocrat, is eventually sentenced to death.
The musical, starring Ryu Jung-han, Seo Beom-seok and Yoon Hyeong-lyeol, runs through Aug. 11 at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul. For more information, visit www.twocities.co.kr.
"The Scarlet Pimpernel," staged at the LG Arts Center, features a more lighthearted take on revolution.
Based on the Baroness Emmuska Orczy novel of the same name, the musical is set during the 10-month Reign of Terror (1793-1794) period when Robespierre executed tens of thousands amid the conflict between the Girondins and Jacobin.
The plot revolves around wealthy English aristocrat Percy Blakeney and his wife, French actress Marguerite St. Just.
Percy disguises himself as the Scarlet Pimpernel to save innocent people from heading to the guillotine. The foil to his oft-humorous adventures is Robespierre's henchman Chauvelin, who pursues the mysterious hero.
The musical is fast-paced and the music of Frank Wildhorn, the composer behind "Jekyll and Hyde," fits perfectly with it.
"The Scarlet Pimpernel," staring Park Geon-hyeong, Park Kwang-hyun, Han Ji-sang and Bada, runs through Sept. 8. For more, visit scarletpimpernel.interest.me.
Then there is "Les Miserables," which seems to have replaced "The Phantom of the Opera" as Korea's favorite musical ever. The musical takes place around the "June Rebellion," or the Paris Uprising of 1832, some 40 years after the revolution.
Based on the iconic Victor Hugo Novel, the plot revolves around the story of Jean Val Jean, Cosette and a group of rebellious students led by Enjolras.
The Korean production of "Les Miserables" runs through Aug. 25 at Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Seoul. For more information, visit www.lesmis.co.kr.