"Living Means Being Lived"… The Final 'Seopyeonje' Engraved with Heartfelt Emotion

Photo by PAGE1

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] "There is no one who loves sound without a backstory. What kind of backstory does the guest have?"

In the original musical Seopyeonje, this is what Songhwa, who has lost her sight, says when she meets her stepbrother Dongho after more than 50 years. Their backstory is extremely tragic. Songhwa and Dongho, who dreamed of becoming pansori singers following their father Yubong, lose their mother and their close relationship begins to crack. Dongho believes that his father’s singing killed their mother. They confront each other with resistance and hatred, and Dongho leaves to find his own voice.

Songhwa stays by their father’s side, dedicating herself to singing. The path to mastering the voice is long and arduous. Songhwa’s progress is slow, and worried about Dongho, she tries to give up. Noticing this, Yubong blinds Songhwa. Dongho, who has fallen into Western music, is successful but cannot forget his sister’s voice. He travels across the country searching for her. When they meet after 50 years, Songhwa sings to Dongho’s drum rhythm. At the pinnacle of vocal mastery, they release the deep-seated han (grudge) in their hearts.

Seopyeonje, which deals with han and sound, oppression and art, welcomes audiences at the Kwanglim Art Center BBCH Hall until October 23. This is the final season of the performance first shown in 2010. The usage period for the original novel of the same name by writer Lee Cheong-jun expires this year. Due to the regret that it cannot be seen again, audience visits continue in a long line.

The Seopyeonje familiar to the public is the film directed by Im Kwon-taek. The image of singing while walking along winding country roads left a deep impression on viewers. New traditional musician Oh Jung-hae rose to stardom with her masterful and passionate performance.

The musical’s quality is no less impressive. Composer Yoon Il-sang, writer Jo Gwang-hwa, director Lee Ji-na, music director Kim Moon-jung, and other leading figures in the Korean musical scene participate to create a moving experience. Various melodies including pansori, pop, rock, and ballad, a revolving stage expressing a wandering life, and videos and lighting that illuminate over 400 Korean paintings enhance the empathy.

Especially, the lyrics of the song “Salda Bomyeon” (“If You Live”) are more than enough to soothe han. "My late mother said / Just live and you will live / I don’t know what that means / But it feels like a spell that makes me feel better / You try it too, close your eyes and mumble / Just live and you will live." The sorrowful melody added to this has been sung quite a lot outside the stage.

So far, six actresses have played Songhwa: Lee Ja-ram, Cha Ji-yeon, Yuria, Hong Ja, Yang Ji-eun, and Hong Ji-yoon. Although multi-casting is frequent, this number is unusually high. Each has a distinct color. Lee Ja-ram and Cha Ji-yeon have held the stage with beautiful and poignant voices since the premiere. Yang Ji-eun and Hong Ji-yoon, who joined midway, showcase rustic traditional melodies befitting their majors in Korean traditional music. The atmosphere changes moment by moment, prompting multiple viewings.

The musical has not recorded tremendous box office success. Due to limited interest in pansori, the main audience in their 20s and 30s, who are the primary demand group for musicals, has been weak. The majority are people in their 50s and 60s who came to feel the emotion of the film or novel anew. The production team has continued the performance with a mission to maintain Korea’s unique sentiment. Director Lee Ji-na said, "Someone has to keep creating musicals with Korean themes."

Seopyeonje is worth watching just for Songhwa’s han release through vocal mastery at its climax. It unravels the hardships of a tragic life and stimulates the uniquely Korean han. It leaves a shining legacy in Korean original musicals.

"Upon hearing this, Sim Bong-sa’s eyes twinkled / What is this? Am I dreaming now? / Where, where, where, let me see my daughter / His eyes twitched, twitched, twitched, twitched, twitched and suddenly opened wide."