So you never feel like it needs to be updated," Corea said. "In all elements, Aida is created in a way that is uniquely timeless. The show itself is now nearly two decades old, but the show hasn't become outdated. Now, it is amazing to see how well-rounded everybody is," Corea said.Ī scene from the Disney musical "Aida" / Courtesy of Seensee Company I think in the first time, it was hard for the actors to reach the depth of the Nubian struggle and dance with raw emotions in 2005. "For the ensemble, the show is very fulfilling because they have to act and be passionate. It allowed us to be more selective."Ĭorea, who teaches Wayne Cilento's stylish choreography to Korean actors, also said the performers in Korea have grown so much as they have done so many shows. "The talent pool here has really evolved. ![]() It was a long audition process before we found a great company, but now 15 years later, there are way more talented people," Batten said. "When we came here for the first time, it was difficult to find dancers who could dance the choreography or singers who could perform it. Slavery or oppression is something that every country can relate to, but it's different depending on what culture you are in," she said.īatten and Corea have witnessed the changes in the Korean musical theater industry in the past 15 years as they handpicked lead and supporting roles and ensembles of Aida.īatten said the caliber of the talent has changed. However, the focus is slightly different here. I think anyone form anywhere in the world can relate to these themes. Because we don't have visual color difference (among the cast), it takes us more into a story about love, honor and duty versus passion. "It has been very fascinating to do it here. "In the U.S., the idea of slavery was more racial, but here in Korea it is more of a national sentiment I think."Ĭorea added that Aida in Korea is focused more on a spiritual side. There was a deeper, spiritual connection and more of a historical attachment, which a Korean would understand," Batten said. "Right from the very first preview, I could feel that the audience was connecting with this musical in a different way than other countries. The musical revolves around Nubian princess Aida, who is captured by long-time enemy Egypt Egyptian captain Radames, who falls in love with Aida and his fiancee, princess of Egypt Amneris.īatten recalled the show's first preview in Korea back in 2005. The show has a challenge of not having a huge audience worldwide that is already familiar with the material, but Aida gained popularity by word-of-mouth and ran for over four years on Broadway. It became a more mature musical, giving them an opportunity to do something for more mature audiences rather than children," Batten explained. ![]() "The original idea was that they were going to do an animated film, but then when Elton John got involved in it, they decided to try doing it as a stage production. The musical is not based on an animated film, which opened up more possibilities for Aida. While most of other Disney's stage hits are based on popular animated films such as "The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Frozen," Aida took a different path. 6 at Blue Square, where Aida will be staged. "A lot of these big musicals are being reinvented after 20-25 years as technologies have changed," Batten said during an interview with The Korea Times on Nov. Seensee Company, which is in charge of the musical's production, said this is going to be the final staging of the current version of Aida, as the Disney theatrical headquarters is in talks of developing a new version of the show. The musical premiered in Korea in 2005 and has been successful throughout its four previous productions, attracting over 730,000 audience members over its 732 performances. Best known for its beautiful music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, the musical has lived a long life in Korea, over three times longer than its Broadway run.Īssociate director Keith Batten and associate choreographer Tracey Langran Corea, sent straight from Disney Theatrical Productions, are busy adding final touches to the fifth and last production of "Aida" in Korea, which opens on Nov. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulĭisney's musical "Aida" has seen particular popularity in Korea, where it has been running for the past 14 years. Associate director Keith Batten, right, and associate choreographer Tracey Langran Corea of musical "Aida" pose for a photo at Blue Square in Seoul on Nov.
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