[TRANS] 120130 “I Was Drawn To The Transcendental Role Of ‘Death’, Which Seems To Have No Real Answer”

■ Musical ‘Elisabeth’ Kim Junsu

Begins on the 9th of February At The Blue Square Samsung Electronics Hall
Worried about his lack of experience-age when compared to Ryu Jung Han or Song Chang Ui

Kim Junsu had already experienced the musical ‘Elisabeth’ in 2010. Though most of the songs that were performed at the ‘Kim Junsu Musical Concert – Levay With Friends’, which was held at Composer Sylvester Levay’s request, were from the musical ‘Mozart!’, six songs from ‘Elisabeth’ were also performed.

Kim Junsu himself sang ‘When I Wish to Dance’ and ‘The Last Dance’, two songs by ‘Death(Tod)’. Singing the songs gave him a greater hunger for the role. A domestic performance of the musical hadn’t been confirmed at the time but everyone in the staff already had Kim Junsu marked as the perfect person for ‘Death’.

‘Elisabeth’, a musical that has been performed for the past 20 years from 1992 and is considered one of the most successful German musicals in history, is finally opening in Korea. The curtains will rise on the 9th of February at the Blue Square Samsung Electronics Hall in Hannam-dong. As a fantasy presence who seduces ‘Elisabeth’, a Hapsburg empress who meets a tragic fate, till her assassination, the role of ‘Death’ naturally went to Kim Junsu.

“I’m sure all actors feel this way, but I consider music to be the most important factor when choosing a production, more so because I’m a singer. Though I knew it was a great show, its appeal increased because I got to sing the songs myself. Also, death isn’t an actual person in the musical but an imaginary, transcendental presence. The role itself is so appealing. I think Playwright Michael Kunze’s idea to incorporate a fantasy element in Elisabeth’s chronicles in the form of ‘Death’ was brilliant.”

But this didn’t mean he accepted the role without any hesitation. It was because he believed that the role of ‘Death’ required an air of stately dignity. He worried that he would fall short when compared to Song Chang Ui and Ryu Jung Hwan’s experience and age.

“I was hesitant at first but I was asked, ‘Who said that a transcendental figure has to have a stately dignity?’ I thought about it and they were right. I gained confidence when I was told that all I needed to do was to show my own interpretation of Death.”

He interprets Death as a sweet seduction to Elisabeth, who longs for freedom
The musical has a star-studded cast as it prepares for its first domestic performanceTo him, ‘Death’ is represented by ‘sweetness’. For Elisabeth, who never ceased to long for a life of freedom but was trapped in the tragic life of an empress, Death was a sweet seduction that could offer her peace and rest.

“There’s no real answer to death. We could never express it perfectly as no one alive has ever experienced it. I thought that if I were in Elisabeth’s shoes, there would be nothing sweeter than death. Though my voice and the music are dark, I tried to keep a hint of sweetness in my interpretation.”

From his debut in ‘Mozart!’, through ‘Tears of Heaven’ and now ‘Elisabeth’, Kim Junsu has always taken on the lead role in musicals that were being showcased in Korea for the first time. Though it could have been a great risk for the production companies to do this, it was possible because they believed in Kim Junsu’s potential for growth as he made his mark as a musical actor in just one year.

“I’ve been given an amazing opportunity, though that may not have been what was intended. If you perform in a musical that is being showcased in a country for the first time, the image you portray becomes the image to follow for those who come after you. I’m happy that I’m able to showcase a side of me that is different from those in my previous two musicals. It’s a production that gives me the opportunity to take on step further and mature as a musical actor.”

Though his schedule as a member of JYJ is packed, he always listens to musical numbers because he feels as though he is still lacking as a musical actor. He even watched other shows whenever he had the chance.

“This production will feature the greatest musical actors in Korea. That’s the power of Elisabeth. All I should be worrying about is doing well myself. I wasn’t concerned much about my voice as it’s adequate to portray a transcendental figure, but I spent a lot of time on improving the small details, such as facial expressions, and hand and body movements.”

The musical ‘Elisabeth’ will also feature musical actors such as Ok Joo Hyun, Kim Seon Young and Park Eun Tae.

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“English was a greater torture to me than the actual rehearsals themselves”As JYJ have been setting off on various legs of their world tour, English has become a must for Kim Junsu. He continues to study English whenever he has a spare moment. Robert Johanson, the producer of ‘Elisabeth’, has even become his English teacher. They converse in English for ten minutes every rehearsal.

“When our producer heard that I was studying English, he said that we should converse in English for ten minutes. It’s harder than the actual rehearsal itself. Though I don’t completely understand what he’s saying, I always pretend that I do. It’s torture. Haha.”

Source: [FNN]

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