“Musicals are a medium that gives me courage and strength.”
He is the first among idols. Xiah Junsu (Kim Junsu), who is preparing for a musical concert that has his name on it, is hard at work as usual.
The ‘Kim Junsu Musical Concert’, which will be performed across a span of four days starting from the 7th, is a concert that has Xiah Junsu’s name in its title though it will include musical stars such as Seo Beom Seok, Min Young Gi, Bae Hae Sun and Shin Young Suk. The reason that such a concert is able to be planned and prepared is none other than Xiah Junsu’s ticket power.
Ever since first generation idols Ok Joo Hyun from Fin.K.L. and Choi Sung Hee (Bada) from SES successfully launched their musical careers with outstanding talent and ticket power, the number of idols taking their chance at musicals has greatly increased. The one who is receiving the greatest attention is Xiah Junsu.
It was known that Xiah Junsu, who won the Best Male Newcomer Award and Popularity Award at ‘The Musical Awards’ following his appearance in the musical ‘Mozart!’, strictly ruled out all other activities when he began rehearsing for the musical so that he could concentrate fully on his role. Reviews stated that he was able to understand and merge with his character at an extraordinary level for the theme of the piece was ‘Musician’.
We recently met with Xiah Junsu during one of his rehearsals at the Choongmoo Art Hall in Seoul. A few minutes into the rehearsal, he was already covered in sweat from head to toe. He truthfully admitted that he felt a great deal of pressure from his name being included in the title of the concert but he confidently stated that the performance would be a success.
“Thank you for having so much interest in this concert. I do feel very pressured because my name is included in the title of the concert and because I’m alone. This concert was possible because of the support from our director and production company. Because we had already bonded for three months, the bond between the actors is so good that no words could describe it, and because we’re working very hard, I believe we will be able to create a great performance.”
With 10,000 seats per performance, the concert differentiates itself from previous gala concerts starting with its size. According to the staff, preparation for the concert began as soon as the Korean shows of ‘Mozart!’ were completed, and finalized after a conference at Levay’s home in Vienna, Austria in May.
Xiah Junsu will be joined by Kim Moon Jung, Music Director for ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘My Heart’s Reed Organ’, who will be leading a 38 person orchestra, as well as world renowned composer Sylvester Levay and musical actor Uwe Kroeger, who will make his first appearance in Korea through this concert.
“I released a single in Japan in May, and I plan to perform one of the songs included in the album in Korea for the first time. The song holds a message from my heart that I wish to send to our fans.”
The highlight of the concert will be Xiah Junsu’s new song. The fact that Xiah Junsu will be showcasing his single ‘Intoxication’ for the first time in Korea is already garnering great interest from fans.
Co-director Yoo Hui Sung stated, “‘Mozart!’, which was held in February at the Sejong Culture Hall, ended successfully will all of its shows sold out. This concert will not follow the regular gala format of singing a couple of songs, but it will be a performance that both the actors and audience can enjoy while immersing themselves in the moving power of musicals.” He added, “Levay was charmed by Kim Junsu’s performance and said that he really wanted to work with the singer. He said that he will create a song that solely for Kim Junsu.”
The musical ‘Mozart!’ is a piece that forms a dynamic conflict structure from genius musician Mozart’s short but intense life. A musical created by world renowned writer Micahel Kunze and Grammy Award winning composer Sylvester Levay, it began showing in Austria in 1999 and quickly spread to the stages of Germany, Sweden, Japan and Hungary.
The piece is filled by Mozart’s longing for love and freedom and the stories of the people around him. Various characters bring the show to life such as Leopold, a twisted father who uses his son to satisfy his own greed, Prince Archbishop Colloredo, Mozart’s patron and rival, and Mozart’s lover Constanze, who embraces and loves Mozart’s genius and humane characteristics. The rotating stage with stairs, added to the mix of classical and rock music and the 500 flamboyant costumes are others sights to see in the musical.
A fellow cast member of the ‘Musical Concert’ stated, “Xiah Junsu has the same schedule as any regular musical actor and he’s never missed a single rehearsal. No one really expected much from him and his acting because he’s such a famous idol star, but he works so hard that many have admitted that he is ‘beyond expectations’.”
What do musicals mean to Xiah Junsu? He said, “Musicals are a medium that gives me courage and strength as well an opportunity to sing and act on stage. It is another dream that I can accompany myself with music.” He added that, “This isn’t a special event or something I’m going to take lightly, it is something I want to do and something that will stay by my side in the future.”
Our curiosity about ‘TVXQ’ could not be left out. He rose to the top of Oricon’s daily chart with the album released by the TVXQ unit that is comprised of Micky Yoochun, Xiah Junsu, YoungWoong Jaejoong. When asked if the members frequently contact each other, he gave a simple answer.
“Each member is working hard on his individual activities. I feel as though we can support each other just by watching over each others activities.”
Source: [saegae ilbo+DNBN]
Translation credits: jeeelim5@tohosomnia.net
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