Korean production of 'Les Mis' to feature veteran musical actors

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Korean production of 'Les Mis' to feature veteran musical actors

Published: 26 Jul. 2023, 14:55

Min Woo-hyuk, left, and Choi Jae-rim have been cast as Jean Valjean in the upcoming Korean licensed production of musical "Les Misérables." [LES MISERABLES KOREA]

The cast of the upcoming Korean production of "Les Misérables" is expected to feature some familiar faces from the musical's previous productions while also welcoming new big-name theater stars and a rookie actor, according to the organizers.

Min Woo-hyuk has been cast as the main protagonist Jean Valjean, a runaway prisoner who was in jail for 19 years for stealing a piece of bread. In the 2015 production of "Les Misérables," he played Enjolras, the leading student revolutionary, and it was his first entry into blockbuster musicals. Today, he is best known for musical roles such as Ahn Jung-geun in "Hero," Victor Frankenstein in "Frankenstein" and Ben Hur in "Ben Hur."

Min will share the role of Jean Valjean with Choi Jae-rim, a veteran musical star best known for playing Miss Trunchbull in "Matilda" and Billy Flynn in "Chicago." He is currently starring in the Genie TV and ENA drama "Lies Hidden in My Garden" alongside actors Kim Tae-hee and Lim Ji-yeon.

Kim Woo-hyung, left, and Kai have been cast as Inspector Javert, an uncompromising police officer who hunts down Jean Valjean for decades. [LES MISERABLES KOREA]

Kim Woo-hyung and Kai have been cast as Inspector Javert, an uncompromising police officer who has been hunting down Jean Valjean for decades.

Kim is also a familiar face of "Les Misérables," playing Enjolras in the 2013 production of "Les Misérables" and Javert in the 2015 production. His recent roles include Radames in "Aida" and Hades in "Hadestown."

Kai is a popular musical star, starring in mega musicals such as "Ben Hur," "Frankenstein" and "Jekyll and Hyde."

Cho Jung-eun and Lina will play Fantine, Cosette's mother who sacrifices everything before dying of tuberculosis and leaving her daughter in the hands of Jean Valjean.

Lee Sang-ah and Ryu In-ah will play Cosette, Jean Valjean's adopted daughter. Yoon Eun-oh and Kim Kyung-rok will play Marius, Cosette's lover and student revolutionary. Kim Soo-ha and rookie actor Lumina will play Éponine, Marius' friend who also loves Marius. Lumina will be debuting as a musical theater actor through the role.

Kim Soo-ha, left, and rookie actor Lumina will play Éponine in the upcoming Korean licensed production of musical "Les Misérables." [LES MISERABLES KOREA]

"Les Misérables" will open on Oct. 15 in Busan's Dream Theatre and run through Nov. 19. It will open in Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Nov. 30 and run through March 10. From March 21 to April 4, the show is slated to be staged in Daegu's Keimyung Arts Center.

Based on the 1862 French novel of the same title by Victor Hugo, "Les Misérables" is about runaway prisoner Jean Valjean in 19th-century France who is hunted for decades by uncompromising policeman Javert.

A scene from the 2013 production of "Les Misérables" in Korea [JOONGANG PHOTO]

The musical first debuted in September of 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris and then on Broadway in 1987. With 6,680 performances, it is one of the top 10 longest-staged shows on Broadway.

The popular film adaptation was released in 2012, starring actors such as Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. The movie was a box-office hit in Korea, ranking as the 86th most-watched movie of all time, in Korea, according to data from the Korean Film Council.

In Korea, the licensed version of the musical first opened in 2013, then again in 2015, during which the show recorded some 600,000 audiences nationwide.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]