R;Link—a musical by three Canadian post-secondary institutions and Korea’s Hanyang University—hits the stage at Capilano University’s (CapU) BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts on Aug. 15-16. Co-created for the Korea-Canada Year of Cultural Exchanges (2024-2025), the musical portrays the deep friendships formed between Canadian and South Korean troops during the Korea War’s Battle of Kapyong.

“I hope people can walk away from this experience feeling inspired to learn more about a different culture or a historical event,” says actress and CapU graduate Kyla Fradette. “I hope that it opens their eyes to the sense of wonder that it did for me.”

Making history 

When the project proposal landed on CapU instructor Keri Minty’s desk last December, she jumped at the opportunity to bring the musical to life. She saw R;Link as an exciting opportunity for CapU’s students to “connect, grown, and learn.” It was also a chance for the department to diversify their curriculum. 

“This is a beautiful opportunity of having a story that is by Koreans, for Koreans,” Minty says. “We have a lot of graduates and current students of Korean descent saying how this project has been impactful to them, just knowing that we’re even attempting it.”

The First Nations University of Canada and the University of Saskatchewan are also involved in the project. These collaborations were brought forth by Jack Paterson, an international theatre marker. Minty was in Korea for R;Link’s launch event, meeting with dignitaries and hearing a few songs that were in pre-development. 

“We went to the war museum there and heard first-hand accounts of the war and what [the Battle of Kapyong] still means to Korean people,” Minty adds. “It was very moving.” 

Amongst the Canadian and South Korean cast are three CapU musical theatre graduates: Fradette, Colton Fyfe and Sandrine Boudrais. Fradette, who is also the assistant music director, plays the androgynous Albertan soldier Kevin. 

“One of the writers on the Canadian side, Tyrone Perreault, allowed us to further develop characters in our own way,” Fradette shares. “When we did the script read-through, we realized that what was actually written and [how] I was portraying the character wasn’t quite the same thing, so we rewrote the character.” 

The original Kevin came from a military family. The rewritten version sees the character as a first-time fighter from a farming background. The character of Colonel Stone, played by Boundaris, was likewise redeveloped to bring a French-Canadian element to the musical. 

R;Link also features Indigenous perspectives, including an Indigenous character played by University of Saskatchewan graduate Quanah Daniels. The musical’s many languages—English, Korean, French and Cree—reflects this diversity. 

“Up until scene four, we don’t understand each other, so we’re speaking two separate languages,” Fradette shares, adding the scene is one of mutual understanding. “After scene four, we actually start to speak each other’s languages; the Canadians incorporate some Korean, and the [Korean actors] sing and speak in English as well.” 

Cross-cultural friendships 

To prepare for the production, Fradette recently spent 42 days in Korea. She recalls how the Korean team was “insanely friendly, respectful and kind” in addition to being incredibly hardworking. 

“There’s such dedication: the theatre to them is a very sacred space, they treat the theatre with such respect,” she shares. “The Canadians are extremely grateful for the hospitality that the Koreans gave us.”

Fradette’s gratitude goes to the team at Hanyang University and supporters of the project at the Korean Embassy. As life imitates art, this sense of friendship is also a key theme in R;Link. The musical depicts how bonds are formed on the battlefield and on the ice, as hockey is used to form a sense of collectiveness. 

“When you align with a common cause, you realize the humanity in someone else and why they’re fighting and what they’re fighting for,” she shares of the musical’s approach to friendship. “It really deepens that connection; it makes their loss, our loss.” 

The play also engages with the theme of misunderstanding and explores different perspectives to war. According to Fradette, the music is inspired by K-pop and hip-hop, but retains a “composed, orchestrated musical vibe.” She adds that Kim Jun-ho, the composer, gave actors liberty to change the English translations.

“[He said] if the English translations don’t make sense, if the beats aren’t lining up, change anything,” she recalls. “This is really, really good music.” 

Both Fradette and Minty would like to see the production spark curiosity, drawing attention to a lesser-known aspect of Canadian history. An international collaboration of this kind was a first for CapU’s theatre department—one that Minty hopes will pave the way for future multicultural exchanges.  

“I hope that when people walk away from this show, they go, ‘that was really cool, I wonder what other cultural shows are playing in the city, or I wonder if I can do more research on this war,” Fradette adds. 

For more information, see https://www.capilanou.ca/student-services/community/blueshore-financial-centre-for-the-performing-arts/our-events/all-events/events/rlink—aug-15.php.