[Highlights] Arts and entertainment calendar

“Nori”: In celebration of the Seoul Performing Arts Company’s 30th anniversary, the company has unveiled its newest, multi-cultural live song and dance theater production, “Nori.” The production follows the four SPAC performers on a journey around the world to learn about new musical cultures and present them to the Korean stage. “Nori” will be staged daily (except on Mondays) at the Arko Arts Theater’s Grand Theater in Daehangno, Seoul until Aug. 21. Ticket prices range from 30,000 won ($27) to 70,000 won and can be purchased online at www.spac.or.kr. For more information, call 02-523-0986.

“Peste”: A musical based on the tragic tale of French author Albert Camus’ “The Plague” combined with the sounds of legendary K-pop icon Seo Tai-ji, new local musical “Peste” is hitting the stage this summer. The musical that tells the horrifically graphic tale of the deadly plague that sweeps the Algerian coastal city will star Son Ho-young of g.o.d., Kim Da-hyeon, Park Eun-seok, Kim Do-hyun, Oh So-yeon, Linzy of Fiestar and Jeong-min of Boyfriend. “Peste” will be staged from July 20 to Sept. 30 at the LG Arts Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Ticket prices range from 60,000 won to 140,000 won. For more information, call 1577-3363.

“Bare, The Musical”: The critically-acclaimed Off Broadway production, “Bare, The Musical,” has once again returned to Seoul. The musical follows the story of the secret romantic relationship of two high school students at a Catholic boarding school, Peter and Jason. While Peter wants to make their relationship public, Jason is reluctant for fear of losing his popular social status. The local rendition of the performance stars Jung Won-young, Kim Seung-dae, Seong Du-seop and Suh Kyung-soo. “Bare” will be staged at the Doosan Art Center’s Yongkang Hall in Seoul until Sept. 4. Ticket prices are listed at 66,000 won and 88,000 won. For more information, call 1588-5212.

“Sweeney Todd, The Musical”: The gruesome tale of a man filled with vengeance, the musical tale of the demon barber of Fleet Street is hitting the Seoul stage. Sweeney Todd follows the life of Benjamin Barker, who, after being wrongfully accused of a crime, takes his vengeance on the people of London by murdering the patrons of his barbershop. Starring Ock Joo-hyun, Cho Seung-woo, Yang Jun-mo and Jeon Mi-do, the musical will be staged at the Charlotte Theater in Songpa-gu until Oct. 3. Ticket prices range from 60,000 won to 140,000 won. For more information, call 1588-5212.

“Wicked”: The Korean version of the top grossing musical on Broadway for 12 years, “Wicked” is returning to the musical stage this summer. The production tells the untold stories of the witches of Oz with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. This year’s cast will include Cha Ji Yeon, Park Hye-na, Jeong Sun-ah and IVY. The musical will be staged from July 12 to Aug. 28 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater. Ticket prices range from 60,000 won to 140,000 won. For more information, call 1577-3363. 

Exhibitions

“Unforseen”: Art and modern dance meet in a joint experimental performance project between the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and the National Dance Company of Korea. The performances presented by 13 artists and teams will be staged spontaneously at various spots of the museum, or presented in an exhibition format at the museum. The performances will combine unique features of contemporary art and dance traversing diverse fields of arts from visual art, film, poetry and dance media to sound. The performances will run from Aug. 17 to Oct. 23 at the MMCA’s Seoul museum at 30 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. For more information, visit www.mmca.go.kr.

“Archive of Mind”: The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is hosting artist Kim Soo-ja’s solo show as part of its annual exhibition program sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company. The exhibition showcases latest works by Kim, including site-specific installations, videos, sculptures and photos that explore the body and the mind. The exhibition runs until Feb. 5 Gallery 5 and the museum’s courtyard. For more information, visit www.mmca.go.kr.

“Body Flower”: Australian artist Emma Hack, known for body-painted illusionary artwork, is holding a solo exhibition at Savina Museum of Contemporary Art through Oct. 30. The museum is showcasing 49 photographs the artist created since 2005. The nine different series of photographs are themed with natural elements and reveal painted bodies camouflaged against background images. For more information, visit www.savinamuseum.com.

“Nam June Paik Show”: Large-scale installations by Nam June Paik, including a few rarely seen in previous exhibitions of Paik’s works, are on display at the commemorative exhibition that celebrates the late artist’s 84th birthday. Highlight pieces of the exhibition, which opened on July 20 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, include large video art installations “Turtle” and “M200,” which consist of many television monitors that each show imposing images created and edited by Paik. The exhibition runs until Oct. 30 at DDP. Tickets range from 5,000 won for children to 15,000 won for adults. For more information, visit www.ddp.or.kr.

“Treasures from Afghanistan”: The National Museum of Korea is holding an exhibition that showcases more than 230 rare Afghan artifacts. The exhibition, started in Paris in 2006, has been hosted by 18 museums in 11 countries around the world, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and British Museum in London. The featured artifacts, dating from the Bronze Age to the third century, offer a comprehensive understanding of the birth of civilization in the center of Eurasia, its ancient culture and foreign influences. “Treasures from Afghanistan” runs until Sept. 4. For more information, visit www.museum.go.kr.

“Big: Kids and Design”: More than 200 pieces of 20th-century vintage furniture designed for children are on view at Kumho Museum of Art until Sept. 11. The exhibition sheds light on the point in the 20th century when specific needs of children started to be considered in designing furniture. It also introduces chairs, tables, toys and other objects created by leading designers of the period such as Peter Keler, Luigi Colani, Jean Prouve and Renate Muller, whose designs were intended to stimulate children’s creativity and imagination. For more information, visit www.kumhomuseum.com.

Lee Jung-seob: The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is presenting a solo exhibition of Korean art master Lee Jung-seob to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. The exhibition showcases some 200 paintings and 100 pieces of related documents on loan from some 60 museums and collectors, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Divided into major periods of his artistic career from the 1930s to 1940s, the exhibition guides viewers through Lee’s tumultuous personal life and the early modern history of Korea. The Lee Jung-seob exhibition runs until Oct. 3 at the MMCA’s Deoksugung Palace museum. For more information, visit www.mmca.go.kr.

“Three Jewels: Buddhist Art of Korea”: Ho-Am Art Museum is holding an exhibition that highlights Korean Buddhist art until Nov. 6. The exhibition presents Buddhist paintings, sculptures and craftworks that portray teachings and the lives of two major subjects of worship in Korean Buddhism -- the Sakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha. The museum, located near Everland, operates a shuttle bus from the Everland ticket office to the museum every hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are priced at 4,000 won for adults and 3,000 for teenagers. For more information, visit www.hoammuseum.org.

Pop Music

“Arcadia Korea”: Arcadia Spectacular, the performance art collective show that combines architecture, pyrotechnics and music, will take place in Seoul on Sept. 2-3. Arcadia Korea will see Seoul’s historic Olympic Stadium transformed into an immersive world of mechanical creatures, flying aliens and giant fireballs. The music headliners will be English drum and bass band Rudimental and Greek-Swedish DJ Steve Angello. Also featured will be the show’s trademark giant “Spider,” weighing 50 tons and forged from ex-military machinery and industrial components. Tickets prices range from 88,000 won to 220,000. They can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com.

“Nell Comeback Concert ‘C’”: Indie rock band Nell will be holding a concert at the Yes 24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul on Sept. 3-4. The concert marks the band’s seventh album “C,” which comes more than two years after its last full-length album, “Newton’s Apple.” The theme of the new record includes chaos, conflict, confusion and contradiction. The four-member band, debuted in 2001, consists of vocalist and keyboardist Kim Jong-won, lead guitarist Lee Jae-kyong, bassist Lee Jung-hoon, and drummer Jung Jae-won. It rose to fame through hits like “Stay” and “Time Walking on Memory.” Tickets are priced at 110,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com.

“Gregory Porter in Korea”: Jazz artist Gregory Porter, who won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, is coming to Korea for his first solo concert on Sept. 25, 7 p.m., at the Blue Square Samsung Card Hall. Porter previously performed at the 2015 Seoul Jazz Festival. The Sacramento-born musician has released four albums since his 2010 debut, his most recent 2016 “Take Me to the Alley” well-received by critics and fans. Tickets are priced at 77,000 won and 99,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com.

“Grand Mint Festival”: The Grand Mint Festival 2016 is taking place on Oct. 22-23 at the Olympic Park in southern Seoul. The festival will feature an eclectic array of indie musicians including the acoustic duo 10cm, the hauntingly moody female solo act Kim Sawol, indie pop duo No Reply, and rock band Daybreak. One-day tickets and two-day tickets are priced at 99,000 won, 158,000 won, respectively. For reservations, visit ticket.interpark.com. 

Dance

“Spartacus”: Korean National Ballet will perform Khachaturian’s “Spartacus” at the National Theater of Korea from Aug. 26-28. The three-act ballet chronicles Spartacus’ fight for freedom after he and his wife are captured by Roman consul Crassus. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and at 3 p.m. on weekends. Tickets range from 10,000 won to 30,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call (02) 587-6181.

“Napoli”:  Seoul Ballet Theatre will perform Danish ballet master and choreographer August Bournonville’s early masterpiece “Napoli” at the National Theater of Korea’s Haeoreum Grand Theater on Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. Marking its Korean premiere, “Napoli” chronicles the unrelenting love between a young Italian woman and a poor fisherman. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 70,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call (02) 396-5188.

“Romeo and Juliet”: Universal Ballet will be presenting Kenneth MacMillan’s “Romeo and Juliet” from Oct. 22-29 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater. This is the first time in four years that the group is performing the iconic Shakespeare piece about the tragedy that unfolds between two star-crossed lovers. The performance will begin at 8 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from 10,000 won to 120,000 won and are available at sacticket.co.kr or ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call (070) 7124-1737.

“Sleeping Beauty”: Korean National Ballet will perform “Sleeping Beauty” at the Seoul Arts Center Opera House from Nov. 3-6. After presenting Rudolf Nureyev’s rendition in 2004, the group is back with a different take of the classic fairy tale, choreographed by Marcia Haydee, a former prima ballerina of the Stuttgart Ballet group. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from 5,000 won to 100,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call (02) 587-6181.

Classical Music

“Sumi Jo -- My Songs”: World-class soprano Sumi Jo will hold a concert celebrating the 30th anniversary of her international debut performance at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall at 5 p.m. on Aug. 28. Jo first appeared in the international scene as the prima donna in Verdi’s three-act opera “Rigoletto” at the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi in Italy on Oct. 26, 1986. The program will feature songs from well-known operas, including “Caro Nome” from “Rigoletto,” along with Korean songs, with pianist Jeff Cohen on the piano. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 150,000 won and can be reserved at www.sacticket.co.kr or ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call (02) 3461-0976.

“Kang Choong-mo Piano Recital”: Internationally renowned pianist Kang Choong-mo is resuming his performances in Korea starting Nov. 3 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall at 8 p.m. In addition to presenting pieces by Busoni as a tribute to the Italian composer’s 150th birthday, Kang will be performing works by legendary composers and musicians, including Granados, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Brahms and others. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 70,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call (02) 780-5054.

“San Francisco Symphony”: The world-renowned San Francisco Symphony will be performing at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. The concert will be conducted by the symphony’s music director Michael Tilson Thomas, who has been lauded by the San Francisco Examiner as “an enthusiastic ambassador for classical music.” The performance will be accompanied by award-winning pianist Lim Dong-hyek. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 280,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call 1577-5266.

“Gabriele Carcano Piano Recital”: As the fourth performance of the Italian pianist series, Gabriele Carcano will be playing at the Tongyeong Concert Hall in South Gyeongsang Province at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 11. Currently an instructor at Accademia di Musica in Pinerolo, Italy, Carcano is known to be the last understudy of the late Italian-French pianist Aldo Ciccolini. Carcano will be performing pieces by Mozart, Brahms and Liszt. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 30,000 won and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com. For inquiries, call (055) 650-0400.