Seoul Opera Ensemble put together a production of La Forza del Destino, an opera by Giussppe Verdi. It was for the Korea Opera Festival at the Seoul Arts Center, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Verdi’s birth.

I’m constantly amazed at how much effort and time go into a theatrical production. For this particular opera, even the chorus was huge, numbering 30 to 40 people. The practice hours were long and there was a lot of waiting involved. I made it to their rehearsals 4 or 5 times to build rapport for the final shoot. It was really about teamwork. The Seoul Arts Center was one big bad ass theatre for sure. It was a privilege to get myself involved in the production and document the behind-the-scenes stories. It was also a great pleasure listening to the music while at it. On the other hand, I was thinking to myself: “To what avail are we doing this?”

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It’s got some twisted story. Quite tragic to say the least. You can read all about it on Wikipedia. Even if you’re not familiar with the opera, you have probably heard of its overture.

Anything art-related or artsy in Korea is tough in many aspects – especially financially. I guess it’s a world-wide phenomenon. Mr. Jang Soo-Dong, the director of Seoul Opera Ensemble, has been a close family friend and is the pioneer of the genre in Korea. I just hope the view on art and artists by the general Korean pubic improves in the near future. I truly believe that these artists deserve to be treated better – in terms of salary, respect, working conditions, etc. etc.

Anyway, kudos to all the staff and singers who together pulled through and made a great show.