SM Art Company (Korean: 에스엠아트컴퍼니) was a South Korean musical entertainment and production company under SM Entertainment. The company was founded on July 1, 2004, and became a subsidiary of SM during its launching ceremony on May 6, 2008, and facilitates projects for performances, musical planning, and theater management. It was responsible for Xanadu, The Donkey Show, and The Visit's musical production. The company was eventually dissolved on December 31, 2015.
On May 26, 2008, SM Entertainment held a launching ceremony for SM Art Company, a musical entertainment and production company.[2][3] The company is a subsidiary of SM focused on facilitating projects for performances, musical planning, and theater management.[4]Lee Soo-man attended the launching ceremony at the Diamond Hall of the Plaza Hotel Seoul, reiterating the importance of production as the years 2000 to 2010 are the era of the producers.[5] Pyo In-bong, who also attended the ceremony, is a comedian and theater actor and became the company's co-representative along with Jung Chang-hwan during the launching.[6][7] Pyo stated that SM is a "big" company and that they will grow the existing refined parts and develop the undeveloped parts into blue chips.[8]
SM Art Company intended to discover and showcase content based on singers and performers belonging to SM and plans to materialize diverse performances and business models.[9] There were also plans to devise new collaborative influences by discovering different content based on the Asian network for music, singers, and performers secured by SM.[10] Jang Joon-won, director of the company, stated that they would compete with content owned by SM, including top stars such as BoA and TVXQ, and diverse music sources, adding their plan to produce a "creative" musical using SM's existing music.[11] Even before the company launched, SM had been preparing to enter the musical business by bringing in the Donkey Show's overseas musicals and operating small theaters such as SM TinTin Hall and live theaters in Daehangno.[12] Jang remarked that the company planned to present four musicals consecutively within one to three years, adding that Lee Soo-man was leading the synopsis team on one of the "creative masterpieces" in the works in February 2009.[13]
The musical Xanadu was SM Art Company's first work in which Super Junior members Kim Hee-chul and Kangin, and musical actor Choi Sung-won took the lead roles in the musical.[14][15] Directed by Pyo In-bong, the musical was performed on September 9, 2008, at the Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall in Yeonji, Jongno District, Seoul.[16] An encore performance for TheDonkey Show was held at Club Cocoon in Hongdae on November 13, 2009.[17] When it premiered in Daehagno in April 2007, it was not well received due to its "unconventional" styles, such as a standing theater that removed the audience and degenerated cast members' costumes and a stage in which actors and audiences were mixed.[18] The musical was directed and adapted by director Pyo and was attended by Super Junior's Leeteuk, Shindong, Eunhyuk, Shinee's Onew, and Tin Tin Five.[19] The company also produced and hosted the works for The Visit.[20]
SM Art Company had five performance halls with 200 seats or more and explained that it was advantageous to preoccupy the market as it already had a concert hall, a key business in the musical industry.[21]
^(주)에스엠아트컴퍼니 기업정보 2022년 [SM Art Company Co., Ltd. Company Information 2022]. NICE Information Service (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
^Lee, Jung-ah (May 26, 2008). SM엔터, 공연-뮤지컬 종합 엔터테인먼트 회사 출범 [SM Entertainment, Launches Performance-Musical Entertainment Company]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim, Hee-yeon (May 28, 2008). 뮤지컬계 '지각변동' 시작됐다…SM엔터테인먼트, 자회사 설립 [The Musical World's 'Tactile Change' has Begun…SM Entertainment Establishes a Subsidiary]. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
^Kim, Hyung-woo (May 26, 2008). SM공연-뮤지컬 종합사SM아트컴퍼니 출범 [SM Performance-Musical Company Launches SM Art Company]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
^Gil, Hye-sung (May 28, 2008). 이수만 "표인봉과 亞시장 겨냥 창작 뮤지컬 제작" [Lee Soo-man "Production of a creative musical aimed at Pyo In-bong and 亞 Market"]. StarNews (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
^Seo, Mi-yeon (May 28, 2008). 표인봉, SM 아트컴퍼니 대표이사로 변신 [Pyo In-bong, Becomes the CEO of SM Art Company]. Now News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
^Kim, Hae-yeon (May 28, 2008). 이수만ㆍ표인봉 "창작뮤지컬로 세계 진출" [Lee Soo-manㆍPyo In-bong "Enter the World through Creative Musical"]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kang, Kyung-ji (May 28, 2008). 대중문화계 '문어발' SM엔터테인먼트, 뮤지컬 진출 [Popular Culture 'Octopus Feet' SM Entertainment Enters Musical]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022 – via Naver.
^Park, Mi-ae (May 26, 2008). SM아트컴퍼니28일 출범...'SM, 공연계 지각변동 일으킬까' [SM Art Company to be Launched on the 28th...'SM, Will There be a Change in Perception in the Performance World?']. Edaily (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
^Moon, Byung-hwan (May 26, 2008). 에스엠, 종합엔터사SM아트컴퍼니 출범 [SM, Launches SM Art Company, A Comprehensive Entertainment Company]. Money Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
^Jun, Ji-hyun; Sohn, Dong-woo (May 28, 2008). 가수들 이어 대형 연예기획사도 뮤지컬 진출 [Big Entertainment Enterprises Goes to Musicals Following Singers]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
^Kim, Hee-sun (May 27, 2008). <연예기획사, 뮤지컬시장에 잇따라 진출> [<Entertainment Agencies, Enters the Musical Market One After Another>]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
^Seo, Kyung-ri (May 28, 2008). SM아트컴퍼니의 첫 작품 뮤지컬 '재너두' 출연진 [The cast of SM Art Company's First Musical 'Xanadu']. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022 – via Naver.
^Park, Ha-na (May 29, 2008). (인+지)거대 연예기획사SM뮤지컬 본격 제작 [Big Entertainment Company, SM Musical Production]. Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
^Yang, Seung-joon (May 28, 2008). '슈주' 강인-김희철 뮤지컬 데뷔..."연기 신인, 채찍보단 당근을" ['Super Junior' Kangin-Kim Hee-chul Musical Debut..."Rookie Actor, Carrot Over Stick"]. Edaily (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
^Park, Ha-na (October 29, 2009). 인 지 클럽뮤지컬 동키쇼 내달13일 홍대 클럽서 개막 [The Inji Club Musical Donkey Show Opens at Hongdae Club on the 13th of Next Month]. Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
^Park, Ha-na (October 29, 2009). 성인만 보러오세요~..'동키쇼' 홍대클럽서 앙코르공연 [Adults Only~..'Donkey Show' Encore Performance at Hongdae club]. Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
^Kim, Hyung-woo (November 5, 2009). SM아트 컴퍼니, 세계적인 클럽 뮤지컬 '동키쇼' 앙코르 공연 [SM Art Company, To Perform Encore in World-renowned Club Musical 'Donkey Show']. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
^Ahn, Jung-joon (May 28, 2008). SM아트컴퍼니 "공연-뮤지컬 종합 엔터社 도약" [SM Art Company "Performance-Musical Entertainment Leaps Up"]. Money Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
