Men and women, young and old, all become “Baekbeom” ... Boundary-breaking multicasting, voices of resistance raised through rap

[Financial News] The life of independence activist Kim Ku is brought to life through rap, contemporary music and dynamic performances. Breaking away from the conventions of historical dramas that solemnly recreate great figures from history, this distinctive production has multiple actors portray a single Baekbeom.
On the 23rd, Seoul Performing Arts Company said the production, commemorating the company’s 40th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of Baekbeom Kim Ku’s birth, is co-hosted by Seoul Performing Arts Company and the National Theater of Korea. It will run for a total of nine performances at the National Theater of Korea’s Haeoreum Grand Theater from November 14 to 21.

The production is a new work based on the musical Baekbeom, which premiered in 2020 at Yong Theater at the National Museum of Korea. Based on Baekbeom Ilji (The Autobiography of Kim Ku), it depicts the life of Kim Chang-am, who grew from a boy into independence activist Kim Ku, served as president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (KPG), and worked until the end to reunify his divided homeland after liberation.
What stands out most is the meeting of a historical figure and modern pop music. The unexpected pairing of Baekbeom Kim Ku and rap is a defining musical feature of the production. Through rap and other contemporary music, Seoul Performing Arts Company aims to bring today’s audiences vividly the yearning for independence, the conflicts of the era, and the convictions and anguish Baekbeom held.
The way Baekbeom is portrayed on stage is as distinctive as the music. Rather than having one actor perform the entirety of Kim Ku’s life, multiple actors of different genders and ages portray Baekbeom at different stages of life.
The approach of completing one person’s life through the voices and movements of multiple actors is tied to the production’s central message: “Baekbeom, a name for us all.” The story expands beyond Baekbeom’s life alone to tell of the ordinary people who stood together for independence and a new nation.
The staging, too, goes beyond realistically recreating historical events. Dynamic performances and LED visuals will be used to express the characters’ emotions and the energy of the era. The creative team includes playwright Jang Seong-hee, adapter and lyricist Jang Woo-sung, composer Won Mi-sol, director Jung Tae-young, and choreographer Hong Yu-seon.
Director Jung said at a press conference held on the 21st at Mugunghwa Hall at the Seoul Arts Center, “Scenes in which the value at the heart of Mr. Kim Ku’s belief—that every ordinary person is the owner of the nation—is shouted aloud and embodied through gestures are organically connected.”
Composer Won Mi-sol explained that they had considered how to capture in music the fact that the choices of those who lived through that era shaped South Korea today. In particular, Won stressed, “The rap that features prominently in the production is not a device for making it look cool, but a form of expression that directly conveys suppressed voices and the energy of resistance.”
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