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| 2024 Chinese Musical Association Annual Award Ceremony 'Fan Letter' Award Ceremony Photo courtesy = Chinese Musical Association |
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The creative musical 'Fan Letter' (production live) proved its potential on the global stage, sweeping nine awards at prestigious awards ceremonies in China and Japan. In 2018, the first Korean creative musical to enter the global market by performing an original Korean team tour in Taiwan, 'Fan Letter' has been recognized for its work and buzz by winning awards after successfully performing licensed performances in China and Japan.
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| 'fan letter'Chinese performance photo, photo =Shanghai Culture Plaza |
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| 'fan letter'Chinese performance poster, photo = Shanghai Culture Plaza |
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| 'fan letter'Chinese performance photo, photo =Shanghai Culture Plaza |
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▶Chinese Performance, including the Popular Licensed Musical Award at the 'Chinese Musical Association Annual Award Ceremony', won seven awards
On January 8, a total of seven categories, including the Popular Licensed Musical Award, were awarded in the '2024 Chinese Musical Association Annual Awards Glory Night' held at Shandong Provincial Theater Center in China.
The 'Chinese Musical Association's Annual Awards Glory Night' is a representative musical award ceremony in China hosted by the Chinese Musical Association, the Poly Culture Group, and the Zhenam City Culture and Tourism Bureau, and organized by the magazine 'Chinese Musical' and Beijing Poly Theater Management Co., Ltd. This year's award ceremony, which was held in great success, was attended by actors and producers who participated in 28 outstanding musical works, and famous overseas musical actors, including Laurent Bang.
At the ceremony, actors in 'Fan Letter' received great attention. A total of three actors were honored with Seo Gyun-sak as Jeong Se-hoon, Ryu Ho-yeom as Hikaru, and Son Ye-gul as Lee Yoon. Seo Gyun-sac is a Chinese singer and musical actor who has been active in a number of works such as 'Interview'Next to Normal', and is drawing more attention with this award. Ryu Ho-yeom is an actor who is loved by audiences and critics by showing impressive passionate performances in 'Man of Ramancha'Dorian Gray'Tik Boom'.
In addition, 'Fan Letter' won the 'Popular Licensed Musical Award' which is given to the most beloved licensed musical of the year. The characters in the play, Kim Hae-jin and Jeong Se-hoon, also proved to be highly loved characters in the region with the 「Popular Partner Award」 presented to the character duo who gained popularity for their outstanding chemistry. In addition, the newly introduced stage art by the Chinese creative team received the 'Light Design Award' and 'Stage Design Award', setting a precedent for successful localization.
The China-licensed performance of 「Fan Letter" produced by Shanghai Culture Plaza has been re-performed every year since its premiere in 2022 and has become a popular musical. In 2024, tour performances were held in 15 cities, including Shanghai, from March to August, attracting about 48,000 spectators.
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| 'fan letter' Japanese performance. Photo = Toho Co., Ltd. Theatrical Department) |
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| 'fan letter' Japanese performance. Photo = Toho Co., Ltd. Theatrical Department) |
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▶Performance won the Best Picture and Best Translation Award at the 'Yushi Odashima/Translation Drama Award'
On December 17 of last year, the Japanese licensed performance of 「Fan Letter" won the Best Picture and Translation Award at the 「17th Odashima Yushi and Translation Drama Award」. The "Odashima Yushi·Translation Drama Award" was established by English scholar and translator Yushi Odashima for the purpose of promoting translated plays in Japan. Considering not only the excellence of translation but also the performance of the performance, the most outstanding translation plays and translators performed in the year are selected and commended. Musical 'Fan Letter' was recognized for its high degree of completion, with translator Noriko Kimura winning the translation award at the same time.
Japan 'Fan Letter' was also nominated for three awards at the Tokyo Musical Awards TOKYO' to be held at the Hibiya BaseQ Hall in Midtown Tokyo on February 6. The 'Musical Awards Tokyo' is the first award ceremony to be established this year, and recognizes musical works performed in Japan and the achievements of creators, actors, and staff to contribute to the development of musicals in Japan. In 'Fan Letter', Naoto Kaiho as Jeong Se-hoon was selected as the lead actor award, Haruka Kinoshita as Hikaru was selected as the supporting actor award, and Noriko Kimura, the translator, was selected as the candidate for the translation award.
The Japanese license premiere of 'Fan Letter' was produced by entertainment giant TOHO. From September 9 to 30, 2024, he performed at the approximately 600-seat Theater Crete in central Tokyo, and then toured the Hyogo Prefectural Arts and Culture Center from October 4-6.
The Japanese performance introduced a new direction and stage art while using the script and music of the fourth season of the original Korean performance. The stage, which was directed by Tamiya Kuriyama, a great Japanese performance master, and emphasized theatrical elements, sold out day after day and received praise from the audience and critics. As it is a story of Korean writers who tried to protect our literature against the backdrop of Japanese colonial era in the 1930s, Japanese productions also tried to protect the message of the work by educating the creators and cast members on historical background knowledge.
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| 'fan letter" London showcase poster. Photo = Live |
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Musical 'Fan Letter' is a musical set in Japanese colonial era in the 1930s and based on stories of genius writers Kim Yoo-jung and Lee Sang, who represent Korean literature, and Koo In-hoe, a pure literature organization. It depicts the artistic spirit and love of writers in a fascinating way, led by genius novelist Kim Hae-jin, aspiring novelist Jeong Se-hoon who admires him, and secret author Hikaru. Since its successful domestic premiere in 2016, it has been established as a steady-selling musical in name and reality through four seasons.
Beyond Korea, 'Fan Letter', which captivated Asian audiences in Taiwan, China, and Japan, held an English version showcase in London on November 4, 2024, starting its entry into the Anglo-American world. In order to promote the overseas expansion and distribution of creative musicals, the highlight performance was performed for about 40 minutes at Lillian Bayless Studios in London, England, with the support of the '2024 K-Musical Road Show in London' hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Arts Management Support Center. The production was made up of staff and actors active in the UK, and a team of Asian actors was formed to maximize the sentiment of works containing the Korean era.
With awards in Japan and China, 'Fan Letter' is expected to further strengthen its position on the global stage. Kang Byung-won, CEO of Live, said "This award is an achievement that once again confirms the artistry of 'Fan Letter' and its potential to expand to the world stage. In the future, we will continue to present works that can impress audiences from various countries," he said.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
