The DIMF signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) last year and the two festivals have strengthened ties. The NYMF, usually held in September, moved up its schedule to July to highlight the connection between the two. The Daegu festival also plans to bring the winning homegrown work to the New York one as well.
“We invited more musicals and increased subsidiary events to enhance the quality of the festival. We are getting closer to our aim of becoming the best musical festival in Asia,” Kang Shin Sung-il, director of the DIMF, said in a statement. “We tried to discover more homegrown works than expensive licensed ones and young aspiring talent and established theater stars.”
“Arirang Fantasy,” a local musical reflecting Korean multicultural society, has been chosen for the opening of this year’s DIMF on June 16-18. Musical divas Choi Jung-won and Hong Ji-min will take the lead role. “Central Avenue Breakdown,” a musical full of jazz music from swing to bebop, which swept the United States in the 1930s, will be staged. The performance won five awards at the 2011 NYMF.
Acronote Company from France will present “Jongle-Jingle-Jangle,” a musical combining physical dance, hip-hop and tap dance on June 16 and 17. “Holstomer” of Russia is based on the namesake novel written by Leo Tolstoy on July 6 to 8. The musical employs gypsy-like music to stage the life of a horse. Chinese musical “Fallen Bridge” will close the festival on July 7.
A DIMF official said, “Daegu is a city with few tourist attractions and DIMF was held in the city’s aim to become a performing arts city like Edinburgh, Scotland.“
Tickets are available at Interpark Ticket (ticket.interpark.com). For more information about the festival, visit www.dimf.or.kr.
아주경제 앤드류 이 기자=
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com