‘Old Wicked Songs’ to hit Seoul stage this month

Exposing the convoluted and dynamic relationship between mentor and mentees, Jon Marans’ 1996 Pulitzer Prize nominated dramatic musical play “Old Wicked Songs” will hit the Seoul stage starting Sept. 21.

Set in a rehearsal studio in Vienna, Austria, the seemingly simplistic two-man play is anything but. The storyline follows the relationship between Josef Mashkan, a Viennese music professor, and his new student Stephen Hoffman.

The 25-year-old Jewish pianist was once considered a musical genius, a piano prodigy. However, the young student finds himself frustrated, angry and stuck in a rut as his musical craft suffers from his tendency to overwork.  

Through his mentorship, Mashkan hopes to instill the notion that music is both happiness and pain. The play also highlights socio-political tensions: The student-teacher relationship undergoes a number of emotional pangs with the professor continuously slandering Hoffman’s Jewish culture, hinting at Mashkan’s secret past.

The Korean rendition of “Old Wicked Songs” will star Lee Ho-sung and Ahn Seok-hwan as Mashkan and Lee Hyun-ock and Kang Young-seok as Hoffman.

The upcoming production will be staged at the Dongsoong Art Center’s Dongsoong Hall from Sept. 21 to Oct. 23. Ticket prices range from 25,000 won ($23) to 55,000 won and can be purchased online at www.yes24.com. For more information, call 02-6227-0301.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)