Sejong Center presents performances for just 1,000 won

The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced on Thursday that it will hold 16 performances under the theme of “Happiness of 1,000 Won.”

For just 1,000 won, the audience can enjoy a variety of artistic performances, including classical and popular music, Korean traditional music, and dance. Since its showcase in 2007, more than 360,000 people have attended the event.

“This year, we will provide opportunities for more than 22,000 people, which is 10,000 more than last year, by making more large theater shows available,” said an official from the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

Starting with the “Going on Concert” for cancer patients scheduled on March 21, 16 performances, including six large theater performances, will take place through October. The “Going on Concert,” meaning that “life continues through cancer,” is presented by the New Seoul Philharmonic and starred by musical actor Michael Lee, soprano Kang Hye-jung, and violinist Yang Jung-yoon. Those who wish to attend the concert can apply on the website from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday.

On April 25, the “Spring Night Classical Café with Commentary” will be held at Chamber Hall in conjunction with the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “Mom and Dad Happiness Project.” Six musicians from the Seoul Philharmonic, KBS Symphony Orchestra, and Bucheon Philharmonic will perform waltzes and more in the concert for parents raising young children.

On May 5, Children’s Day, the musical play “Red Nose Clown, Let’s Play! The Clown” will be performed by the theater company Cliff’s Edge. The musical will be performed by 14 clowns and a four-piece band in a “nonverbal” format, with no dialog and only non-verbal elements. In July, the “Prepared for You!” performance, featured by singer-songwriter 10CM and Sunwoo Jung-ah, will be held for young adults taking their first steps into society.

Concerts by promising classical musicians and the “Midsummer Night’s Movie and Classics with Commentary” performance are scheduled in August. In September, a special gala with commentary by Universal Ballet Director Moon Hoon-sook will be held, presenting works such as “The Nutcracker,” “Swan Lake,” and “Sim Chong.” In October, Kim Sung-nyeo’s Madangnori (yard play, traditional Korean outdoor performance) ‘Queen of Yard Play’ will take place, featuring key scenes of her representative works.


Sung-Yeol Yoo ryu@donga.com