[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The musical "Four Minutes," based on the German film of the same name, will be staged from April 7 to May 23.
Jeongdong Theater announced on the 9th that the musical "Four Minutes," a planned and developed work by Montage Culture & Stage, will premiere as a planned performance from April 7 to May 23.
The musical Four Minutes is based on the 2006 German film of the same name directed by Chris Kraus. It has been reborn as a musical by domestic creators and will be presented as an original production this time. The original film, based on a true story, attracted attention for its long eight-year production period. It won Best Picture and Best Actress at the 2007 German Academy Awards and was nominated in 22 categories at 37 film festivals worldwide. It swept top awards and audience awards at international film festivals such as the European Bavarian Film Festival and the Shanghai Film Festival.
Artistic director Yang Junmo personally acquired the German original copyright through the film director to produce this work as a musical. Yang Junmo said, "After accidentally watching the film in 2007, I became eager to adapt it for the stage. I was attracted by the fact that it is based on a true story, and I was confident that the piano performance by the genius pianist Jenny would deeply move audiences when brought to the stage."
Four Minutes tells the story of two women facing each other across a piano. Jenny, an 18-year-old girl with genius talent who is serving time for murder, and Kr?ger, who has taught piano to female inmates for 60 years after World War II, meet at Lukau Prison. Jenny isolates herself with distrust and anger toward the world, while Kr?ger has lived trapped in the past her entire life. From their appearances to their attitudes toward music, the two are completely opposite, but the piano is everything to both of them. Through this shared connection, they experience liberation and healing from their respective wounds.
Director Park Soyoung said about the musical Four Minutes, "We will showcase the unique charm of the performance by using a more theatrical style that audiences can imagine." Regarding the original film, Director Park said, "The work stands out for its delicate psychological portrayal between characters. While the film has its own charm, we are striving to highlight the theatrical appeal unique to the stage."
For the role of Jenny, selected from a competition with a ratio of 300 to 1 last July, Kim Hwanhee, winner of the 3rd Korea Musical Awards Female Newcomer Award, and Kim Suha, winner of the 5th Korea Musical Awards Best Actress Award, were cast side by side. Upon casting, both began intensive piano practice five months before the official rehearsals to prepare for "Jenny-style piano performance."
For the role of Kr?ger, who communicates with Jenny through the piano, musical actress Kim Sunyoung, who recently gave a passionate performance in the musical "Hope," and Kim Seongkyung, a popular musical star known for "Menopause" and "Mamma Mia" and active in various fields including the film "Sunny," were cast.
The performance will be held with socially distanced seating in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. The first round of tickets will open on the 17th. Tickets can be reserved from 10 a.m. on the Jeongdong Theater website and from 2 p.m. via Interpark.
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