PHOTO CALL: U.S. Musical Academy Takes Top Honor at Korean Festival

By Irina Khodorkovsky
09 Jul 2010

The John Mercurio-Andrew Kato musical Academy was awarded the Best Musical Prize during the 2010 Daegu International Musical Festival in South Korea. American actor Corey Boardman also took the honor for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his work in this production.

Based on Goethe's Faust, Academy bowed as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2009. Daegu and NYMF embarked on a multi-year partnership that exchanges works annually between the U.S. and South Korea as part of the respective festivals.

Academy, which was staged by director John Carrafa, received the Best Musical honor that also includes a $2,500 cash prize. Boardman, who has been seen Off-Broadway in Altar Boyz, Next to Normal and the recent reading of Carrie, received the Best Supporting Actor honor for his work as Amory in Academy.

Press notes for Academy read: "At St. Edward's Academy, two seniors make a harmless bet on whether they can influence an unsuspecting freshman to break a few rules to succeed. But when the transaction goes recklessly out of control, the boys become entangled in a fight for their own academic and personal survival. Inspired by Goethe's Faust, Academy is a pop chamber musical about boys learning to become men — and remaining true to themselves."

Here is a look at the event:

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Corey Boardman accepts his award
Photo by Jeff Larkin