The musical “Anna Karenina,” based on the masterpiece by Russian literary giant Leo Tolstoy, has returned to the stage with overwhelming scale and artistic completion.
Opening on February 20 at the Grand Theater of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, this season marks the production’s return after about seven years. The work portrays a woman’s fate as she wavers between love and marriage, desire and social convention, unfolding the sweeping narrative through grand orchestration and lavish staging. A vivid depiction of Russian aristocratic society combined with large-scale direction underscores the power of a classic reborn for the modern stage.
This season expands the production into a seamless fusion of skating, opera, ballet and musical composition. Specialists from each discipline collaborated to maximize artistic depth, allowing distinct art forms to merge into a unified theatrical language. By dissolving genre boundaries, the performance demonstrates the layered sensory impact achievable in contemporary stage art.
One of the most arresting early sequences features live skating. Figure skaters Kim Da-min, Kim Hyun, Byun Se-jong and Kim Kyu-eun translate on-ice technique into stage performance for pivotal scenes. Their dynamic movements, shaped by experience in national winter competitions, add striking tension and visual exhilaration to the production.
The emotional foundation of the performance rests on its ensemble. Lee Su-hyun, Kim Yo-han, Yoo Sun-hoo, Lee Woo-jin, Choi Woo-sung, Lee Ha-eun, Lim Ji-eun, Han Su-in, Son Seol-bin and Yang Ho-sung deliver dense harmonies infused with Russian musical sentiment. Majestic choral passages and lyrical numbers sustain the dramatic arc with weight and resonance.
Professional dancers also command attention. Lee Dong-myung, Oh Hyun-jung, Jung Sun-gi, Lee Seul-i, Na Hye-young and Kim Han-sol traverse ballet and contemporary dance, translating emotional nuance into expansive, precisely synchronized movement. Their choreography visually amplifies the narrative flow and intensifies the stage’s dramatic density.
In the opera house scene, inspired by legendary soprano Adelina Patti, vocalists Han Kyung-mi and Kang Hye-jung perform arias live, filling the grand theater with resonant operatic projection. The moment evokes the grandeur of 19th-century European artistry and heightens the production’s dramatic atmosphere.
At the center stands Anna. Ock Joo-hyun embodies the character with commanding vocal power and magnetic presence. Kim So-hyang reveals the character’s layered psychology through nuanced emotional control, while Lee Ji-hye presents a contrasting interpretation, expressing Anna’s yearning for freedom with crystalline tone and explosive vocal strength.
As Vronsky, Yoon Hyung-ryul, Moon Yoo-kang and Jung Seung-won bring intensity, while Lee Gun-myung and Min Young-ki lend gravitas to Karenin. Baek Seung-ryeol, Noh Yoon, Jung Yu-ji and Yoo So-ri complete the intricate emotional relationships that define the story.
Through the integration of singing, acting, dance, skating and operatic performance, “Anna Karenina” reimagines a literary classic with contemporary theatrical language. The monumental fusion of art forms delivers both immersive spectacle and lingering emotional resonance.
The musical “Anna Karenina” runs through March 29 at the Grand Theater of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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