The Camellia Blossoms

The innocence of first love: the beloved classic novella ‘The Camellia Blossoms’ returns to the stage after 4 years!

About the Show

Winner of the Best Production Award in the Open Category at the Seoul Theater Festival and selected for the 2017 Artist-in-Residence Support Program. As a hallmark production from Geuk Dan A Ri-rang—a company boasting 31 years of theatrical tradition—this bright and joyful musical theatre piece breathes new life into Kim Yu-jeong’s nationally celebrated short story.

“So, what is it that I’m not supposed to be doing?”

Highlights

Geuk Dan A Ri-rang’s 31-year heritage meets its signature production, The Camellia Blossoms Kim Yu-jeong’s beloved short story is reborn as an uplifting musical theatre work uniquely crafted by A Ri-rang. A heart-warming performance that stirs up fond memories of childhood innocence and first love.

A play for audiences of all generations! The young protagonist and Jeom-sun evoke universally cherished memories of puppy love that transcend social standing and financial divides. For middle-aged and older audiences, it offers a nostalgic journey back to simpler days; for teenagers, it paints a vivid picture of the very feelings they are experiencing; and for young children, it provides both an enriching sensory experience through traditional musical theatre and an exciting opportunity to watch a classroom literary classic spring to life on stage.

The irresistible, multifaceted charm of A Ri-rang’s ensemble! Slapstick action, flavorful regional dialect, and sweet traditional Korean melodies! The remote mountains of Gangwon Province and comical cockfights are recreated through theatrical imagination alongside the tender, budding romance between two youths. The authentic Gangwon dialect and recurring A Ri-rang melodies are true highlights of the performance. Audiences can also take part in pre-show festivities (ap-puri), learning traditional Korean rhythms and games. In addition to The Camellia Blossoms, characters and elements from Kim Yu-jeong’s other celebrated stories like The Mountain Village (San-gol) and Spring, Spring (Bom-bom) make surprise appearances throughout the play.

A spring breeze of celebration! Experience a fresh, vibrant Korean musical play. Actors move like dancers to shifting drumbeats, delivering text that weaves seamlessly between spoken dialogue, song, and rhythmic chant. Founded on the principle of modernizing traditional Korean performing arts (yeonhui), Geuk Dan A Ri-rang brings three decades of refined performance craft to full bloom in this production. A must-see not only for theatre aficionados who remember Jeom-a Jeom-a Kong-jeom-a and The Jeong Yak-yong Project, but also for newcomers looking for an inventive and delightful theatrical experience.

Synopsis

A naive boy who knows nothing but hard farm work, and Jeom-sun, a spirited girl who secretly fancies him. Jeom-sun offers him some potatoes to show her affection, but the clueless boy bluntly turns them down. Spited and thoroughly frustrated, Jeom-sun begins using her rooster ‘Teun-teun-i’ to bully the boy’s rooster ‘Kko-kko’. In response, the boy starts feeding chili paste to Kko-kko to train him for an epic showdown…

Audience Reviews

• “I went with a friend, but honestly, I wished I had brought my parents along instead!” (78m**)
• “Shoulders bouncing to the beat! My mom loved it so much. Left a review because watching her enjoy it felt like such a rewarding gift.” (eunji**)
• “Open to ages 8 and up, making it the perfect cheerful play for the family. Went with a friend, but the whole family could easily come and have a blast.” (happy19**)
• “A wonderful play that audiences of all ages can appreciate from their own perspective. Highly recommended! :)” (angel95**)
• “There are plenty of plays out there, but few truly satisfy people of all ages. Whether you come with family, a partner, or friends, this is a show everyone will enjoy.” (aqua5**)