Korean actor shines in London's West End
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Jo Sang-woong as Thuy in “Miss Saigon” / Courtesy of Project H
By Kwon Mee-yoo
LONDON
The revival of the musical "Miss Saigon" is one of the hottest shows in London's West End right now. And Korean actor Jo Sang-woong plays Thuy, a Vietnamese officer engaged to the show's leading lady Kim, and he portrays the single-minded man in the war-torn country every night at the Prince Edward Theatre in London.
"Miss Saigon," composed by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, revolves around the tragic romance between Vietnamese bargirl Kim and American soldier Chris, set in Saigon during the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Despite the controversy over its disparagement of Asian woman, the musical has been long-loved for poignant yet beautiful music for decades.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Schonberg and Boublil musical, the revival opened in the West End in May 2014. Korean actor Hong Kwang-ho took the role of Thuy then and was praised for his "voice that makes your knees wobble" by the Guardian.
After Hong's successful landing in the world's capital of musical theater, Miss Saigon's producer Cameron Mackintosh once again turned his eye to Korea to find Hong's replacement.
"Kwang-ho did such a great job and the producer and the company had a favorable impression of Korean actors because of it. When they were searching for the new Thuy, they asked KCMI, the producer of 'Miss Saigon' in Korea, to recommend candidates," Jo said at an interview with The Korea Times. "I auditioned for Thuy for the Korean production, which was cancelled, last year, and the Korean company recommended me to the London production."
Jo auditioned through video, performing the character's parts such as "Thuy's Arrival" and "Kim's Nightmare."
"I never dreamed of performing on a West End stage. I was so honored and grateful when I was notified that I would play Thuy in the West End," Jo recalled. "However, the excitement was only for a moment because I wanted to do it really well since I would represent Korea here in London."
Jo made his West End debut on May 11, becoming the first Korean musical actor to play major roles in three countries
Korea, Japan and the U.K.
Jo took an unusual path as a Korean theater actor
he made his debut as an ensemble of the Korean production of "The Lion King," produced by Japan's largest theater company Shiki, in 2006 and later played the lead role of Simba. After the Korean "Lion King" was closed in 2007, he joined Shiki and performed in Japan, playing roles such as Simba in "The Lion King," Moritz in "Spring Awakening" and Mark in "A Chorus Line."
The Busan-born actor made a comeback to his native country in 2012 to take the much-anticipated role of Marius in "Les Miserables," another world-famous Schonberg-Boublil musical. After the triumphant return, Jo proved his talents by performing the handsome Prince Fiyero in the Broadway mega hit “Wicked.”
Three years later, Jo embarked on another adventure in the U.K.
In “Miss Saigon,” Thuy is betrothed to Kim, who falls in love with and marries the American GI Chris, and tracks her life after becoming a Communist commissar. He interprets Thuy's blind love for Kim as an obligation to his parents.
“Thuy’s father paired him with Kim and for Thuy, it was something unconditional. That is why he loves Kim so deeply, blindly,” the actor said. “My favorite part of the show would be Thuy singing his love for Kim, when they reunited after three years. Thuy's songs are like heartbeats.”
Jo tries to empathize with each character's wounds in the show set during the Vietnam War.
"I think all characters in Miss Saigon are victims. Thuy, regardless of being good or evil, is a victim of war. Kim is another victim who was forced to become a prostitute and Chris suffered from the war, too. Even Engineer, a French-Vietnamese who sold his prostitute mother to the French, is a victim of such circumstances," Jo said.
The current London production of Miss Saigon is composed of an international cast coming from all over the world, but the show is often criticized for its biased, Westernized perspective on Asians.
"Yes, it could be described as a Westerner's view, but I try to be faithful to the story. Those who lived through the Vietnam War could be in the audience," Jo said. "I studied the times and circumstances and read the script and lyrics over and over to find where the character and I intersect. Portraying the character at my best is all I can do."
Jo is performing in his second language, but he tries not to let the language burden him in portraying the Vietnamese commissar. "The most important thing is how I act out the feelings of Thuy. I know I am not a native speaker of English, so my expression of Thuy's character is more crucial than my pronunciation on stage."
“Miss Saigon” in the West End runs through Feb. 27. For more information, visit www.miss-saigon.com.