The original musical 'Can Yesterday's Poem Become Tomorrow's Song?', themed around the poetry of Kim So-wol, is meeting audiences.
On the afternoon of the 16th, a press call for the musical 'Can Yesterday's Poem Become Tomorrow's Song?' was held at the Mary Hall Grand Theater of Sogang University in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Following a highlight performance, a press conference was held with director Lee Kang-sun, composer Lee Yul-koo, and the cast.
The musical 'Can Yesterday's Poem Become Tomorrow's Song?' is based on the work 'Red Azalea' by writer Lee Seong-jun, which was selected as an excellent story by the Korea Creative Content Agency. It depicts the struggles of Korean independence fighters who dedicated themselves to the independence movement in the wake of the 1923 Kanto Massacre, illustrating how our ancestors fought to protect our language and culture during the Japanese colonial period.
Director Lee Kang-sun stated, "I am confident that the title 'Can Yesterday's Poem Become Tomorrow's Song?' carries meaning. It contains the memory of history and the passage of time. In some ways, it is always remembered, and at times it can be distorted. Therefore, I believe we spend time searching for the truth. The historical figures who lived during that time have an impact on us today, and I think this musical can contribute to that."
This is the first work themed around the lyrical poetry of Kim So-wol, utilizing his poems in the narrative and using his verses as lyrics to express the aspirations of the independence movement and the pain of the homeland.
Director Lee Kang-sun mentioned, "We used poems by Kim So-wol such as 'Transcendence', 'Azalea Flower', and 'If I Live'. I thought that the independence movement was not just about holding a gun, but also about a movement that contained spirit in words and writings, and I wanted to express that well through Kim So-wol's poetry."
Composer Lee Yul-koo explained, "I have worked in various fields, but composing with poetry is often done when creating art songs. It was not easy to create music from a poet's words in a musical. The genre of musical has a narrative development and character traits, and it was not easy to incorporate poetry into that. If I did not grasp it properly, it would be difficult to create music. I remember studying the verses and their meanings while practicing with the actors."
The cast includes Sung Tae-jun as Lee Jeong-ik, Han Soo-rim as Sa Eon-hee, Kim Woo-hyuk as Park Woo-hyuk, Kim Jin-cheol as Yukichi, Go Un-ji as Han Hee-soo, Hwang Si-woo as Kim Dong-hyun, and Baek Jong-min as the independence soldier.
The musical 'Can Yesterday's Poem Become Tomorrow's Song?' will be performed at the Mary Hall Grand Theater of Sogang University until the 26th.
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
