The musical Anna Karenina's side remained tight-lipped about the controversy over concentrating casting on Ok Joo Hyun.
On the morning of the 28th, a representative of the production company of 'Anna Karenina' told OSEN, "Casting and distribution of show dates are the exclusive rights of the production company and the original creators," and gave an official position that "there is nothing further to say on this matter."
Earlier, 'Anna Karenina' revealed this season's casting lineup. The title role Anna was triple-cast with Ok Joo Hyun, Kim So Hyang and Lee Ji Hye. However, it was reported that of the total 38 performances, Ok Joo Hyun would perform 23, Lee Ji Hye 8 and Kim So Hyang 7, sparking controversy over fairness.
Among some fans, criticism followed such as, "Is this really triple casting or effectively a single cast?", "monopolizing the casting," and "it looks like other actors fill in when Ok Joo Hyun rests." In particular, because Ok Joo Hyun accounts for more than half of the total performances, interpretations of "concentrating casts" are gaining traction. Questions are also pouring in about whether the condition of an actor who takes more than half the performances is really all right, such as "Can her voice hold up?"
Coincidentally, Ok Joo Hyun was the figure at the center of the so-called 'Ok jangpan' controversy sparked by musical actor Kim Ho Young's social media remarks in 2022. At the time, expressions such as "Asaripan is a thing of the past. Now it's Ok jangpan" spread, fueling intense debate over casting fairness. Four years later, noise over casting has again arisen, drawing attention.
However, the production team maintained a cautious stance. A representative explained, "The schedule was difficult to arrange due to multiple variables acting in combination, such as consultations with the licensor, reduction in the total number of performances, and the individual schedules of the actors," and added, "There are many practical constraints that make simple comparisons difficult to interpret."
In fact, Lee Ji Hye is known to be preparing in parallel for the musical 'Hongryeon' at the same time. On the other hand, Kim So Hyang posted on her personal social media on the 27th, "Night night night. halmanhamal (I have a lot to say but let's not)," prompting speculation that it was a meaningful expression of her feelings.
Despite the production company's official explanation, controversy over the purpose of the triple casting and stage allocation is unlikely to die down easily.
With audience scrutiny of 'Anna Karenina' becoming more sensitive, attention is focused on what repercussions this controversy will bring.<
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]