The face of musical theatre in London is set to change as a Korean theatre company arrives in the city next month to perform an epic spectacular that fuses Eastern and Western cultures. The Hyundai Theatre Company performed ‘Another Sun’ in New York last year on the anniversary of 9/11 and it is due to play at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, on August 27 and 28 with three free performances.

Musician and conductor Joseph A Baker, who first worked on Broadway with David Cassidy in Blood Brothers, and whose credits include Wicked, Lion King and Starlight Express, says he has never been so excited about a musical production.

Joseph, who is the show’s musical conductor, is working alongside Another Sun’s Korean director Kim, Jin Young, and production supervisor Jeff Markowitz, who like Joseph boasts impressive Broadway credentials.

The orchestra will include traditional Korean musical instruments such as the Daegum and Haegum that will give the production a unique sound for Western audiences and the dance scenes will reflect Korean martial arts fused with the best of Broadway.

“When I started on this project in Seoul I didn’t knowanything about Korean audiences. I found they were sophisticated and theywant genuine feelings and emotions in the play, not something overdone andfake. What Hyundai Theatre Company has done is to knock down the walls of thetraditional musical, such as Phantom of the Opera, and to bring a new mergerof Western and Asian philosophies into one stunning piece. The work of all the various departments that come together to create a musical: lighting, set design, videography, choreography, costume design, musicians, actors and backstage crew are equal to any other theatre company in the world and certainly the equal of Broadway. The fact the musical is based on Korean History made it easier for me because here was something uniquely Korean I could add to, not have to build from scratch! I was able to learn about traditional Korean music and give it a slight variation so it sounds neither too Western nor too modern,” said Joseph A Baker.

The Hyundai Theatre Company, founded in 1976, has been performing around the world since 1995 promoting understanding of Korean performing arts.

“Our aim is to give London theatre-goers a unique glimpse into the rich world of Korean culture. Another Sun tells a great story of love, humanity and dangers of greed. It is based on the Korean mythology of Dangun, and brings to life the founding legend of the 5,000 years old Korean nation. We’d like this show to be the first of many performances in the UK. Audiences won’t have seen anything like this before,” said Another Sun director Kim, Jin Young.

Another Sun is scored by Jah Eun Lee, arranged and conducted by Joseph A. Baker with veteran Korean actor Kim, Sung-Won, playing the lead role of Dangun, with the mythical Goddess Mago character played by Woo, Sang-Min.