The legendary musical ‘Seopyonje’, which left a massive mark on the history of Korean creative musicals, has made a miraculous comeback! While it seemed to reach its end in 2022 when the original contract expired, a dramatic renewal was made possible thanks to the passionate support and longing of its fans.
Based on the short story of the same name by Lee Cheong-jun, ‘Seopyonje’ explores the pain, obsession, love, and reconciliation embedded in art through the journey of a family of traditional singers.
Featuring the iconic song ‘Salda Bomyeon’ (Life Goes On) composed by Yoon Il-sang, the production seamlessly blends traditional pansori, ballads, rock, and jazz pop to add rich layers to the story. At its heart, the play focuses on art and family, proving that ‘sori’ is not some grand, distant concept, but rather another name for the time spent enduring a cruel fate.
The narrative flows through the emotion of ‘Han’ (deep sorrow), which serves as the foundation for artistic perfection. Song-hwa, who possesses a natural gift for sori, encounters heartbreaking wounds at every turn of her life.
Her step-brother, Dong-ho, who believes his father’s obsession with sori caused their mother’s death, eventually leaves to find his own voice. Meanwhile, the father, Yu-bong, driven by a blind obsession to achieve the perfect sori, goes as far as blinding Song-hwa.
Returning as ‘Song-hwa’ this season, actress Cha Ji-yeon proves once again why she is the incomparable ‘Cha Song-hwa’. The scene in the latter half of Act 1, where she screams “The sound won’t come out” to her father’s demands for deeper sori and eventually wails “Just kill me” after losing her sight, completely overwhelms the audience.
Cha Ji-yeon’s raw cries of resentment and sorrow leave the audience breathless, powerfully portraying the lonely path of an artist who transforms agony into art.
Song-hwa and Dong-ho, who drifted apart to find their own paths, finally reunite after 50 long years. Song-hwa’s journey of enduring life and refining her sori despite her harsh fate transforms tragedy from mere sadness into a source of comfort.
With its high-quality music and narrative, this production showcases the pinnacle of what a creative musical can achieve. After a four-year wait, ‘Seopyonje’ will continue its run at the Gwanglim Arts Center BBCH Hall in Seoul until July 19.
