austraLasia #3069
New
Musical Tells Story of the Late Fr John Lee
SEOUL:
14 May 2012 -
A new musical is due to go public on 26 May, presenting hte
life and
work of the late Fr John lee SDB. In contrast to a number of
earlier
presentations through film, this musical has had close
association with
the Salesians and presents his life as Salesian, priest and
missionary.
It bears the same title of the film, however: 'Don't cry
Tonj', and is
produced by a professional entertainment company, 'Love Art'
in
collaboration with other associations.
The musical will first be presented to journalists on 19 May,
and then
will 'go public' on 26 May, most likely at the 'New Millennium
Hall' in
Seonggyunkwan University campus with 700 seats, located in the
middle
of Seoul city. Iit will play until 15 July, one show per
weekday and
twice over the weekends.
The Company has already presented the show to a packed 'early'
audience
of people who loved John and knew him well in his Salesian
setting: his
mother and family, SDBs FMAs, CSGs, many Sisters of other
congregations
as well diocesan priests, politicians, groups, corporations.
The new musical comes at a time when the country John loved
and worked
so much for along with other Salesians in Tonj who were with
him and
who carry on the work, is faced with conflict from without and
to some
extent also from within. Peace in the region is desperately
needed.
"I have tried to say something about peace. The peace-building
which we
have to engage in more as did 'Fr Jolly'. He wrote a song
immediately
after the Peace Agreement was signed between two parts of
Sudan as they
were then, in 2005, with the title 'I give you Peace'. We
introduced
this song in the musical as a central theme" the show's
director and
producer, Mrs Shim Eunsook, a mezzo-soprano, said.
Fr Michael Chang SDB, who runs the Salesian Missions Office
for KOR
Province, spoke in glowing terms of the production at the end
of its
first semi-public performance: "We are very grateful to the
production
company, to the performers for their huge effort to present of
our
beloved late confrere Fr John Lee's life and spirit through
this
emotional and powerful medium, a musical. We hope it will be a
great
success not only commercially but also in spreading the true
John Lee
and his charism, which was non other than Don Bosco's
charism".
When the Musical goes public, tickets will sell at prices
ranging from the equivalent to 30 - 70 US dollars.