Cha Ji-yeon steals limelight in 'Rebecca'
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Cha Ji-yeon, left, as Mrs. Danvers and Kim Bo-kyung as “I” in a scene from the musical “Rebecca” / Courtesy of EMK Musical Company
By Kwon Mee-yoo
There is no Rebecca in the musical "Rebecca," which is now staged at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. However, Rebecca's presence sweeps the theater and the audience of this Austrian in its third successful run in Korea.
The musical rendition of "Rebecca" is based on the 1938 novel of the same name written by English author Daphne du Maurier. The story is best known for the Academy Award-winning adaptation of the 1940 Alfred Hitchcock film. In 2006, composer Sylvester Levay and librettist Michael Kunze brought the dark Cornish romance onto the stage.
The plot revolves around Maxim de Winter, Rebecca's husband who is overshadowed by her mysterious death; "I," the unnamed narrator who marries the widowed Maxim; and Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper and former maid of the first Mrs. De Winter, Rebecca.
The character that steals the limelight in the show is obviously Mrs. Danvers, the spitefully manipulative housekeeper dedicated to Rebecca. Mrs. Danvers is played by Shin Young-sook, Cha Ji-yeon and Chang Eun-a in the production. Shin has played the role since the musical's Korean premiere in 2013, while Cha and Chang joined for this season.
Cha, who turned out to be the five time winner of the King of the Mask Singer, Cat Girl, overwhelms the theater with her presence, just like Rebecca overshadowed the Manderley manor even after her death. In black dress, Cha doesn’t smile throughout the show even during the curtain call and she portrays the maid fixated on her former lady with her chill charisma.
Maxim de Winter, who is tormented by his former wife, is played by four A-list actors
Ryu Jung-han, Um Ki-joon, Min Young-ki and Song Chang-eui.
The name of the second Mrs. De Winter is neither revealed during the show nor in the original novel, but the story of a naive young woman growing into the lady of the house is an important part of the plot. In the Korean production, Kim Bo-kyung and Song Sang-eun alternate the role of the ingenue.
Though the musical claims to be a thriller, the balance between romance and thriller is a bit off-the-track. The first half inclines to the love at first sight of Maxim and I, beginning from a luxurious hotel in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The atmosphere turns around abruptly in the middle of second half, when Maxim sings "Never was a smile that cold," revealing the flip side of the perfect lady Rebecca. Still, the reversals, explained in a few lines, are not dramatic enough to capture the audience.
Instead, music and the superb performances of the actors are fulfilling. "Rebecca," sung by Mrs. Danvers, is reprised four times throughout the show. The highlight among them would be the second version of "Rebecca." Mrs. Danvers is lost in delusion of Rebecca and cannot accept the second Mrs. Danvers trying to replace her lady and inspires "I" to jump out of the window in this menacing song.
The musical runs through March 6 in Seoul, followed by a tour to Jeonju, Daegu and Ulsan. Tickets cost from 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, call 02-6391-6333 or visit www.musicalrebecca.co.kr.