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'The value of simply loving': Opposites of King Yeongjo, son Sado collide in 'Shadow'

Published: 03 Oct. 2025, 07:00

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

A scene from the new rock musical ″Shadow″ running through Oct. 26 at the Baekam Art Hall in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [BLUE STAGE]

In 1762, King Yeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) infamously sealed his son, Crown Prince Sado, inside a rice chest and left him to starve to death over eight days.

This dark chapter of Korean history — a kind of extreme, tragic parable of a domineering father and misunderstood son — has become the inspiration for “Shadow,” a blistering new rock musical running through Oct. 26 at Baekam Art Hall in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Rather than dwell on the horror of Sado’s end, the show reimagines an alternate path: The rice chest becomes a portal for time travel, allowing the prince to meet his father again, not as a tyrant but as a vulnerable child.

A scene from the new rock musical ″Shadow″ running through Oct. 26 at the Baekam Art Hall in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [BLUE STAGE]

The musical marks a comeback for Dimo Kim, who wrote and directed “Comfort Women,” the first off-Broadway show to be directed by a Korean, recounting the lives of Korean sex slaves during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. Premiering in 2015, it was restaged in Los Angeles in 2019 and won three BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards, including Best Musical and Best Director.

"Shadow" is his first show in Korea as a director.

“New York's musical scene after Covid has been pretty slow to rebound," Kim told the Korea JoongAng Daily at a cafe in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 25. He saw more opportunities to create a new musical in Seoul and teamed up with American composer Andy Roninson and Jane Hur, making her debut as a musical writer through “Shadow.”

“I've always been passionate about writing, but like Sado, was not able to pursue those dreams because of strict parents,” Hur said. “Sado was someone who loved things with all his heart, even if that passion didn’t make him a shining star. And isn’t there value in simply loving something that deeply?

“When parents can’t understand that love, or society dismisses it, I feel like Sado still speaks to us in this moment. In a way, you could see Yeongjo as representing society at large, while Sado embodies the individual. That’s how I’ve tried to interpret their relationship.”

A scene from the new rock musical ″Shadow″ running through Oct. 26 at the Baekam Art Hall in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [BLUE STAGE]

Three years in the making, their collaboration has yielded a stylish spectacle including leather pants, charismatic performers — from a K-pop idol to seasoned veterans — and a rock score layered with unexpected touches of K-pop, folk and R&B, performed by an onstage four-piece band.

“It really felt like an organic kind of chemistry,” Kim said. “Honestly, it was chaotic — almost like we were all a little crazy […] but that chaos created such great synergy.”

Below is the Korea JoongAng Daily’s interview with Hur and Kim. Excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.

A scene from the new rock musical ″Shadow″ running through Oct. 26 at the Baekam Art Hall in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [BLUE STAGE]

How did you all meet?

Kim: Writer Jane Hur, composer Andy Roninson and I were all part of the team that made short, seconds-long musical reels. After making those, we decided to make a real musical together and started throwing around potential ideas.

Why did you choose to make this part of Korean history a musical?

Hur: I also have a complicated relationship with my parents. In many ways, they remind me of King Yeongjo. I was originally on track to study film at New York University, but because my parents opposed it, I switched to a psychology major. Later, I became a professor and pursued a Ph.D. in marketing, following a path my parents considered more respectable. But I rejected that vision eventually and chose instead to pursue what I truly wanted - writing - which took a very long time.

Who is Sado, in your words?

Hur: Sado wasn’t someone with world-famous talent, but he had extraordinary passion. He was obsessed with drawing and martial arts to the extent that he collected manuals from all over the world.

In today’s culture, “being a nerd” or “being a die-hard fan” is often celebrated. If you look at it that way, Sado resembles us: someone who loves something with all his heart, even if that passion doesn’t make him a shining star. Isn’t there value in simply loving something that deeply?

Personally, I found the character of Yeongjo especially intriguing. He is clearly the antagonist in the linear scheme of things, but in the production, he is explored in even greater depth than Crown Prince Sado. Was there a particular reason you chose to focus so much on Yeongjo’s story?

Hur: Yes, he is clearly the antagonist. But I wanted to give Sado moments of observing his father’s interiority, his vulnerabilities. Some people might say that’s “romanticizing” Yeongjo, but I don’t see it that way. Historical records themselves show traces of his fragility. And just as my own parents can be terrifying yet still carry scars from their younger days, I imagined that Sado, as a son, might have perceived something different in Yeongjo’s inner self.

So, I didn’t frame Yeongjo as the sole antagonist. Inevitably, he is doomed to play that role — like an Oedipal figure caught in fate — but I wanted Sado’s interpretation of his father to reveal another layer, one that complicates the notion of “villain.”

How did you balance history and fiction?

Hur: Honestly, it was more comfortable and even enjoyable to delve into the historical facts. I spent about two years conducting research and consulting with experts. But the director very wisely reminded me: “Do we really need to know this? Is the audience coming here to uncover the historical truth?” If I hadn’t heard that, I probably would have kept leaning on the history, because I was anxious about being criticized for inaccuracies.

Initially, the language of the script was also archaic, full of old expressions, to maintain historical authenticity. However, the director suggested that we change it to a more modern speech, and that is our final product today.

What is a memorable review you’ve seen so far?

Hur: One of the most memorable reviews for me said something like, “Through this musical, I really tried to understand my own father, who used to beat me mercilessly.” That stuck with me. Others have written things like, “I decided to take a trip with my mother for a week so we could really get to know each other.” Those kinds of comments resonate with me the most.

Kim: There was one review that felt like a comprehensive set — it broke down everything: the lighting, the story, the characters — almost like they had fully absorbed our intentions. As creators, we always wonder, “Will people understand what we put on paper once it’s staged in three dimensions?” Seeing those reviews that say they not only understood but also enjoyed it is incredibly rewarding.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]