Gloomy Day

Programs

On August 4, 1926, Yun Sim-deok, Korea's first soprano, and Kim Woo-jin, a genius playwright, committed suicide together by throwing themselves into the Korea Strait. As a true love story, it has been the subject of countless films and dramas in Korea.
The play originates from Death Song, a popular Korean song released in 1926. Its lyricist and singer, Yun Sim-deok, rearranged Iosif Ivanovici's Waves of the Danube. The song ends with the line: "In this world made of tears, will my death truly be the end of it all? Those of you in search of happiness, only futility awaits you.”
The musical Gloomy Day is based on the true story of Yun Sim-deok and Kim Woo-jin. However, it differs from other works by introducing a fictional character, "the guy," to increase the tension of the play. The guy introduces Yun to Kim and urges him to write the play Death Song. Meanwhile, the male and female protagonists are getting closer and closer to death. Her song particularly attracts the audience’s attention and is played in many scenes of the show. There's even a scene where Yun sings it. In addition, a live trio of piano, violin, and cello delicately orchestrates each character's emotions.