'Dracula,' a fantasy-romance musical, opens July 10 at LG Arts Center Seoul's LG SIGNATURE Hall. Fans who have been counting down Dracula's return since its 10th-anniversary run are placing high expectations on this first new staging in three years.
'Dracula,' based on Bram Stoker's novel, traces Count Dracula's mournful devotion to a single woman across more than 400 years. Its lethal gothic-romance narrative and love that defies death helped define the genre — a singular standard sharpened by the Korean production's inventive reinterpretation.
When it premiered in Korea in 2014, the production embraced a non-replica approach that distinguished it from Broadway: keeping the script and score but reinventing set design, direction, and choreography, thereby creating a wholly original aesthetic.
Notably, it introduced Korea's first quad turntable and a three-dimensional stage mechanism of 20 intersecting columns. The design amplified shifts in character psychology and narrative, producing what many hailed as a masterpiece that transcends its source.
Striking mise-en-scène merges with Frank Wildhorn's dramatic, forceful score to deliver a sensory onslaught. The show's signature numbers are tightly woven into the narrative, delivering powerful catharsis and fueling its perennial box-office success.
Those artistic merits are reflected in the figures. At its premiere the production drew 100,000 patrons in just two months and has sold out every season since, building a formidable fandom.
During last season's 10th-anniversary run, the Seoul staging alone attracted 140,000 people, pushing total cumulative attendance past 540,000. These results reflect a decade of steadily accrued trust and underscore the show's potency as a perennial box-office draw.
Behind those unprecedented records are the actors, who each season have dazzled audiences with performances perfectly attuned to their roles.
The show centers on a fine-grained approach to characterization combined with explosive vocal power and high-energy choreography. Different actors' interpretations each season create new sensations and encourage repeat viewings—often described as "revolving-door" audiences—which is why there is intense interest in the star-studded lineup set to open the next decade.
Odi Company producer Shin Chun-su called this season a turning point. "If the past decade established Dracula's distinct identity, this run will be a milestone that opens the next 10 and 20 years," he said.
He added, "We're pooling all our production know-how to showcase the timeless vitality of this classic, and we will again prove the work's stature as a masterpiece that will be forever etched in audiences' hearts."
'Dracula,' a century-spanning romance that transcends death and is poised to electrify the second half of the year, runs July 10–Oct. 18. Casting and ticketing details will be announced later.
Photo: Odi Company
