Music Resonates in Gyeonghee Palace

Pieces of music about King Jeongjo the Great during the Joseon Dynasty resonated in Gyeonghee Palace (Shinmunro, Jongno-gu, Seoul) at 7:30 p.m. yesterday.

The creative musical, “Dreaming in Mars,” dealing with the king’s story, was performed in the garden of the Sungjeongjeon in the royal palace.

It is the first time that a musical has been performed in the palace recently. “Dreaming in Mars” is produced by Gyeonggi Provincial Culture and Arts Center and recently garnered success in the Opera House in the Seoul Arts Center.

On the same day, about 1,500 people attended an event in the palace garden. The number was limited to 1,500 out of concern of damaging palace cultural assets.

The musical emphasized realism by using the Sungjeongjeon’s stone steps and gate for props.

Actors sang as they stepped in and out of the gate and up and down the steps. Audiences naturally were enthralled by the story of the king’s dreams and loves in the palace.

Director Lee Yun-taek said that using the palace for the stage gave meaning to the play. He also said audiences could immerse themselves into history-based scenes without making the distinction between the stage and themselves.

The performance will be held free of charge through May 6. Tickets for reservations beforehand (1,000 per day) were sold out, but 500 are being distributed on a first come first served basis. For more information, call 031-230-3245.

sjkang@donga.com