The family musical "Battery Daddy" ran from July 5 to Aug. 24, 2025, at Youngsan Theater, Ewha Campus Complex (ECC), Ewha Womans University in Seoul. The show—produced by NHN LINK, co-producer of the celebrated Broadway musical "Maybe Happy Ending"—was adapted from Jeon Seung-bae and Kang In-sook's "Battery Daddy", a stop-motion animated short film produced by Toyville Animation Studio in 2021 and a picture book published by Changbi Publishers in the same year.
"Battery Daddy" tells the heartwarming story of a battery dad who tirelessly works to power up devices in a household, whose father also works hard for his family. The original animation has won multiple accolades, including a Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award in the Animation Category of the Korea Content Awards in 2022 and a Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival in the USA in 2022. It has also been invited to numerous film festivals around the world. In 2022, the picture book was also shortlisted for the BolognaRagazzi Crossmedia Award at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy.
The animated short film and picture book trailer for "Battery Daddy". (Toyville Animation Studio)
The "Battery Daddy" musical was directed by Katie Hong (Seunghee Hong), a seasoned theater actress and director. She studied dance in Korea before debuting at the musical "42nd Street" in 1996. In the following year, she went to New York, where she earned a bachelor's degree in theater at Hunter College; studied musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy; and trained at Broadway Dance Studio, Steps on Broadway, and HB Studio. In 2005, she returned to Korea, where she started her career as an actress before naturally transitioning into directing.
"I loved analyzing scripts, and of course, I loved to act, too, but I like making shows. I had a 'staff mind' more than an 'actor mind', and that's how I became a musical director," Hong shared in my email interview with her from Aug. 15 to Sept. 2, in coordination with Kang Milee and Oh Sun-hwa of NHN LINK. Over the years, Hong has worked on many renowned musicals in Korea, including "Cats", "Evita", "Les Misérables", "The Phantom of the Opera", and "Wicked".
Having directed many family musicals, such as "Magic Candies", "The Bath Fairy", and "Pinkfong", she was contacted by NHN LINK, which proposed turning "Battery Daddy" into a musical. The production took about six months, including scriptwriting, meetings, music composition, and auditions.
On her approach to adapting the original works into a musical, Hong said that she focused on the story, as it is the most important element in family musicals, along with building a common ground. Other essential factors she mentioned were the music and the visuals. "Actually, we had all the visuals already in the book, so we just figured out how we were going to make the same set on stage," she said.
Reflecting on the challenges she encountered while directing the musical, Hong said, "The biggest challenge was always people communicating, and it's always difficult to bring a story to life on stage, but it's also a fun and rewarding process." She added, “What I enjoyed the most was seeing the staff and actors make those challenging parts possible—that's the most thrilling and joyful aspect of the work.”
"The most difficult part of the show was creating the scene where the Battery Dad transforms into rainbow colors, but the costume designer helped a lot," Hong recalled. She also noted that although the venue, Youngsan Theater, was very small, the stage designer created such a beautiful set that no one realized its size. "That's the beauty of it!" Hong said.
All of their hard work paid off in the end, as the "Battery Daddy" musical earned lots of praise and heartwarming feedback from the audience. On the Instagram account of "Battery Daddy", one individual wrote, "This was one of the best musicals I've ever seen. My child was so bright-eyed the entire time. [...] If I get the chance, I'll definitely go see it again. Thank you."
Meanwhile, an audience member wrote this review on the musical's Ticketlink page: "My child, who is just over 36 months old, initially enjoyed the story about the battery toy, and he clapped his hands because the music was exciting. I also really liked the part where a mosquito appeared in the middle so that the child could participate!"
Many people enjoyed the show so much that they expressed their hopes to see the musical versions of the two other stories in the "Battery" series as well: "Battery Mommy" and "Battery Grandma".
Hong also shared a couple of reviews she found memorable. She said, "One of the audience members, a mother, said she thought it was her story. Another audience member said, 'I went camping with my son because of the show, and I had a great time with him.'"
Speaking about her own views on the show, Hong said that her favorite scene is the one where Dong-gu sings about what his father likes. "In this scene, Dong-gu is waiting for his father. While working overtime, the father is also thinking of Dong-gu. Although in different places, they are thinking of each other," she explained.
On the message she hopes to share with families through the "Battery Daddy" musical, Hong said, "I wish this story could truly deliver the message of family happiness and the importance of family—that even in the hardest times, seeing your loved ones' faces makes you smile, gives you strength, and recharges your spirit."
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