Get ready, everyone!  Encore performances of the military musical “Shinheung Military School” have been announced, and Ji Chang Wook will still be involved in the production!

Shownote, the production company of “Shinheung Military School,” announced on 25 January that it will stage encore performances of the musical to premiere on 27 February 2019.  The performances were organized to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

The “Shinheung Military School” was a private academy that was established in 1911 in Jilin Province, South Korea.  The musical deals with the fierce life for independence of those who lived in a period of cataclysm within the background of the “Shinheung Military School,” which became the roots of the Republic of Korea Army.  It is a dynamic story of ordinary young people who fought against Japan and sacrificed everything to regain their country. 

Director Kim Dong Yeong states that the actor performances will be upgraded to suit the new venue environment while retaining the advantages of the first performances. The choreography that combined the music and the martial arts which occupies a large part of the work, becomes more colorful and dramatic after the modification.  Stage frames, panels, revolving stages, and sets will be redesigned to match the encore performances.  New ideas will actively be incorporated into the stage, lighting, and video to make action scenes, including the battle scenes of Cheongsan-ri, look more dynamic.  This will increase the density of the drama by adding a stereoscopic effect to the narrative of the main characters.

The main roles of Lee Dong-kyu, Pal-do, Na-pal and Hye-ran, which were staged with the original cast at the premiere of “Shinheung Military School” back in September 2018, will now be performed with a double cast.  The Dong-kyu character will continue to be played by newly-promoted Sergeant Ji Chang Wook, sharing the role along with musical actor Ko Eun Sung during these encore performances.

The Pal-do character, written as an orphan growing up as a good student in the Shinheung Military School, will continue to be played by Kang Ha Neul, sharing the role along with new soldier recruit Jo Kwon (from the boy band 2AM, who started his military service on August 6, 2018).

Kim Sung Kyu (from the boy band Infinite) will continue as the character General Ji Cheong-cheon, who graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy but returns to Korea to lead the Korean guerilla forces against the Japanese during the occupation.  Sung-kyu will share the role along with new soldier recruit Lee Jin Ki (Onew from the boy band SHINee, who just started his military service on 10 December 2018).

The character Na-pal will be played by musical actresses Lee Tae Eun and Hong Seo Young.  Na-pal is a student activist at the Shinheung Military School, so named because she plays the trumpet (나팔/napal) to warn the students of incoming enemy soldiers… or if she just feels the need to toot her own horn.  🙂

The character Hye-ran will be played by musical actresses Lim Chan Min and Shin Hye Ji.  Hye-ran helps the independent forces at Shinheung Military School after being raised at the School.

In addition, many other Korean soldiers and ensemble actors, who excel in acting, singing, martial arts and dance, will add plenty to these upcoming performances.

These encore performances of the musical “Shinheung Military School” will be performed at the Kwanglim Arts Center’s BBCH Hall from 27 February 2019 through 21 April 2019 (571-2 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul).  Ticket prices will be the same as in the initial production run:

R seats:  95,000won
S seats:  85,000won
A seats:  75,000won
B seats:  55,000won (not available through Yes24 Global)

International ticket links:  Global Interpark: https://bit.ly/2WuuaOd  Yes24 Global: https://bit.ly/2G2lBVf

Credit:  Top Star News; iNews 24; ShowNote