A musical that has spread by word of mouth is making a real splash. Mrs. Doubtfire, which offers the fun of choosing among three distinct flavors from Hwang Jung-min, Jung Sung-hwa and Jung Sang-hoon, is the star.
On the afternoon of the 21st, a press call for the musical Mrs. Doubtfire was held at the Charlotte Theater in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Hwang Jung-min, Jung Sung-hwa and Jung Sang-hoon, who each play both Daniel and Doubtfire, along with Park Hye-na, Rina, Lee Ji-hoon, Ha Eun-seom, Im Ki-hong, Lee Kyung-wook, Ji Hye-geun, Seol Ga-eun, Kim Se-in, Kim Chae-yoon and the ensemble performed highlight stage demonstrations.
The work tells the story of Daniel, a father who, after a divorce, is separated from his children and disguises himself as the nanny Doubtfire to return to his family. It is a musical adaptation of the film of the same name that starred Robin Williams, and during its 2022 Korean premiere it earned standing ovations at every performance.
This season is no different. Because it is a work that people of all ages can enjoy, the audience laughs and breaks into warm applause throughout the performance. After the show ends, there are many audience members with reddened, tearful eyes from being moved. Hwang Jung-min, Jung Sung-hwa and Jung Sang-hoon are triple-cast and serve as the solid pillars of the production, carrying the audience through 175 minutes.
Making his return to the musical stage after 10 years, Hwang Jung-min said he had to use the loop machine to create live music himself and lead audience responses, so if he made a brief mistake everything could go wrong and it felt like walking on thin ice. With tap dance, rap and dance included, all the comprehensive elements of a musical are involved, so it was difficult to pull off. I learned and asked a lot by watching Jung Sung-hwa and Jung Sang-hoon performing beside me. I'm grateful to the younger actors, he said.
Jung Sung-hwa said Daniel has to do so many things: acting, singing, dancing and handling the loop machine. An actor who is not diligent cannot do this role. Hwang Jung-min is the epitome of diligence. I saw how much he practices. He comes two to three hours early to practice. I realized success as a top actor is not simply given. I learned that truly great actors come from purity and diligence, he praised.
Hwang Jung-min said he is someone who has performed for a long time, but because people are more familiar with him from films some found it interesting. Seeing me run around the stage sweating, they seemed to forget I was a film actor and saw me as a musical actor appropriate for the role. The audience gives a lot of applause at curtain calls. That feeling gives me energy for each performance. I greatly enjoy it, he said with a smile.
Jung Sung-hwa, who met audiences with Yang Jun-mo and Im Chang-jung during the 2022 premiere, is the only one among the three with prior experience in the role. Now back again, he said that during the premiere he had focused on comedy and humor. But this time he focused on the causality of why Daniel would go so far as to play the grandmother, put on makeup and enter his own home. It was difficult on my own, but watching Hwang Jung-min subtly show things I learned that was it. I realized my expression was wrong and I made many corrections, he said.
He added that he learned more fatherly and more Doubtfire-like behavior in the scenes with the children by watching Hwang Jung-min. The three of us, including Jung Sang-hoon, created a lot of synergy. Many people come expecting comedy and humor and leave in tears. I am faithfully portraying Daniel so the play can remind people of the importance of family and prompt a phone call, he said emphatically.
Comedy specialist Jung Sang-hoon said he learned a lot while the two senior actors performed so well in rehearsal and built his own performance. Experienced actor Jung Sung-hwa guided him well. He helped me take a straight path instead of a long detour. I wandered a lot, but the senior planned my movements and that helped. Hwang Jung-min had great ideas. I gained a lot thanks to the two of them, he responded.
About Jung Sang-hoon, the youngest and smallest of the three, Hwang Jung-min said the production team actually wanted that exact body type. If someone as big as me or Jung Sung-hwa put on the Doubtfire makeup it could look grotesque, but Jung Sang-hoon is so pretty, he praised, prompting laughter.
With Hwang Jung-min, Jung Sung-hwa and Jung Sang-hoon, Mrs. Doubtfire offers the special pleasure of choosing among three actors with distinct personalities and colors. As representative Korean actors who possess outstanding acting skills, stage presence and a delightful sense of comedy, they perfectly handle the demanding characters that must alternate between laughter and emotion.
Finally, the cast said the very last scene features Doubtfire singing with beautiful lyrics: when everyone turns their back on you and everything feels anxious and suffocating, look around. There are people who love you. We perform until Dec. 7. We convey that kind of love, so please come visit, they urged.
However, Hwang Jung-min said the role is painful. I don't think I can do the next season. It's too hard. My joints ache, he complained, making those watching smile.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Doubtfire greets audiences at the Charlotte Theater, Korea's first theater dedicated exclusively to musicals, through Dec. 7. <
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]