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Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Prokofiev's satirical opera 'The Love for Three Oranges' to make full-production Korean premiere
Korea National Opera, dedicated to introduce 21st-century works, promises vibrant fusion of global, local talent 'L'Amour Des Trois Oranges,' or 'The Love for Three Oranges,' a satirical opera by Ukrainian-born composer Sergei Prokofiev, will get its first full-scale production in Korea more than a century after its 1921 premiere in Chicago. Adapted from an 18th-century play by Carlo Gozzi, the opera blends absurdist comedy, fairy-tale fantasy and biting political satire. A melancholic prince, cursed by the witch Fata Morgana to fall in love with three oranges, embarks on a surreal quest to find these magical fruits. When he opens them, each orange reveals a princess. Two die of thirst; the third, Princess Ninette, survives. After magical and political mishaps — including a case of mistaken identity and a kidnapping — Ninette and the prince are finally reunited. 'We chose this piece to bring joy to opera lovers, rather than presenting something overly serious or weighty. At the same time, we are committed to introducing 21st-century operas to broaden the repertoire,' said Choi Sang-ho, artistic and general director of the Korea National Opera, at a press conference Monday at the Seoul Arts Center. 'Though its fairy-tale structure and satirical humor may initially feel unfamiliar, audiences will quickly be drawn in by its unique charm,' he added. The upcoming Korea National Opera production promises a vibrant fusion of global and local talent, featuring an international creative team, rising Korean vocalists on the international stage and the national opera company's own soloists, as well as American mezzo-soprano Karis Tucker in the role of Princess Clarice. Originally written in French, the opera has previously been performed in Russian, German and English. However, the Korean production will remain in French, partly to accommodate the cast's familiarity with the language. Returning to the podium is Felix Krieger, who led the opera company's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' last year. He will conduct the Korean National Symphony Orchestra. 'In Prokofiev's imaginative world, the music draws from many different musical languages,' said Krieger. 'It weaves together elements of traditional classical music, modernist experimentation and both poetic and grotesque qualities.' Stage director Lorenzo Fioroni, known for productions at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Staatsoper Berlin and Luzerner Theater, brings his imaginative vision to this surreal opera under the theme of "a theatrical machine that tells fairy tales for adults" in tandem with set designer Paul Zoller and costume designer Katharina Gault. Fioroni reimagines the prince's quest for three magical oranges as a fantastical road trip, incorporating video footage shot on location on Korean urban streets. 'Korean streets have a surreal, fairy-tale quality that perfectly suits the opera's world,' Fioroni said, adding that he and Zoller have created a highly visual production that integrates fantasy elements with complex technical effects. The cast features two alternating ensembles. On June 26 and 28, bass Choi Woong-jo will perform as Le Roi de Trefles, with tenor Kim Young-woo as the prince. On June 27 and 29, the roles will be performed by bass Kim Il-hoon and tenor Shin Hyun-sik, respectively. 'L'Amour Des Trois Oranges' will be staged June 26 to 29 at the Opera Theatre of the Seoul Arts Center. The performance on June 28 will be livestreamed via Naver TV. Ticket prices range from 20,000 won to 150,000 won.
Korea Herald
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Prokofiev satirical opera 'The Love for Three Oranges' to make full-production Korean premiere
Korea National Opera, dedicated to introduce 21st-century works, promises vibrant fusion of global, local talent 'L'Amour Des Trois Oranges,' or 'The Love for Three Oranges,' a satirical opera by Ukrainian-born composer Sergei Prokofiev, will get its first full-scale production in Korea more than a century after its 1921 premiere in Chicago. Adapted from an 18th-century play by Carlo Gozzi, the opera blends absurdist comedy, fairy-tale fantasy and biting political satire. A melancholic prince, cursed by the witch Fata Morgana to fall in love with three oranges, embarks on a surreal quest to find these magical fruits. When he opens them, each orange reveals a princess. Two die of thirst; the third, Princess Ninette, survives. After magical and political mishaps — including a case of mistaken identity and a kidnapping — Ninette and the prince are finally reunited. 'We chose this piece to bring joy to opera lovers, rather than presenting something overly serious or weighty. At the same time, we are committed to introducing 21st-century operas to broaden the repertoire,' said Choi Sang-ho, artistic and general director of the Korea National Opera, at a press conference Monday at the Seoul Arts Center. 'Though its fairy-tale structure and satirical humor may initially feel unfamiliar, audiences will quickly be drawn in by its unique charm,' he added. The upcoming Korea National Opera production promises a vibrant fusion of global and local talent, featuring an international creative team, rising Korean vocalists on the international stage and the national opera company's own soloists, as well as American mezzo-soprano Karis Tucker in the role of Princess Clarice. Originally written in French, the opera has previously been performed in Russian, German and English. However, the Korean production will remain in French, partly to accommodate the cast's familiarity with the language. Returning to the podium is Felix Krieger, who led the opera company's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' last year. He will conduct the Korean National Symphony Orchestra. 'In Prokofiev's imaginative world, the music draws from many different musical languages,' said Krieger. 'It weaves together elements of traditional classical music, modernist experimentation and both poetic and grotesque qualities.' Stage director Lorenzo Fioroni, known for productions at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Staatsoper Berlin and Luzerner Theater, brings his imaginative vision to this surreal opera under the theme of "a theatrical machine that tells fairy tales for adults" in tandem with set designer Paul Zoller and costume designer Katharina Gault. Fioroni reimagines the prince's quest for three magical oranges as a fantastical road trip, incorporating video footage shot on location on Korean urban streets. 'Korean streets have a surreal, fairy-tale quality that perfectly suits the opera's world,' Fioroni said, adding that he and Zoller have created a highly visual production that integrates fantasy elements with complex technical effects. The cast features two alternating ensembles. On June 26 and 28, bass Choi Woong-jo will perform as Le Roi de Trefles, with tenor Kim Young-woo as the prince. On June 27 and 29, the roles will be performed by bass Kim Il-hoon and tenor Shin Hyun-sik, respectively. 'L'Amour Des Trois Oranges' will be staged June 26 to 29 at the Opera Theatre of the Seoul Arts Center. The performance on June 28 will be livestreamed via Naver TV. Ticket prices range from 20,000 won to 150,000 won.
RTÉ News
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Global cinema attendance drops in 2024
Cinema ticket sales fell 8.8% worldwide in 2024 from the previous year, marking the first annual drop since the Covid pandemic, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) has said in Cannes. The decline comes after years of recovery for the industry since the collapse triggered by pandemic restrictions in 2020. "In 2024, a total of 4.8 billion cinema tickets were sold worldwide, generating estimated revenues of €28 billion," Martin Kanzler, a film analyst at the EAO, said in a press conference on the sidelines of the annual Cannes Film Festival. "That is 500 million fewer tickets than in 2023." Since 2020 - a disastrous year for cinemas due to health restrictions - cinema attendance worldwide had been rising. "Perhaps we have reached a new plateau," Kanzler said. Cinema attendance is now at 68% of 2019 levels, the last year before the pandemic, compared with more than 70% in 2023. In this sluggish environment, Europe is faring better than other regions of the world, with cinema attendance at 75% of 2019 levels, and the decline in ticket sales was just 1.7% in 2024. By contrast, in China - the world's largest market with a 21% share - attendance plunged by 22%. In Europe, two countries stand out for their density of cinemas per capita and a high average attendance rate - Ireland and France. Regarding productions, 81% are linked to films produced in three countries - the United States, China, and India, said Manuel Fioroni, an analyst at the EAO. Unlike Chinese and Indian productions, which are sold almost exclusively to their domestic markets, American films are exported and "cross borders easily thanks to their distribution network but also their international audience". "Transnational distribution across macro regions remains difficult for theatrical films, with the exception of Hollywood movies, that can travel easily across borders through their distribution network but also to international audiences," Fioroni said. In Europe, 63% of cinemagoers saw an American film in 2024. However, European productions are catching up and recorded a 33% market share. "And this is the best result in four years, even 10 if we exclude somehow the typical year that was 2020 in the middle of the pandemic," Fioroni said. Of the 20 biggest box office hits in Europe, 18 are American films. Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, and Deadpool & Wolverine took the top three spots. The two European productions in the top 20 are both French: Un P'tit Truc En Plus (A Little Something Extra) and Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo).
Daily Tribune
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
Global cinema attendance drops in 2024
Cinema ticket sales fell 8.8% worldwide in 2024 from the previous year, marking the first annual drop since the Covid pandemic, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) said in Cannes on Friday. The decline comes after years of recovery for the industry since the collapse triggered by pandemic restrictions in 2020. "In 2024, a total of 4.8 billion cinema tickets were sold worldwide, generating estimated revenues of 28 billion euros," Martin Kanzler, a film analyst at the EAO, said in a press conference on the sidelines of annual film festival. "That is 500 million fewer tickets than in 2023. " Since 2020 -- a disastrous year for cinemas due to health restrictions -- cinema attendance worldwide had been rising. "Perhaps we have reached a new plateau," Kanzler said. Cinema attendance is now at 68% of 2019 levels, the last year before the pandemic, compared with more than 70% in 2023. In this sluggish environment, Europe is faring better than other regions of the world, with cinema attendance at 75% of 2019 levels, and the decline in ticket sales was just 1.7% in 2024. By contrast, in China -- the world's largest market with a 21% share -- attendance plunged by 22%. In Europe, two countries stand out for their density of cinemas per capita and a high average attendance rate -- France and Ireland. Regarding productions, 81% are linked to films produced in three countries -- the United States, China and India, said Manuel Fioroni, an analyst at the EAO. Unlike Chinese and Indian productions, which are sold almost exclusively to their domestic markets, American films are exported and "cross borders easily thanks to their distribution network but also their international audience". "Transnational distribution across macro regions remain difficult for theatrical films, with the exception of Hollywood movies, that can travel easily across borders through their distribution network, but also to international audiences," Fioroni said. In Europe, 63% of cinemagoers saw an American film in 2024. However, European productions are catching up and recorded a 33% market share. "And this is the best result in four years, even 10 if we exclude somehow the typical year that was 2020 in the middle of the pandemic," Fioroni said. Of the 20 biggest box office hits in Europe, 18 are American films. "Inside Out 2", "Despicable Me 4" and "Deadpool & Wolverine" took the top three spots. The two European productions in the top 20 are both French: "Un p'tit truc en plus" and "Le comte de Monte-Cristo".
Business Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Global cinema attendance drops in 2024
[CANNES] Cinema ticket sales fell 8.8 per cent worldwide in 2024 from the previous year, marking the first annual drop since the Covid pandemic, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) said in Cannes on Friday (May 16). The decline comes after years of recovery for the industry since the collapse triggered by pandemic restrictions in 2020. 'In 2024, a total of 4.8 billion cinema tickets were sold worldwide, generating estimated revenues of 28 billion euros (S$40.7 billion),' Martin Kanzler, a film analyst at EAO, said in a press conference on the sidelines of annual film festival. 'That is 500 million fewer tickets than in 2023.' Since 2020 – a disastrous year for cinemas due to health restrictions – cinema attendance worldwide had been rising. 'Perhaps we have reached a new plateau,' Kanzler said. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Cinema attendance is now at 68 per cent of 2019 levels, the last year before the pandemic, compared with more than 70 per cent in 2023. In this sluggish environment, Europe is faring better than other regions of the world, with cinema attendance at 75 per cent of 2019 levels, and the decline in ticket sales was just 1.7 per cent in 2024. By contrast, in China – the world's largest market with a 21 per cent share – attendance plunged by 22 per cent. In Europe, two countries stand out for their density of cinemas per capita and a high average attendance rate – France and Ireland. Regarding productions, 81 per cent are linked to films produced in three countries – the US, China and India, said Manuel Fioroni, an analyst at EAO. Unlike Chinese and Indian productions, which are sold almost exclusively to their domestic markets, American films are exported and 'cross borders easily thanks to their distribution network but also their international audience'. 'Transnational distribution across macro regions remain difficult for theatrical films, with the exception of Hollywood movies, that can travel easily across borders through their distribution network, but also to international audiences,' Fioroni said. In Europe, 63 per cent of cinemagoers saw an American film in 2024. However, European productions are catching up and recorded a 33 per cent market share. 'And this is the best result in four years, even 10 if we exclude somehow the typical year that was 2020 in the middle of the pandemic,' Fioroni said. Of the 20 biggest box office hits in Europe, 18 are American films. Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4 and Deadpool & Wolverine took the top three spots. AFP
