[Herald Interview] Portraying a version of god for young people in 'Hadestown'

When Kim Min-seok sees veteran musical stage actor Choi Jung-won on stage during the musical performance of "Hadestwon," the singer-turned-musical-actor hopes the audience can see her up close from his perspective.

"Her face is full of expression, giving a sense of warmth and courage," Kim, who portrays poor dreamy musician Orpheus, said during an interview with The Korea Herald on Sept. 12.

And that is exactly how Choi, 55, intends to portray Hermes, a role originally created for a bass.

"I wanted to portray a version of God that young people could turn to for help when they face trouble," Choi said during the same interview.

In "Hadestown," Hermes is the narrator and remains on stage throughout the sing-along musical.

“I was born to react. So this musical is perfect for me. I'm so happy that I can remain onstage the whole time," Choi said.

Kim and Choi seem to have little in common. Kim, 33, is a singer making his musical debut with "Hadestown," while Choi has a 35-year musical career and is considered a leading musical actor in Korea.

But when it comes to "Hadestown," both are first-timers.

Choi joined "Hadestown" this year, which returned for the first time with gender-free casting after premiering in Korea in 2022.

Choi had wanted to join the musical when she saw it in 2022 and felt confident about portraying Persephone, a Greek goddess who is the wife of Hades.

However, when she got the call to audition for the second run of the Korean production, it was unexpectedly for Hermes, designed for a male actor and bass voice.

“I saw Andre Robin De Shields portraying Hermes in the Broadway version. I wanted to be an actor like him when I got older,” Choi said, although she had no expectations of taking on the role of Hermes at that time.

“There are a few works that I feel I could continue to participate in unless I die or someone breaks my legs. 'Hadestown' is one of them,” Choi said.

Choi is known for taking major roles portraying powerful women with powerful voices such as Mimi in "Rent," Roxy Heart and Velma Kelly in "Chicago" and Donna in "Mamma Mia!" In addition, she is known for participating in the works for a long time -- she has performed in "Chicago" for 24 years and "Mamma Mia!" for 17 years.

Kim is the vocalist of MeloMance, a popular indie pop duo that debuted in 2013. MeloMance gained fame for its emotional ballads and soft pop sound, characterized by Kim's soulful voice and Jeong Dong-hwan's piano accompaniment.

Kim said he had wanted to try something new for a while but it remained just a thought until he encountered "Hadestown."

"It was the reputation of 'Hadestown' and the music that convinced me, but now I feel really lucky to be able to participate in this work and work with great people," Kim said.

The Korean production of "Hadestown" features three actors for Orpheus, a role that Kim shares with Park Gang-hyun and Cho Hyung-kyun. Choi also shares the role of Hermes with two other actors: Choi Jae-rim and Kang Hong-seok.

With many variables of actor combinations, the two met again a month after they took last the stage together.

And Choi saw amazing progress in Kim.

"He was occupying the stage, just like fish in the water. He became even more amazing," Choi said.

This feedback encourages and helps Choi, who sings effortlessly, grow as a newbie musical actor.

"When I truly give my all and finish a performance, I can really feel the feedback gradually changing, little by little," Kim said.

"Hadestown" runs until Oct. 6 at the Charlotte Theater in Seoul, before moving to the Dream Theater in Busan from Oct. 18 to Nov. 3.