"Okjangpan" has erupted again. Singer and musical actress Ok Joo Hyun is drawing ire for virtually monopolizing casting in the musical Anna Karenina.
Recently, the musical Anna Karenina released its casting lineup. According to it, Ok Joo Hyun will perform 23 of the total 38 shows. Castmate Lee Ji Hye will appear in 8 shows, and Kim So Hyang will take the stage in only 7 shows. This has sparked controversy over concentrated casting and casting monopolization in favor of Ok Joo Hyun.
Anna Karenina is a work based on the novel of the same name, one of Tolstoy's three major literary works, which deeply explores love, marriage and family issues against the backdrop of late 19th-century Russian aristocratic society. It is a large-scale production to be staged at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul from Feb. 20 to March 29, and it was first performed in early 2018 for Korean audiences.
The title role of Anna Karenina drew attention with a triple casting of Ok Joo Hyun, Lee Ji Hye and Kim So Hyang. Ok Joo Hyun's presence was considerable in terms of recognition, fame and ticket power. But Kim So Hyang, who returned after studying in the U.S. and recently met audiences in the musical Evita, and Lee Ji Hye, who majored in classical singing and has broadened her filmography into various genres including the Apple TV+ original Pachinko, are also familiar actors to musical fans, raising expectations.
Nevertheless, Ok Joo Hyun almost monopolizes more than 60% of the announced casting. Even in an era when triple or higher casting is common and single-cast shows have become special, this is an excessive allocation that is hard to see. Other roles were double- or triple-cast as well. The pairings of Kim So Hyang with Yoon Hyung Ki and Min Young Ki will not be found in this production. It is a disappointing arrangement for musical fans who tend to seek out various pairings for their favorite shows.
Regarding this, an Anna Karenina representative told OSEN on the morning of the 28th, "Casting and the number of performances are the exclusive rights of the production company and the original creators, so we have nothing to say," expressing an official position. They added cautiously, "There were many variables, such as consultations with the licensor, a reduction in the total number of performances, and the actors' schedules, so the schedule was arranged with difficulty."
Of course, casting is the exclusive right of the production company, and under the practice in the performing arts industry of contracting by number of performances, actors would also have decided to appear after being fully aware of their assigned performance dates before the casting announcement. In fact, Lee Ji Hye will also meet audiences in the musical Hongryun during the same period as Anna Karenina.
However, the suspicion is compounded by the fact that this is not the first time casting controversy targeting Ok Joo Hyun has been raised. In 2022, musical actor Kim Ho Young caused a stir by posting on his personal social media, "Asaripan is a thing of the past. Now it's Okjangpan." At the time, Ok Joo Hyun showed strong displeasure and threatened legal action. Although the lawsuit was later dropped, she continued to express hurt and frustration over the "Okjangpan" controversy on broadcast.
Nevertheless, criticism has poured in accusing concentrated casting for Ok Joo Hyun, with comments such as "Okjangpan has erupted again," "If that's the case, why not do a one-cast?" and "It's too much that other actors aren't even backups." Moreover, because Ok Joo Hyun is widely known for a perfectionist approach to managing her condition, some fans have also voiced concerns about the physical demands of performing up to seven shows a week. With public sentiment teetering on the edge, can Ok Joo Hyun's Anna Karenina persuade audiences on stage?
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by Mast International.
[OSEN]