[수완뉴스=육주현 기자]
Creative musical ‘Benjamin Button’ unveils its highly anticipated premiere cast.
On May 25, production company EMK Musical Company (EMK) announced the cast of its new 2024 musical “Benjamin Button,” which will open on May 11 at Sejong M Theater in Seoul, raising expectations for the production with a lineup of legends.
‘Benjamin Button’ is a new creative musical by EMK in 2024 based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, which is also famous as the source material for the movie ‘Benjamin Button’s Clock Goes Backwards’. ‘Benjamin Button’, which was previously recognized for its potential through novels and movies, and was selected as the final applicant for CJ Foundation Stage Up in 2021, is expected to be reborn in a spectacular way by EMK.
Set in the jazz era, the work will examine the joy of life, love, and the sorrow of loss, and the universal human life that exists beyond time and age through the life of Benjamin Button, who becomes younger and younger as he grows older. EMK, which has produced well-made creative works such as the musicals “Matahari,” “The Smiling Man,” “Excalibur,” “Beethoven; Beethoven Secret,” and “Frida,” is expected to expand the diversity of the Korean musical market with “Benjamin Button.
In the movie, Benjamin Button, a man who is born in the form of a titular character, an old man, and grows younger and younger, convinced by his mother that the sweet spot in life is blue, and dedicates his life to chasing his love for her, will be played by Kim Jae-beom, Shim Chang-min, and Kim Sung-shik.
After starring in the musicals “Amadeus,” “Brothers Karamazov,” “Park Yeol,” “Praise of the Dead,” “Gone Tomorrow,” “Agatha,” and “Smoke,” Kim Jae-beom, who is currently starring in the play “Art” and the musical “Western Story,” has also appeared in the Disney+ drama series “Detective Rock,” the tvN drama “Shrouded,” and JTBC’s “Dr. Slump. Kim Jae-beom, who fills the stage and overwhelms audiences with his deep inner acting and solid characterization, is expected to create another life character as the titular Benjamin Button. The extraordinary life of Benjamin Button, who travels backwards in time, perfectly expresses the essence of the work that conveys various emotions in life, and will make the audience’s hearts even more thrilled.
Shim Chang Min (Choi Kang Chang Min), who made his debut in 2003 with the group Dong Bang Shin Ki, will make his debut as a musical actor 21 years after his debut with the musical Benjamin Button. As a representative global idol of South Korea, Shim has led K-Pop and has been recognized by the public as a talented performer with perfect visuals and outstanding vocals. Through this musical, “Benjamin Button,” he has expanded his radius as a musical actor. In particular, his charming voice and cool high-pitched vocals have captivated fans’ ears, and we are curious to see what kind of acting and singing he will do on the musical stage.
After performing as an ensemble member in the musical “Rebecca” and the musical “Dr. Zhivago” in 2017, Kim Sung-shik appeared on the JTBC audition program “Phantom Singer 3” and placed third in the final round with the group “Letheamor. Since then, he has performed in the musical “Matahari” and the musical “Les Misérables,” where he played the role of Enjola, and he has also solidified his skills through various musical stages. With his eye-catching visuals, steady acting skills, and unrivaled singing voice, he is making his mark on musical theater fans, and we are looking forward to seeing what he will do in his first title role, Benjamin Button.
Centering on Benjamin Button, the film stars Kim So-hyang, Park Eun-mi, and Lee Ah-reum-sol as Blue Lou Monnier, a jazz club singer. Ha Eun-seom (Kim Nayoon) and Kim Ji-sun join the cast as Mama, the owner of the jazz club; Min Jae-wan and Park Kwang-sun play Jerry, Blue’s manager; Song Chang-geun and Kang Eun-il play Scott, the train conductor and various other supporting roles; Koo Baek-san and Lee Seung-hyun play Morton; and Shin Chae-rim and Park Kook-sun play Myrtle.
As exciting as the casting lineup is, expectations are also high for the creative team. Cho Kwang-hwa, who has written and directed numerous works including the musicals “Werther,” “Seo Seopje,” and “Male Impulse,” will be writing and directing the play, and composer Lee Nao, who has provided emotional music for musicals such as “South of the Border,” will be composing the score. The synergy between Cho Kwang-hwa, who is considered one of the leading directors in the Korean theater scene, and composer Inao, who will bring a new wind, is highly anticipated.
In addition, “Benjamin Button” is expected to be the last musical by designer Seung Ho Jung, who has worked as a stage designer for more than 30 years, including musicals such as “Rebecca,” “Excalibur,” and “Werther. Jung is expected to enhance the immersive experience with his groundbreaking stage design, which utilizes box objects to create a unique stage that allows the audience to be drawn into the strange and mysterious life of Benjamin Button.
It is also expected that the stage production will utilize ‘puppets’ that will make the stage of the musical ‘Benjamin Button’ more special. Object artist Sooho Moon will use puppets to represent Benjamin Button’s age change as he moves backwards in time during the play, making his extraordinary life an even richer spectacle. Moon, who learned the essence of puppets in the Czech Republic, the home of marionettes, is expected to present a new stage composition through ‘Benjamin Button’.
The new stage, which will be created by the seven actors on stage and Moon’s puppets, is expected to create a stage that can more effectively look into the life of Benjamin Button and fully focus on the message to be conveyed through his life.
Meanwhile, the musical “Benjamin Button” will open on May 11 and run until June 30 at the M Theater in Sejong, Seoul.
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