Mad and ugly characters attract musical fans

A big shoulder pad is placed on one shoulder of the costume and the actor slouches throughout the performance. A rough voice and screams are added as well. His face is contorted and he sings as if he is in pain. Rotten teeth, crooked nose and bruised eye makeup help the audience immerse into the musical.

Dr. Jekyll, the protagonist of the musical “Jekyll & Hyde,” which is being staged at Charlotte Theater in Seoul until May 8 next year, is a character of good and evil. He transforms into Hyde, his other self, by injecting a chemical formula into his body. Ryu Jeong-han, Hong Kwang-ho and Shin Seong-rok, who play Jekyll/Hyde, are required to play two completely different characters from makeup to voice to movement. It is thrilling to see them alternate between the two characters quickly with the change in stage lighting. It is interesting to watch Hyde, who is captivated by his desire, swagger on the stage.

The musical “Frankenstein,” which is being staged at the Blue Square in Seoul until Feb. 20 next year, features another monster. The protagonist Henry Dupre turns into a monster, a living being created by assembling body parts from corpses, from the latter part of Act 1. The monster, abandoned and persecuted by society, curses its birth and becomes more cruel to pay its creator back for his wounded heart. The actor expresses his agony by moving like a zombie, singing extremely low and high pitched songs, and showing resentment with screams. The character is considered very difficult to play among actors as it requires a wide vocal range. Actors, who played the character, said it was so difficult that they felt like they wanted to disappear or they cried in the shower. This season, Park Eun-tae, Kai, and Jeong Taek-un play the character.

The musical “Jack the Ripper,” which opens at KEPCO Art Center in Seoul on Friday, is a story about a murderer, who drove the U.K. into madness. It is an adaptation of a Czech musical produced based on a real story about a serial killer in late 19th century. The killer Jack played by Shin Seong-woo, Kim Beop-rae, Kang Tae-eul and Kim Paul shows the cruel and dark side of human beings from various angles.

The musical “Rebecca,” which will be on stage at Choongmu Art Center until Feb. 22 next year, features a mad female character named, “Mrs. Danvers.” The character shows the change of human emotions from obsession to madness to destruction. The madness of Mrs. Danvers is expressed in addictive high-pitched numbers, her eerie eyes, and facial expressions. Shin Young-sook and Ock Joo-hyun play the role of Mrs. Danvers.


pep@donga.com