'Mozart!' musical explores tumultuous life of classical prodigy

A scene from the musical 'Mozart!' / Newsis

Musical 'Mozart!' starts 7th run on June 15

By Dong Sun-hwa

Is being a genius a blessing or a curse?

This is a lingering question for the audience of the musical, “Mozart!” which illuminates the vicissitudes of the musical genius' life. His unparalleled compositional prowess makes him one of the greatest composers of all time, but it also causes him agony by hampering him from pursuing what he truly desired ― freedom.

Mozart sports dreadlocks and jeans in the theatrical show to emphasize his pursuit of freedom, but struggles to live his ideal life. People around him ― including his strict father Leopold Mozart and Hieronymus Colloredo ― keep pushing him to make music that suits their tastes, claiming he is destined to do so. Throughout his life, Mozart clashes with them and finds himself trapped in his own fate. When he appears on stage, he is always accompanied by Amade, his younger self and the personification of his destiny. As Mozart gets closer to death, he hugs Amade and asks: “If I had understood and loved you a bit earlier, would we have been happier?”

Mozart in the musical is known as a notoriously difficult character to play. He appears in almost every scene of the 170-minute show and sings challenging numbers like “Wie Wird man seinen Schatten los” and “Der Requiem-Auftrag,” while riding an emotional rollercoaster. However, Suho, the leader of K-pop boy group EXO, pulls off the role without flaw.

The K-pop star already demonstrated his vocal brilliance in his solo releases ― “Self-Portrait” (2020) and “Grey Suit” (2022) ― but his performing skills seem to have reached new levels this time. It is not hard to spot K-pop singers in musicals these days, but Suho still stands out. He alternates the role of Mozart with musical actor Lee Hae-jun, Yoo Hwe-seung of boy band N.Flying and trot singer Kim Hee-jae.

A scene from the musical 'Mozart!' / Courtesy of EMK Musical Company

“I am not a genius like Mozart, so I could not really sympathize with him in that part,” Suho said during a press event at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, June 20. “But both of us share a love of music.”

Michael Kunze wrote the original book and lyrics for “Mozart!” and Sylvester Levay composed the music and arrangements. The internationally acclaimed theatrical show, which premiered in Austria in 1999, had its first run in Korea in 2010. It started its seventh run on June 15 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and is scheduled to be staged until Aug. 22.

“This musical is not just a mere celebration of Mozart's music, but a gripping tale of a brilliant musician and his struggle to break free from those who seek to exploit him,” Kunze said.

One of the gems of “Mozart!” is the compelling performance of “Golden von den Sternen” by Baronin von Waldstatten, a patron of Mozart. As she sings the song to convince Leopold Mozart that his son should head to Vienna and embark on a new musical journey, a blanket of shining stars created by LEDs cover the theater hall, providing an immersive environment for the audience.