‘Chicago,’ ‘Hairspray’ to offer stirring entertainmentThis summer Seoul’s musical scene is packed with more top-name shows than ever.One of the most anticipated shows “Wicked” had a successful opening last month, while local production “Bungee-Jump” and the 1983 Broadway musical “La Cage aux Folles” are slated to kick off their first runs next month.Adding to the excitement is the opening of two big-name musicals this month ― “Chicago” and “Hairspray.” Both shows have been performed in Seoul be

NEW YORK ― Luke Folger was in a mild state of panic. His one-man-band contraption had gone dead in front of three rows of judges, and time was ticking by. Folger knelt on the floor of Grand Central Terminal and rummaged through a jumble of cables and plugs, trying to figure out what was wrong.A violinist-juggler act was waiting to take the stage. So were an urban-acid-jazz guitarist and a onetime “American Idol” contestant. Perhaps worst of all: Another one-man band was in the wings, his snare d

Classical artists explore dramatic and passionate life of BeethovenThere is apparently no specific reason why many classical artists have chosen Beethoven sonatas for their recitals and recordings this year. Starting with pianist Kim Sun-wook’s two-year-long project to perform all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, the so-called “Beethoven fever” continued with rookie Lim Hyun-jung releasing her debut album of 30 sonatas by the great German composer. “Beethoven’s life was full of challenges but, a

The recent Lady Gaga brouhaha in Indonesia has been seen as a conflict between Muslim conservatives and the decadence of the West, represented by the music and stage antics of the American female performer.No one, however, seemed to notice that in the midst of this fierce battle dangdut got caught in the crossfire. (Dangdut is a genre of Indonesian popular music that is partly derived from Malay, Arabic, and Hindustani music.)The disappointment over the gig cancellation was so great that support

Emeli Sande stuns with her debutEmeli Sande “Our Version of Events” (Capitol)For at least the next year or so, every U.K. female singer who has a soulful voice and favors ballads has to deal with an unenviable fate -- being compared with fellow Brit Adele.That’s what Emeli Sande is facing with her debut, “Our Version of Events.” It doesn’t help that Emeli Sande’s real name is Adele -- she started using her middle name when the current queen of pop became a sensation. Also like Adele, Sande has s

Jamiroquai, one of the world’s most famous acid jazz bands, is returning to dazzle Korean fans. For the first time in four years, the band will hold a concert on Aug. 22 at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul, its Korean promoter said in a press release.The band had tremendous success in the previous concert in Seoul with tickets sold out in just five minutes.With the release of its seventh album “Rock Dust Light Star” in 2010, Jamiroquai began its world tour holding 83 concerts around the world. For

Over 7,000 Japanese K-pop fans will visit South Korea late June to attend an event held by boy-band JYJ, its agency said Wednesday.Cjes Entertainment said the 2012 JYJ Membership Week will host 15,000 Korean fans along with 7,024 Japanese fans that will visit Korea to attend the large-scale fan event.“No other Hallyu star has been able to gather such a huge flock of fans in a single event,” claimed the agency. It alleged the influx of Japanese fans were “the largest in scale since the foundation

  British pop star Adele made news this week admitting to have worn four pairs of Spanx under the dress she wore at the 2012 Grammys.“I had three or four pairs of Spanx on that night but I loved it,” said the iconic winner of six Grammys.She had to take off two layers before bedazzling the audience with her smash hit, “Rolling in the Deep,” for her Grammy performance.The singer also talked about how she had passed out in her first dress, which had a built-in corset that was much too tight. Altho

AKB48 is not exactly a band. It’s an army of girls-next-door, ranked by its fans, and after taking Japan by storm it’s getting ready to go global.More than 60 girls and young women, split into four teams, make up what is arguably Japan’s most popular pop group. It performs almost every day, has spawned affiliates across the country and has given rise to sister mega-groups in China, Taiwan and Indo