KAIST

In commemoration of the 6th anniversary of the establishment of the Graduate School of Cultural Technology, KAIST organized an English musical show on space at the Auditorium on the 29th and 30th of September. The name of the musical was NARO.

The musical was funded by the ‘NaDa Center’ operated by KAIST’s Graduate School of Cultural Technology. The musical was created with participation from adolescents, which told a tale about a genius boy Naro’s journey in space.

The musical was composed of two parts, and the basic storyline was about Naro who conducts research based on space, and his friends went on a time travel to the constellation Scorpios; more specifically, it was a Korean traditional children’s story about a brother and sister who became the sun and the moon. Naro and his friends prevent the plot of Tyran, a villan, who plans on destroying the space and Earth by inducing a red giant star, Antares.

In preparation for the musical, NaDa Center selected 14 students ranging from elementary to high school students during March of 2011. The selected students met every Saturday and Sunday from March to September for practice; a gargantuan commitment.

The theme of the musical is space, the future, and hope, and it does not utilize any stage settings. Instead, it attempts the incorporation of high technology into the stage by using interactive video, laser art, and specially built props. In addition, the entire process from script to performance and advertisement was utilized as an education model to suggest a good fusion between science and technology and cultural arts.

The musical ‘NARO’ is a collective effort. Professor Won Kwan Yeon who pioneered the field of Cultural Technology directed the musical, Professor Koo Bon Chul was in charge of the script and music composition, acting was charged to Lee Min Ho, choreography was charged to Han Eun Kyung, astrological reference was charged to Park Seok Jae among other students in the Graduate School of Cultural Technology. Members of the KAIST Acting Club ‘Lee Bak Teo’, Jeong Soo Han, Son Sharon and graduate of Chung Nam National University with vocal music major Yang Su Ji also made appearances. The Space Musical ‘NARO’ was funded by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and LG School of Multi Culture.