Producer Shin Chun-soo, who has worked on Broadway, is bringing a new musical to a New York stage in partnership with Julie Taymor, the acclaimed director of "The Lion King."
OD Company said on the 19th that "The Grand Delusion," produced by Shin, will have its world premiere at the Harvey Theater at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York from May 11 to June 6 next year.
Taymor will direct the production, with music by Academy Award-winning composer Elliot Goldenthal. The project came together after the two artists approached Shin about producing it.
Taymor was the first woman to win a Tony Award for best direction of a musical, for "The Lion King." She built her reputation on distinctive staging that combines puppetry, masks and dance. Goldenthal won the Academy Award for best original score for the film "Frida" and has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
"The Grand Delusion" moves between contemporary New York and India in a surreal fantasy that blends reality, illusion and myth. The production will pair Taymor's signature puppetry, dynamic choreography and original set design with Goldenthal's music.
BAM, founded in 1859, is one of New York's leading performing arts institutions. Unlike Broadway's commercial theaters, it primarily presents experimental and avant-garde work. The performances will be held at the Harvey Theater, which seats about 837.
"It is meaningful to present a work of such grand vision to the world together with Julie Taymor," Shin said. "We will deliver overwhelming and captivating stage art to audiences around the world."
Shin has been active on Broadway. In 2024 he became the first Korean to serve as sole lead producer of a Broadway musical with "The Great Gatsby," which has drawn a cumulative audience of 1.38 million and ticket sales of $143 million (about 200 billion won) in a long-running success. The production has yet to recoup its costs.