Hallyu star Kim leads in new musical
By Kwaak Je-yup
There is plenty of running away involved in the story of “Catch Me If You Can,” the musical based on the 2002 detective-chase film by Steven Spielberg and opening today in Seoul as the first licensed show outside the United States.
As one of the men who does most of the running and dancing during the performance, Kim Jeong-hoon sounded genuinely impressed by his character’s lifestyle, especially the panache his character, con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., displays in full glory when dodging the police by assuming several fake identities.
Kim, a former singer with the group U.N. and an actor with a flourishing career here and abroad, even sounded envious at times, though he denied it.
“He’s a crook, definitely,” he said in an interview Friday, after the rehearsal. “But from a man’s perspective, he is a cool cat. His life didn’t have a single dull moment. To live that dangerously, you need guts and talent.”
And the 32-year-old found those two qualities to make his musical theater debut. He alternates the role of Frank Jr. with musical theater veteran Um Ki-j
Mar 27, 2012