Daegu to host int`l musical festival from June 15

The Daegu International Musical Festival, an effort to break the concentration of Korea`s musical market in Seoul, will open in the country`s fourth-largest city on June 15 and run through July 9.

Twenty-four pieces will be performed, including nine official invitational musicals and six grantee homegrown works of the festival.

With 12 performing arts theaters with more than 1,000 seats each, Daegu is said to have the best infrastructure for musicals outside of the Seoul metropolitan area.

The festival is also contributing to promoting homegrown musicals through its support programs. “Moby Dick” and “Where Is My Family” – two of Korea’s most popular domestically produced musicals – were first performed at the Daegu festival before going on to long runs in Seoul.

Official invitational musicals include “Central Avenue Breakdown” of the U.S., which won five prizes at the New York Musical Theater Festival Awards, “Holstomer” of Russia, “Jungle, Jingle, Jangle” of France, and “Fallen Bridge” of China.

Won Jong-won, a musical commentator and a festival board member, said the event is a rare in that it focuses on musicals and bridges musical creators and markets.

For more information call (053) 622-1945 or click www.dimf.or.kr.

kimsk@donga.com