The Heavenly Clock — A Gugak Musical

Selected by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Traditional Performance Development Programme (2004), the Korea Science Foundation (2004), and the Arts Council Korea (2005), and for the Korea Culture & Content Agency digital single programme (2005).

“Star-crazy fool” — our musical, The Heavenly Clock

King Sejong and Jang Yeong-sil: an epic of the heroes who made Joseon prosperous and strong, and a love for just one person. The proud history of the sage king Sejong and the great figures of Joseon is born as a musical — and has grown beyond the hopes of its 2004 premiere into a fully original Korean musical.

Set in the reign of King Sejong, when Korean science and culture flourished most, and based on historical records of Jang Yeong-sil, a genius scientist born a commoner, it shows with gusto how he overcame the pressure of great powers and a society steeped in deference to them. What is the meaning of the star engraved on every one of his inventions?

The heart of the musical is Yeong-sil’s one love, Ye-seong — a heartbreakingly beautiful story. His love for her is carved as a star into each invention.

At its 2004 premiere it drew attention as the world’s first musical composed entirely in the Korean traditional music idiom, played live by an eleven-piece gugak chamber ensemble, and was praised as a new attempt that showed the potential of Korean original musicals. In January 2006 it was reborn with more dramatic and varied music, refined dance, a fantastic chorus and court dances such as Bongnaeui, the Jinju sword dance and the flower-crown dance, alongside dynamic flag and taekkyeon dances. Recreated on stage through song, dance and set design, Jang Yeong-sil’s masterpieces delight audiences, as the show steps out of the shadow of imported musicals to champion a truly homegrown one.