2 Korean actors perform in 'Miss Saigon' in UK
Kim Soo-ha
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korean actress Kim Soo-ha, 23, will play the lead role of Kim in the musical "Miss Saigon," which will tour the United Kingdom from July until next year. Along with Kim, another Korean actor Park Young-joo is in the ensemble as an understudy for the role of Thuy.
The musical, composed by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly." Set during the Vietnam War in the 1970s, the musical tells a tragic love story between Vietnamese woman Kim and U.S. GI Chris.
Despite controversies over Orientalism and racism, "Miss Saigon" has opened opportunities for many actors of Asian descent. Back in the 1990s, Lee So-jung pioneered as the first Korean actress to debut on Broadway and Korean-American actor Michael Lee also starred in the Broadway production of "Miss Saigon." When a revival production of the musical opened on London's West End in 2014, Korean actor Hong Kwang-ho was cast in the role of Vietnamese army officer and Kim's fiance Thuy and another Korean actor Jo Sang-woong succeeded the role in 2015.
Kim was also in the 2014 London production playing a Vietnamese bargirl. It was Kim's professional debut and she successfully played the role 33 times in London. After London, she alternated the role with two other actresses in the Japanese production of "Miss Saigon" starting October 2016, before joining the U.K. tour.
Kim, a native Korean, first auditioned for the Japanese production and producer Cameron Mackintosh picked her up for the London revival.
"I dreamed of becoming a musical actress when I saw a small show while I was in elementary school. I had to practice singing and dancing at karaoke rooms because I couldn't afford private lessons," Kim said.
Park, who will join Kim on the U.K. tour, is relatively unknown in Korea. The 33-year-old actor majored in business administration at the prestigious Seoul National University and changed career paths to theater after watching "The Phantom of the Opera" in London.
He debuted as an actor in 2009 and mostly had small roles. He headed to the Vienna Conservatory of Music & Arts to learn musical professionally last year. He auditioned for “Miss Saigon” and will perform in the ensemble and portray Thuy occasionally.
"Though I am not well-known, I speak with confidence that I am the most hardworking actor," Park said. "World-class actors also started from a small role and I will do my best in Miss Saigon, because that's the thing I'm best at."
"Miss Saigon" will kick off its U.K. tour at the Leicester Curve from July 1 to 22 and continue to Birmingham, Dublin and more cities. Visit miss-saigon.com for more.