This May, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will stage an outdoor production of Verdi’s La Traviata at the Mulbit Stage in Seoul’s Yeouido Hangang Park.
The production pairs professional opera soloists with a community arts chorus, transforming the riverfront’s openness and the opera’s lyricism into a festival-like stage. Admission is free to anyone visiting the Han River. Sejong Center is recruiting 100 community performers for the production from April 21 through April 30.
Staging will embrace an Art Nouveau aesthetic to harmonize with the Han River’s vistas and sense of openness, heightening the score’s elegant mood and visual splendor. Conductor David Lee, celebrated for his sensitive interpretations, and director Lee Hoesu, noted for his finely wrought stagecraft, join the creative team, raising expectations for a compelling, thoughtfully staged evening.
Sopranos Lee Hye-jung and Park So-young will alternate the role of Violetta; tenors Jung Ho-yoon and Kim Min-seok will sing Alfredo; baritones Gong Byung-woo and Kim Ki-hoon will portray Germont; and sopranos Kim Dong-yeon and Shin Hye-ri will appear as Annina. A practicing physician will make a surprise cameo as Doctor Grenvil, adding an unexpected, lighthearted touch.
Performances are scheduled for Friday, May 22, and Saturday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mulbit Stage in Yeouido Hangang Park. Advance reservations open at 2 p.m. on April 27 on a first-come, first-served basis via the Sejong Center website. Audience members aged 65 and older who have difficulty using digital devices may claim one of 200 on-site standby spots on the day of the performance, also on a first-come, first-served basis. Because the production is outdoors, performances may be postponed in case of rain; any changes will be announced on the Sejong Center website.
Sejong Center is seeking 100 community choir members to join the La Traviata production. Selected singers will begin rehearsals under the guidance of the professional production team on May 4 and will participate in all rehearsals and performances through opening night. Community participants will receive a commemorative gift and have their names printed in the distributed program. Applications are accepted by email from Tuesday, April 21, through Thursday, April 30, and must include an application form and a recording of a choral performance. For full details, visit the Sejong Center website.
