Opening June 1 at London's Charing Cross Theatre
Highlighting Scientist 'Marie Curie'... Performances Until July 28
The original musical "Marie Curie," produced by the performance planning company Live, has been produced in English and will embark on a long-term run of about two months in London's West End. This is the first time a Korean original musical has had a long-term run in the West End.
Live announced on the 5th that the English version of the musical "Marie Curie," featuring local British production staff and actors, will officially open on June 1 at the Charingcross Theatre in London and run until July 28.
Live is in charge of producing "Marie Curie," which opens in the West End. Kang Byung-won, the CEO of Live, is participating as the lead producer of the local production, assembling British production staff and local actors. Based on the Korean-language script and music created by writer Cheon Se-eun and composer Choi Jong-yoon, Korean creators and British staff will collaborate to develop the work.
"Marie Curie" was selected as the New Work of the Year in 2018 by the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service and held a trial performance. It premiered and was revived in 2020 at the Chungmu Art Center's Black Theater and the Hongdae Art Center's Grand Theater, respectively. Last November, the third season began at the Hongdae Art Center's Grand Theater and successfully concluded on the 18th of last month.
CEO Kang Byung-won stated, "We have been steadily preparing for overseas expansion since the development stage of the work."
Live participated in the Arts Management Support Center's "Musical Roadshow in London" program and first introduced "Marie Curie" to the West End in November 2022. At that time, a highlight showcase was held at Gatsby's Mansion. In November last year, Live participated in the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service's "Performing Arts Mid- to Long-Term Creation Support Project" and held a full-length showcase of "Marie Curie" at the West End's The Other Palace.
The English version of "Marie Curie" includes local staff who collaborated in two previous showcases held in London: director Sarah Meadows, music director Emma Fraser, dramaturg Tom Ramsay, and general manager Katy Lipson. Director Sarah Meadows recently received acclaim for the musical "RIDE." "RIDE" was nominated in six categories at the Off West End Theatre Awards, including Best Director in the musical category, winning two awards.
The cast for the West End production of "Marie Curie" will be announced later.
From the left, director Sarah Meadows, music director Emma Fraser, dramaturg Tom Ramsey, choreographer Joanna Goodwin, GM Katie Ripson [Photo by Live]
The Charingcross Theatre, where the English version of "Marie Curie" will premiere, is a historic venue located near Trafalgar Square in central London. It opened in 1864 beneath Charing Cross Station and has operated under names such as "Gatti in the Arches," "Players Theatre," and "New Players Theatre." Since January 2011, it has used its current name. In September last year, the musical "Rebecca" was performed as a new production at the Charingcross Theatre and gained great popularity.
Steven Levy, the theater owner of Charingcross Theatre, said, "When I first saw the live performance of 'Marie Curie' in Korea, I thought it was a very intelligent production and wanted to bring it to our theater." He added, "I have high expectations for how the story of the scientist 'Marie Curie' will resonate in the UK market."
"Marie Curie" also held a showcase performance in Shanghai in 2019. In 2022, the original Korean team participated in the Warsaw Music Gardens Festival in Poland and won the Grand Prix equivalent, the "Golden Watering Can Award." Additionally, the major Japanese entertainment company Amuse produced a licensed performance of "Marie Curie," which had a successful Japanese licensed premiere in Tokyo and Osaka in 2023.
"Marie Curie" is a Korean original musical based on the life of Marie Curie, who overcame social prejudice as a female immigrant and adversity to become the first person to win the Nobel Prize twice. It won five awards at the 5th Korean Musical Awards in 2021, including Grand Prize, Best Direction, Best Script, Best Music, and Best Producer.
CEO Kang Byung-won expressed his ambition, saying, "We will develop the original musical 'Marie Curie' into a work loved by audiences worldwide, beyond Asia."
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