This is a scene from the historical play "Boheoja: The One Who Paces the Void" in March. (National Theater of Korea's official X account)

By Park Hye Ri

A world musical festival featuring changgeuk slated for September in Seoul will feature traditional musicals from Korea, China and Japan in one place.

Changgeuk is a traditional style of Korean opera that developed from pansori (solo lyrical opera) but instead of one singer-storyteller performing the song accompanied by a drummer, a group of pansori singers play several characters and engage in dialogue both spoken and sung.

The National Theater of Korea (NTOK) on July 9 said this in releasing the schedule of its repertory season for the 2025-26 season.

To run from next month to June next year, the season has 72 works -- 25 new, 15 repertoire, 14 permanent and 18 joint.

The festival will run from Sept. 3-28 at the theater's auditoriums of Haeoreum Grand, Daloreum and Haneul Round. Under the theme "Focusing on East Asia," this year's edition will feature traditional musicals from the three Northeast Asian countries.

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea will wow eyes and ears with "Pansori Theater Sim Cheong," directed by Kim Yona and based on a folktale about a daughter who sacrifices herself to allow her blind father to regain his sight, and "Pansori with a Tale" (tentative title), which sheds light on the lives of those sharing tradition.

The company will also present "Mr. Rabbit's Journey to the Underwater Palace" from Sept. 25-26 to show the rapid growth of young artists. This production is based on the folktale "The Rabbit's Liver," in which a rabbit is deceived into going to the palace of a sick sea king to be used as a cure.

The National Orchestra of Korea is experimenting with the potential for coexistence between artificial intelligence (AI) and art through the humanities concert "Coexistence." This collaboration with Pozalabs, a company that uses AI in music composition, raises questions on AI development and the meaning of creation.

Other shows will reflect the depth and essence of traditional arts. The National Dance Company of Korea's "Living Legacy" highlights the best works of masters of Korean creative dance such as Jo Heung-dong, Bae Jung-hye, Kim Hyun-ja and Gook Soo-ho and explores the depth of dance over time.

In March next year at Daloreum Theater, the company will present "Boheoja: The One Who Paces the Void," which was sold out all of last season. This story is about the historical figures Grand Prince Suyang; Grand Prince Anpyeong; the latter's daughter's Moosim; his beloved concubine Daeohyang; and An Gyeon, a painter of the early Joseon Dynasty.

Tickets for the 2025-26 season will be sold in two stages. Package tickets for all shows in the second half of this year go on sale from July 15, while those for individuals are available from July 18 on the NTOK's official website (www.ntok.go.kr).

hrhr@korea.kr