PRODUCED BY EMK MUSICAL COMPANY Co., Ltd
BASED ON THE NOVEL THE MAN WHO LAUGHS BY VICTOR HUGO

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Eum, Hong Hyun
PRODUCER Sophy Jiwon Kim
BOOK & DIRECTOR Robert Johanson
MUSIC Frank Wildhorn
LYRICS Jack Murphy
MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR Kim, Moon Jung
CHOREOGRAPHER Jayme McDaniel
SCENIC DESIGNER Oh, Pil-young
COSTUME DESIGNER Koo, Yun Young
SOUND DESIGNER Kim, ,Ji Hyun
PROJECTION DESIGNER Seung Kue Song
WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Kim, Yoo Sun

Based on the novel with the same title by Victor Hugo, the musical ‘The Man Who Laughs’ is EMK Musical Company’s second larg-scale creative musical. The novel, which was regarded by Hugo himself as his best work, vividly depicts the ugliness of the aristocracy in 17th-century England. Robert Johanson, who is the writer and director of the musical, watched an in-flight movie with the same title (2012). Inspired by the film, Johanson suggested producing a musical based on the story, leading to the launch of the production work.

The main element of ‘The Man Who Laughs’ is Comprachicos, a group of criminals who kidnapped, mutilated and disfigured children to force them to be exhibited for aristocrats in the 17th century. Kidnapped by them, Gwynplaine has his mouth mutilated into a perpetual grin. One day, he rescues an infant girl named Dea left alone in a snowstorm, Wandering with the girl, Gwynplaine meets an itinerant carnival vendor called Ursus and grows up under his care. Gwynplaine and the blind girl Dea travel everywhere with Ursus as members of the drug-selling troupe. Meanwhile, the performance unveils the hypocrisy that lies behind the splendor of the aristocracy through the following characters: Duchess Josiana who is bored by the dull and hypocrite court life and Lord David Dirry-Moir and Phedro who aspire to political power.

The musical conveys Victor Hugo’s own message: “The paradise of the rich is made out of the hell of the poor.” Modeled after Gwynplaine’s mutilated mouth, the stage design symbolizes scars and tunnels. The luxurious space of the aristocracy is described in an exaggerated way while that of the poor feels simple but cozy.

The blockbuster-scale musical ‘The Man Who Laughs’ has been acclaimed for its colorful stage design, which contrasts the space of the aristocracy and that of the traveling troupe, and for its sensitive music composed by Frank Wildhorn who served as the composer of ‘Jekyll & Hyde’. The musical’s successful premiere had Korean pop stars such as Park Hyo-shin and Suho (leader of the boy group Exo), thus attracting an audience of 240,000 for the shows at the Opera House of Seoul Arts Center and those at the Interpark Hall of Blue Square that were staged right after those at Seoul Arts Center. In 2018, the musical raked in accolades for the best musical of the year at Korea’s three major award ceremonies for musicals: Yegreen Musical Awards, Korea Musical Awards and E-daily Culture Awards. It also won positive comments from critics. In April 2019, the musical’s license was exported to Japan’s Toho and the performance was staged at Nissay Theatre with Japanese performers.

REVIEW

The musical’s rich numbers by Jason Howland and the music director Kim Moon Jung express each situation’s own message. The music, which is sometimes sweet and sometimes explosive, highlights the performers’ vocal capacity while expressing each character’s emotions more effectively.
- Heo Seol-hee, reporter of My Daily

The musical ceaselessly oscillates between the luxurious world of the aristocracy and the dark and fragmented world of the poor represented by the small traveling troupe. However, the performance plays with the audience so shrewdly that they don’t even notice the border between the two worlds.
- Yu Ju-hyun, reporter of Joongang Sunday

It is not an exaggeration to say that the ‘stage’ leads the performance. For 170 minutes, the stage brings the audience to a state of ecstasy. Once you enter the theater, you see a stage design inspired by Gwynplaine’s mutilated mouth. Later on, you see the chair of the Duchess Josiana and seats in the House of Lords. These images last long after the show.
- Cho Yu-kyung, reporter of Sports DongA

About the Production Company

Founded in 2009 by co-producing ‘The Three Musketeers’, EMK Musical Company is Korea’s representative musical production company. During the period when Broadway and West End musicals attracted many Koreans, the company successfully brought to the Korean market European musicals such as the Austrian musical ‘Mozart!’ (2010) and the Viennese musical ‘Elisabeth’ (2012). Such success led to the company’s growth. Since 2016, the company has also produced blockbuster-scale creative musicals almost once a year. Such creative musicals include ‘Mata Hari’ (2016), ‘The Man Who Laughs’ (2018) and ‘Excalibur’ (2019). Staging at least four musicals a year, the company is currently more active than any other musical production company in Korea. Its representative performances include ‘Monte Cristo’ (2010), ‘Rebecca’ (2013) and ‘Rudolf’ (2012).