“Shinheung Military Academy” stood proud as one of the nominees for best musical in the Korea Musical Awards last Monday. But while the top prize…
“Shinheung Military Academy” stood proud as one of the nominees for best musical in the Korea Musical Awards last Monday. But while the top prize went to another production, “Shinheung” will always be a winner in our hearts.
Our purpose for going to Busan amid subzero conditions last December was to see South Korean actor Ji Chang-wook in the flesh. However, “Shinheung Military Academy” left us with more than just a fangirl fix: its lofty story about love for country, and dying for it, unexpectedly tugged at our heartstrings.
“Shinheung Military Academy” was a musical staged by the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) in celebration of its 70th founding anniversary. It premiered in September of last year and went on a four-month national tour, with its last four shows held last Jan. 4 to 6 in the province of Daegu.
The announcement that Chang-wook and fellow celebrities, Kang Ha-neul and Sung Kyu, would be part of the musical got their fans worked up. It was a chance to see the three actor-singers who have been out of the limelight while they serve their two years of mandatory military duty.
It would have been easy to walk out of the theater after the show satisfied just to have seen them in person. However, what these talented actors managed to deliver to the audience—aside from a healthy dose of their good looks—was an inspirational tribute to the countless nameless patriots who fought for Korean independence from the Japanese colonialists in the early 1900s.
Complementing the superstar headliners was a superb supporting ensemble made up of fellow enlisted soldiers and veteran stage actors.
