A dance team performs “The Legend of Stars” at KEPCO Art Center in Seoul in May 2016. (Uijeongbu Arts Center)

Uijeongbu Music Theatre Festival, one of the biggest cultural festivals in Korea, will fill the city of Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi Province with music and drama next month.

Launched in 2002, the annual music theatre festival held in Uijeongbu every May features several international performances that combine music and drama as well as free programs for visitors to participate in.

Forty teams will give a total of 60 performances during the festival which takes place at Uijeongbu Arts Center and nearby areas in the city from May 12 to 21. Teams from six countries, including Denmark, Spain and Latvia, will stage the three main performances. Under the theme of “Fantasy,” the festival aims to bring people together with musical joy and happiness.

One of the main productions of UMTF 2017 is “K-Culture SHOW ‘The Legend of Star,’” co-produced by the Uijeongbu Arts Center and HJ Culture. Scheduled for the first day of the festival, it tells the familiar tale of star-crossed lovers Gyeonu and Jiknyeo in a dance form.

“The show combines cutting-edge technology and media art with a street dance performance at an unprecedented scale,” said Park Hyung-sik, chairman of Music Theater Festival Committee.

“We recommend the piece to foreign visitors, as it creates a mixture of Korean culture beyond K-pop.”

The Latvian Radio Choir performs “War Sum Up” in Denmark in 2011. (Uijeongbu Arts Center)

Among the upcoming performances are free outdoor concerts where visitors can enjoy traditional Korean musical performances such as pansori (Korean narrative song), and opera “War Sum Up” that addresses the nature of war, co-created by teams from Denmark and Latvia.

Special discount packages are available via the festival website that allow visitors to exchange used items with tickets for the performances.

“We plan to make Uijeongbu the most culturally engaged and creative city in Korea, where everybody can take part wherever they come from,” said Park.

So Hong-sam, director of administration of UMTF, also said, “Since most of the performances come with videos and images rather than narratives, people will be able to enjoy the shows regardless of their nationality.”

A street art performance team showcases “Alice in Wonderland” in front of Uijeongbu Arts Center in May 2015. (Uijeongbu Arts Center)

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)