Opera Goes Science Fiction
   By Bae Keun-min
   Staff Reporter / Korea Times

   At a space station somewhere in the universe 200 years in the
   future, the hero spacewalks and talks about his journey of love
   with three different women he encountered in the past.

   It sounds like the plot for a new science fiction film but it
   is not.  Instead, it is the story of an upcoming opera, "The
   Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d'Hoffmann)" by Jacques Offenbach,
   which the National Opera of Korea will stage later this month.

   "As soon as you enter the theater, you will see this opera is
   absolutely different from operas you have seen here before.  Even
   before the opera begins, some of the chorus will be on the stage,
   showing some movements as if they were in space," said Lee
   Youn-taek, who will direct the show.

   The opera has been revised from its original version that tells
   a story of German poet Hoffmann in the 19th century and his
   ill-fated loves with three women _ Antonia, Giulietta and Olympia.
   The setting has been changed to a space station run by aliens
   in the 23rd century when the earth becomes deserted through the
   destruction of its environment.

   Lee, who gained the nickname "culture guerilla" with his innovative
   plot twists and creative stage settings in plays, said audiences
   will have no time to get bored with constantly changing scenes
   and futuristic, dreamy costumes and make-up.

   "Opera can be very entertaining.  It is drama with music.  It
   is more fun than musicals.  I will make this opera (The Tales
   of Hoffmann) distinctive, fun to watch, while accentuating the
   dramatic aspect of it," the 53-year-old director said.  "Leaving
   only the music untouched, everything else will be changed."

   Lee said the wire-action scene in which the hero spacewalks
   and another with half-naked chorus members will be particularly
   memorable.  "The male and female chorus will crawl about wearing
   costumes that will make them appear topless," the director said.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200511/kt2005110620200711720.htm.

Janos Gereben
www.sfcv.org
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