Global Theater Streaming Platform MetaTheater to Start Live Streaming of JUN. K, BAEKHO, and Hong Joo Chan-Led Original Musical EQUAL on January 21!
· A 2-person play born as a K-musical that encompasses metaphors of the pandemic era!
· Live streaming service using volumetric technology to be revealed in February!
▲ JUN. K plays Theo
▲ Hong Joo Chan plays Nicola
▲ BAEKHO plays Theo
MetaTheater(CEO Shin Junghwa) which globally distributes live theater performances through its platform will kick off live streaming the K-musical EQUAL starring 2PM’s JUN. K, Golden Child’s Hong Joo Chan, and NU'EST’s BAEKHO on January 21st.
EQUAL is an original 2-person play set during the 17th century Europe during a time of confusion and chaos due to the conspiracy theories rising along with the approaching end of the century. Adapted as a K-musical, it will contain metaphors of the current pandemic era. K-musical production company SHINSWAVE produced the original play of the same title by the genius playwright and stage director Kenichi Suemitsu, which was presented in Korea for the first time 2020.
The protagonists are Theo and Nicola. JUN. K and BAEKHO play the simpleminded and cheerful rural doctor, Theo who struggles to save his friend Nicola. JUN. K is 2PM’s main vocalist who is also multi-talented in composing songs and writing lyrics. He has been diligently building his career as a musical actor through his roles like D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers and Daniel in Jack the Ripper. Also in the role of Theo is BAEKHO who debuted as Ha Ram in the very first Korean global live streaming musical, Midnight Sun, produced by SHINSWAVE. Following that, he also played Matthew, an idol leader loved by teenagers, in the Broadway musical Altar Boyz which ended its run on December 24th to positive reception.
Meanwhile, Hong Joo Chan was cast for the role of the sensitive and delicate Nicola who’s stuck at home due to his incurable disease. As the main vocalist of his team, Hong Joo Chan actively performed as Golden Child while continuously showing off different charms by starring in the SHINSWAVE-produced musicals Sonata of a Flame, followed by the Broadway musical Altar Boyz.
With the new generation of K-POP stars as its cast, EQUAL the musical will be an upgraded K-musical performance. Leading Korean musical producers will create outstanding stage art, which will be combined with Korean audiovisual artworks that became renown thanks to works like Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite and the Netflix series Squid Game. In addition, volumetric technology which digitizes humans will be implemented and released in February, which will not only show how much K-musicals have grown technologically, but also mark EQUAL as a piece that exceeds the limits of expression in the realm of performing arts.
Meanwhile, EQUAL the musical will provide streaming services on the global platform MetaTheater(http://metatheater.live) and live viewings at CGV and global theater chains for K-POP and K-musical fans during a time when in-person viewings have discontinued due to the spread of COVID-19’s variant, Omicron. Tickets can be purchased until an hour before the start of the show on MetaTheater’s website for online viewing, and the service will be made available starting on January 21st. As for the global live viewings at theater chains like CGV, the schedule will be made available on CGV’s website. For more information on EQUAL, please visit SHINSWAVE’s official social media accounts like Instagram and Twitter, MetaTheater’s website, or MetaTheater’s official social media accounts.
CGV Korea and GH Cinema chain in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore (Schedule TBD)
Performance Schedule
December 31, 2021 to February 20, 2022
Runtime
100 minutes (no intermission)
Original playwright
Kenichi Suemitsu
Copyright
Watanabe Entertainment
Producer
Shin Jeong-Hwa
Adaptation/Lyricist
Soovin Kim
Composer/Arrangement
Woody Pak
Theater Direction
Michelle, Shim
Cast
JUN. K(2PM), BAEKHO(NU’EST), Hong Joo Chan(Golden Child), Kim Kyung Rok, Jung Jae Hwan
Music Direction
Suh Hae-Sun
Choreography
Han Sun-Chun
Organizer
MetaTheater
Production
SHINSWAVE
SYNOPSIS
In 17th century Europe, a rural village is ailing with Black Death and witch hunts.
Theo and Nicola have been best friends ever since they were children,
and they live together in a small cabin. Diagnosed with an unknown and incurable disease, Nicola is locked inside the house, while Theo is a doctor who works at the village hospital, struggling to cure his sick friend. One day, Theo finds an alchemy book at the town’s antique store and becomes hopeful he can cure Nicola’s disease with the mysterious ancient teachings. But as Nicola’s death approaches, the two friends start to behave in bizarre ways and are soon engulfed by a strange madness...
