Show On Company
The musical ‘Anna Karenina’, based on the novel by the great Russian author Tolstoy, has reached the pinnacle of ‘total art’ with an overwhelming level of completion crafted by masters in each field.
The musical ‘Anna Karenina’ opened on the 20th at the Sejong Center Grand Theater in Seoul, returning after seven years. The work is a mega-hit that depicts love, marriage, and family through majestic musical numbers and lavish staging. In particular, it has been praised for realistically portraying the mores of nineteenth-century Russian aristocratic society while capturing both artistic depth and popular appeal.
Returning with an upgraded production, this third season reveals its stature as a ‘quintessence of total art’ that fuses skating, opera, ballet, and sensuous music. By focusing on rigorous professionalism and distinguishing the realms of singing, choreography, and performance, it drives the completion of each part to the extreme. With specialists assigned to each field, high-caliber aesthetics blossom onstage into a single, consummate work of art.
The most eye-catching element early on is a live skating sequence performed on stage. For this highlight of the drama, professional figure skaters Kim Da-Min and Kim Hyun are joined by Byeon Se-Jong and Kim Gyu-Eun. Boasting glittering accolades from events such as the National Winter Sports Festival, they transplant the techniques of the ice rink directly to the stage, delivering visual wonder to the audience.
The ensemble, which undergirds the production’s emotional tone throughout, carries Russia’s grand and lyrical numbers. Comprising Lee Su-Hyun, Kim Yo-Han, Yoo Sun-Hoo, Lee Woo-Jin, Choi Woo-Sung, Lee Ha-Eun, Lim Ji-Eun, Han Soo-In, Son Seol-Bin, and Yang Ho-Sung, the ensemble completes musical depth that moves freely from classical melodies to powerful numbers through tightly woven harmonies and explosive vocal power.
The dancers in charge of the corps concentrate solely on ‘dance’ itself. The professional dancers Lee Dong-Myung, Oh Hyun-Jung, Jung Sun-Gi, Lee Seul-I, Na Hye-Young, Kim Han-Sol, Kim Hyo-Shin, Lee Ji-Na, Cho Young-Jae, Park Ji-Won, Jung Hyuk-Jun, Choi Su-Ji, Yoon Jae-Hyun, Kim Ra-Kyung, Cho Seung-Min, and Lee Da-Hye deliver high-difficulty performances that span dazzling ballet and dynamic contemporary dance. Their expertise in conveying narrative through nothing but physical movement elevates the stage’s visual quality.
The soprano aria resounding in the opera house scene is also a showstopper. This moment summons to the stage the real-life figure ‘Adelina Patti’, who dominated the European art world of the nineteenth century and reigned as the ‘Queen of Song’; she was a legendary soprano to whom Russian Emperor Alexander 2 was said to have given more than forty curtain calls. Real vocalists Han Kyung-Mi and Kang Hye-Jung take on the role of the legendary diva ‘Patti’, faithfully recreating the majesty of an operatic diva onstage. With commanding vocal projection that fills the grand theater, they present audiences with the essence of the classics and raise the production to another level.
The performances of the principal cast anchoring the piece are also remarkable. As Anna Karenina in the title role, Ok Joo-Hyun perfectly renders a woman who confronts a tragic fate, with overwhelming vocal power and charisma, while Kim So-Hyang depicts in depth the complex and subtle psychological changes of Anna through delicate emotional acting and outstanding character interpretation. In addition, Lee Ji-Hye captivates audiences by pairing her characteristically clear, elegant tone with explosive vocals, projecting both the purity of Anna and her passionate energy as she longs for freedom.
Additionally, Yoon Hyoung-Ryeol, Moon Yoo-Kang, and Jung Seung-Won as the officer ‘Alexey Vronsky’ who falls in love with Anna; Lee Geon-Myeong and Min Young-Gi as Anna’s husband ‘Alexey Karenin’; Baek Seung-Ryeol and Noh Yoon as ‘Konstantin Levin’; Jung Yoo-Ji and Yoo Sori as ‘Kitty Shcherbatskaya’; Cho Young-Tae as ‘Stiva Oblonsky’; Park Si-Won and Kim Do-Hyun as ‘M.C’; Lee So-Yoo as ‘Countess Vronskaya’; Han Ji-Yeon as ‘Betsy’; Choi Byung-Gwang as ‘Duke Shcherbatsky’; and Kim Ga-Hee and Kim Ha-Yeon as ‘Duchess Shcherbatskaya’all of these impeccable performers command the stage as all-rounders fully equipped with the ‘triple threat’ of acting, singing, and choreography. Even amid lavish ensemble sequences, they deliver unwavering vocals, proving the unrivaled class of top-tier actors in Korea.
The musical ‘Anna Karenina’ offers the finest experience that stage art can achieve through organic integration across genres and direction akin to master craftsmanship. The passion and expertise poured in by masters from each field revive nineteenth-century Russian narratives with a contemporary sensibility, delivering unforgettable thrills and a deep afterglow to audiences.
The musical ‘Anna Karenina’ runs at the Sejong Center Grand Theater in Seoul through March 29. A ‘Weekday Special(Weekday Special)’ discount promotion is currently under way to let audiences enjoy the performance even more. For reservations made by the 6th, a discount applies to weekday performances through the 6th. The discount is available for up to four tickets per person and can be checked through major ticketing outlets such as Sejong Culture Ticket, NOL Ticket, YES24 Ticket, and Ticketlink.
