‘Life of Pi’ extra Lunar New Year performance sparks debate

Feb 13, 2026, 07:58 am

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Actor Park Jung-min, who stars in the musical Life of Pi. / Production company

The musical Life of Pi, starring Park Jung-min, has come under scrutiny after announcing an additional performance during the Lunar New Year holiday period to compensate for a canceled show.

The production team said via its official Instagram account on Feb. 11 that an extra performance would be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 as a follow-up measure to the cancellation of the Feb. 10 show. The additional performance will be offered exclusively to ticket holders of the canceled show, with the same seats and cast lineup as the originally scheduled 7:30 p.m. performance on Feb. 10. The “Curtain Call Day” event will also proceed as planned.

Audience members who attend the rescheduled show will receive a 10 percent partial refund of their original ticket price. Those who choose not to attend may cancel their tickets without a fee through the ticketing platform’s customer service center by 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 and will receive a 110 percent refund of the ticket price.

The production company apologized, saying, “We sincerely apologize to the audience members who came to the theater for the Feb. 10 performance.”

According to the company, a technical malfunction was discovered in lighting equipment affecting stage movement during the final inspection before the Feb. 10 performance. Despite continued repair efforts, unexplained errors persisted, leading the team to cancel the show out of safety concerns. The company also apologized for delays in audience entry and the late announcement of the cancellation as the performance time approached.

Following technical inspections and testing from Feb. 10 through the morning of Feb. 11, the production said the lighting system had been fully restored.

Park also issued a separate apology, stating, “I sincerely apologize to all audience members who came to last night’s performance. No reason can comfort the shock and disappointment you must have felt.” He added, “Thinking of those who had to turn away from the unopened theater doors leaves me at a loss for words. I discussed scheduling a special performance with the production company because I believed an apology without an alternative would be irresponsible.”

However, controversy has emerged over the timing of the additional performance, as Feb. 16 falls on the eve of the Lunar New Year holiday. Some audience members questioned whether scheduling a show during a major holiday period was the best option, citing family commitments and difficulties adjusting plans on short notice. Others pointed out that attendees living outside Seoul or overseas may face travel challenges.

Concerns were also raised about whether actors were being left to shoulder responsibility for on-site management shortcomings and about their health during the busy holiday period.

At the same time, some audience members praised the swift announcement and the decision to arrange a special performance, describing the response as responsible and proactive.

#Park Jung-min #Life of Pi #musical #Lunar New Year holiday #performance cancellation