‘Pinnacle of culture and art’

By Reporter Jang Ji-sun

The following are details of information and pictures provided by Manager Baek Sun-young of WHYS EN SCENE for publication by The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language news publications since 1985.—Ed.

Com2uS and WYSIWYG Studios affiliate communicates with the public through digital content in the classic genre, the pinnacle of culture and art.

Acquisition of a prestigious global classical performance label, strengthening the competitiveness in the content business.

Royal Opera House 2022/23 season poster (Images provided by WYS en Scène Co., Ltd.)
Royal Opera House 2022/23 season poster (Images provided by WYS en Scène Co., Ltd.)

 

WYS en Scène Co., Ltd, which is in charge of the performance content business of WYSIWYG Studios Co., Ltd (a Com2uS Co., Ltd. subsidiary), announced that it had obtained exclusive domestic distribution rights for contents of the United Kingdom's 'Royal Opera House' (hereinafter 'ROH').

Taking advantage of WYS en Scène Co., Ltd's digital strengths and content expertise, it acts as a bridge for global content and leads the digital innovation and popularization of classical performances with the highest entry barrier.

Now in its second year of establishment, WYS en Scène, a performance content production and distribution company, has a mission to transform performances digitally and spread them globally.

The representative work is "Phantom: The Musical Live," in which the company was in charge of content production as well as distribution to cinemas in 40 cities in North America. Currently, it deals with producing and distributing concert films for global idol groups such as 'ASTRO.' In addition, at the end of this year, it is expected to open WYS en Scène's own global platform service that specializes only in performance content.

‘Aida’ poster (Images provided by WYS en Scène Co., Ltd.)
‘Aida’ poster (Images provided by WYS en Scène Co., Ltd.)

 

WYS en Scène signed a contract with Trafalgar, a British distributor specializing in event cinema, and plans to release 11 works of the ROH's latest season, 'The Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season 2022/23,' exclusively through domestic multiplex theater Megabox from late October to August next year. WYS en Scène participated in the joint investment production of Trafalgar's musical film 'Anything Goes,' which ranked second at the UK box office with a box office performance of about 1.2 billion won in the UK last year.

This year, it provides an opportunity to enjoy the full-stage performances of London's West End-located ROH's latest season at domestic cinemas. Besides this, WYS en Scène has taken the lead in expanding the base of domestic performing arts content, basing its expertise in the field of performance content supply and demand as well as global network capabilities.

ROH is a world-class opera house located in London, England, with a tradition of more than 260 years. Since 2008, when it entered the modern age of media development, ROH has secured a global audience through high-quality performance video production, cinema broadcast, broadcast relay, YouTube broadcast, and outdoor screening.

This ROH's latest season boasts a rare repertoire in terms of work quality and scale by selecting only the most famous works. The 11 works to be presented in Korea include famous opera and ballet masterpieces such as 'Turandot' and 'The Nutcracker.'

ROH executive Oliver Mears announced in a media interview that this season is the biggest one ever, adding to the expectations of prospective visitors around the world by introducing 'Aida' directed by Robert Carson and 'Il Trovatore' directed by Adele Thomas as not to be missed pieces.

‘Madama Butterfly’ poster (Images provided by WYS en Scène Co., Ltd.)
‘Madama Butterfly’ poster (Images provided by WYS en Scène Co., Ltd.)

 

Meanwhile, consumer expansion of classical performances has recently been taking place in Korea, with the popularity of the classical genre increasing, mainly among popular artists such as Kim Ho-joong, who collaborated with the world's top four tenors of the crossover male quartet 'La Poem.'

According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, in the first half of this year, the number of performances, ticket sales, and sales in the classical field in Korea increased by at least 40% compared to the previous year.

However, classical performances still have high entry barriers in Korea, including a lack of adequate supply due to limited concert hall infrastructure compared to increased demand and a 70% higher ticket price for classical performances in Korea than in Japan.

Digital video contents of world-class classical performances such as the latest ROH season distributed by WYS en Scène have the effect of improving accessibility and increasing the supply of culture and arts. In addition, the ticket price is about twice as cheap as the average of the R/S seats, which are the best seats for opera performances in major theaters in Korea.

The latest ROH season, which will be unveiled at 1,300 cinemas around the world, will start with "Madame Butterfly" on October 31st in Megabox in Korea and "Aida" on November 21st, followed by sequential releases and end with "Il Trovatore" on August 14th next year.

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