Yonsei News

Shownote’s Works, Defined as Both Challenging and Well-Made

The musical “Lizzie,” produced by Shownote, won the Best Production Award (less than 400 seats) at the “5^th Korean Musical Awards” held at the Blue Square Interpark Hall on February 11, 2021. According to Hansaem Song, Vice President and a producer of Shownote, “”Lizzie” is the work that sends a delightful message to the world. The reason we can continue presenting such works is probably because society is still immature. I hope the day will come when we can’t present “Lizzie.””

Although it started out of concern that it might be too early for an adventure, musicals and plays produced by Song and Shownote, such as “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” a musical that has now become one of the leading classics in the performance industry, as well as “Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,” and “Shakespeare’s R&J,” which gained strong popularity in the theater in recent days, have always been praised as ‘well made’ and referred to as ‘challenging messages.’ We met with Song (Chinese Language and Literature, entering class of ‘93), who is preparing for another big challenge with the musical “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” based on such experience.

Days in Yonsei with Singing Clubs: Engraving the Values of Autonomy and Innovation

“It was 1992 when I was a senior in high school. I started to grow strong interest in China as South Korea and China established diplomatic relations that year. I liked languages, and I thought learning Chinese and studying Chinese literature would help me in my future career. Why did I choose Yonsei University? Because it’s cool and the classiest. (laugh)”

The story of his university life was mainly about singing clubs and the family-like Chinese Language and Literature department.

“I worked very hard in my club activities. I sang folk songs in ‘Norae Sawi,’ a singing club of Chinese Language and Literature major, and the Moonnoryeon (Singing Club Association of the College of Liberal Arts). I even took my military leave to attend a singing club event. I wrote songs with Norae Sawi and won the prize for two consecutive years at the ‘Azalea Song Festival’ during the Muak Festival (annual May festival of Yonsei University). There was a time when I wrote songs in the student council auditorium and performed a music play, but then it went viral and other university student councils and singing club members came to watch. It is remembered as a very exciting memory.”

“There was a professor couple, Professor Kang-Bum Lee and Professor Sun-Ja Kim, who taught Chinese in our department. They actually taught and took care of us like our parents or high school teachers. Sometimes I missed a class while playing foot volleyball on a vacant space on the campus. Then Professor Lee came to catch me. (Laughter) It was really a family-like atmosphere; such a special memory to me.”

Every corner of the campus where Song used to sing with his friends are the place where he now misses the most at Yonsei University.

“In fact, there was a small forest like a hill that was not crowded in the alley from the College of Liberal Arts to the College of Law. It was a hangout place for me and my friends, where we drank, got drunk, sang songs, and talked. I wonder if it is still there... I remember not only that place, but other places where I carried my guitar on my back and drank, sang, and talked with my friends on the lawn.”

In the performance industry, Song is known as a bold and innovative, yet reasonable producer. He said that he was strongly influenced by the academic culture and members of Yonsei University.

“If there are two opposite values exist, rule and tradition on the one side, and creativity, innovation, and unconstrained autonomy on the another, I think I’m relatively close to the latter. It’s probably because of the academic culture of Yonsei University. It’s a part of me, something like DNA. When my seniors and professors tried to do something, they explained rather than forcing me, and they persuaded rather than pushed me to do things. We attached great importance to the value of autonomy, and even between seniors and juniors, we felt comfortable with each other like friends rather than having strict discipline. ‘Yonsei’ influenced me a lot actually.”

Meeting with Performing Arts as a Profession, and the Legend of ”Hedwig and the Angry Inch”

Song joined a conglomerate electronics company after graduating from Yonsei, but left after six months because it did not feel right for him. He then joined the Orion Group affiliated performing arts company called ‘Jaemiro,’ where he met performing arts again. When he was working in the recording business division, he was responsible for supporting the Korean premiere of “The Phantom of the Opera,” which was a company-wide project at the time, and came into contact with musicals. He later moved to the musical division and worked on masterpieces such as “Cats” and “Beauty and the Beast.” When the company withdrew from the musical business, three team leaders co-created the company Shownote. It was the musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” that hit the jackpot at that time.

“Everyone in the industry was interested in whether “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” which deals with an unconventional theme of transgender, can succeed in South Korea. All they said was it will ‘go big or go home.’ I wondered if the audience would feel the sincerity and value of this work, but the tickets were sold out as soon as they became available. I can’t forget the feeling at that time. Since all tickets were sold out and no tickets were left, Nam Kyung-joo, one of Korea’s top senior musical actors, had to stand in the corner beside the air conditioner behind the theater to watch the show. When he was leaving the venue after the show, he said he really enjoyed watching it. As can be seen by original director John Cameron Mitchell’s visits to Korea with great affection, the Korean version of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is considered as one of the most successful productions in the world.”

However, the success of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” gave him a sense of challenge for creative musicals.

“My desire for creation grew after establishing Shownote. At the time, when it comes to creative musicals, other executives said it was premature because it was doomed to fail no matter what, but I couldn’t stand it. So, I created a company called ‘Show FAC, Inc.’ and tried to produce a creative musical called “A Charming Mass Suicide.””

Then the first creative stage he made with great efforts ended in bitter failure.

“There was a limit in all publicity since ‘suicide’ was included in the title of the work. I produced this musical with the hope that at least one person would escape from sadness and despair after watching it, but there was a severe backlash against the title. I experienced a great failure despite the enthusiasm, effort, and help of those who participated, and for me, it is remained both as a little trauma and a lesson... like a growth ring that hardens me. It’s really probably the biggest callus in my life, the callus that still hurts but hardened me.”

Song experienced a big failure, but continued to present unusual and fresh new works such as “Evil Dead” and “Rain Man.” He was recognized for his insight and sense of presenting the work, as well as solid fundamentals of a producer. He succeeded in presenting large-scale musicals such as “Zorro” and entered into commercial stability.

Challenges of “Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”, “Shakespeare’s R&J" and “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”

Producer Hansaem Song and Shownote are currently presenting the musical “Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” and the play “Shakespeare’s R&J.” They are also preparing the masterpiece musical called “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” which is set to open on March 20.

“In fact, we prepared extremely hard for the musical last year, but it was canceled a few days before the show due to COVID-19. Although we’ve gone through twists and turns, everyone including staff and actors is preparing for it passionately. Unprecedented format and innovative immersive (audience immersion) content have become a weak point during the COVID-19 era, but we are fully preparing for it. The audience will come prepared to enjoy it more safely than anyone else in the theater. If this work succeeds again, it will help expand the scope of selecting works in the performing arts industry.”

Shownote consider ‘diversity’ as an important value in selecting works.

“We want to provide the audience with a wide range of choices. For example, who would reject “The Phantom of the Opera,” which is considered as one of the world’s ’top 4’ musicals? But there are many other types of work as well. In particular, I like the ones that convey the message that, rather than trying to help minority people by considering them as minorities, ‘the starting line is the same as them in the first place.’ What I mean is that disability, sexual orientation, or anything like this is not used as a mere tool of inspiration or interest. Previous works often used such grammar and methods, but now the times have changed. I think that as the times change, the subject consciousness of cultural contents should also change. “Lizzie,” which recently won the Best Production Award, strikes the back of the traditional male supremacy and white supremacy and it’s really exhilarating. Besides, what I like so much about that narrative is that there’s no dogmatic mention of the subject consciousness. It’s full of subject consciousness, but doesn’t openly say it by saying ‘this should be like this.’ In other words, it has a greater impact because it doesn’t try to teach the audience.”

Song throws a question on the stage by presenting fresh work each time. We asked him what was the most important for him as a producer.

“I think it is humanities. The producer has to broaden the horizon of one’s thinking and keep innovating, but in the end we tend to see as much as we know and feel as much as we know. So, I constantly study new areas through the humanities. I can also deepen my insight to see new subjects, and when someone sends me a message, I need my background knowledge to accept it. Even when I send a message, I shouldn’t be sending it in a difficult way. To do so, I think that humanistic knowledge is necessary.”

“I think another important virtue as a producer would be nosiness. Producers are basically those who need to communicate. Somehow, I gained knowledge in various fields here and there. I studied music, wrote lyrics and plays, and learned techniques and mechanisms for stage and sound, etc. So, there are times when I respect and envy the specialists who have only concentrated on one particular area and the craftsmen in one field, but the producer must become a generalist who connects and communicates with specialists everywhere. So, I continue to study this and that with the desire to become a good generalist.”

Dear Graduates of 2021: Don't Compare Yourself to Your Mates

“Don’t be stressed by comparing yourself to your classmates who are graduating now in particular. Now is a very short moment. There’s no need to compare who has achieved what and be stressed about it. The average life expectancy has largely increased. I’d just like to say that it is important to find my field and find confidence in it, rather than struggling with the difference between a year or two now. In the long run, solid strength and endurance will be more important than a TOEFL score. I hope that you will communicate with yourself and strengthen your inner self to increase your confidence.”

Song is about to embark on another adventure called “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.” Although there is a major obstacle of COVID-19, he seems to have great confidence in the work and the teamwork that creates this work. In a rapidly changing era like today, we hope that he will once again meet with the audience by overcoming the obstacle through his works that reflect the current era with strong sincerity and enthusiasm.