Singer and musical actress Tiffany Young these days is completely taken with "Kim Yumi." Having met a lovable character, she meets audiences happily every day.
Tiffany Young on the afternoon of the 21st, at Seoul Seocho-gu Law and The City located in Seoul Arts Center, during an interview related to the musical "Yumi's Cells," expressed special affection for "Kim Yumi." Meeting a lovable character and seeming happy every day, she kept smiling brightly the whole time and was giving off a pleasant and lovable energy.
The musical "Yumi's Cells" is an original musical based on a webtoon that recorded 3.5 billion cumulative views and is the world's first stage adaptation of the work. It is a piece that cheerfully unfolds the daily life and love of ordinary office worker Kim Yumi from the perspective of the cells in her head. Tiffany Young is double-cast with actress Kim Yewon as the lead Kim Yumi and is appearing on stage.
About "Yumi's Cells," Tiffany Young said, "I am so happy and honored to go to work at Seoul Arts Center every day. I'm glad to be able to show a very warm and energetic work that fits the season, and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as all the staff and actors have worked hard to prepare. It's a piece I practiced thinking it's a work that's amazing even if you watch it once, twice, three times, many times," expressing special affection.
As an original musical, Tiffany Young said she has maintained tension even after the first performance. She said, "Because it's an original, there are really like 100 versions of scenes and song lyrics, lighting pin positions, everything in my head, organizing that and thinking about how to show teamwork, so the tension didn't go away. Although I finally put it up, I feel it's just the beginning," she said.
At the same time, Tiffany Young emphasized, "Kim Yumi is so lovable," and laughed, "I'm so happy. Seeing the audience so, so happy, laughing and crying together, partying mischievously together — this time is so, so enjoyable thanks to the audience cells. I love coming every day. It's a simple and plain thing to say, but the audience cells are the best."
Because the show is still running, she said she has deliberately not been looking for reactions. Tiffany Young said, "I'm not looking right now. It's the fourth week of the run, and because it's a musical, especially an original musical, the framework and skeleton that the directors designed tend to bend once you see reactions. I want to keep pushing the story we set, so I'm not looking at reactions right now. I usually watch them after everything's over," she said.
"Yumi's Cells" is also famous as a drama based on the popular webtoon starring Kim Go-eun. Tiffany Young first encountered the "Yumi's Cells" IP through the musical script, and after receiving the offer to appear she immediately studied by reading the webtoon.
Tiffany Young said, "Listening to the script and the music that was made early on, I actually first encountered 'Yumi's Cells' as a musical script. Since there is a webtoon and a drama, I immediately started researching. Because Yumi's roots are in the webtoon, I fell in love while reading it. She is such a lovable character, and I looked at it thinking I should make everyone love Yumi too," she said.
Regarding the casting offer, Tiffany Young said, "They said, 'Tiffany's brightness and loveliness seem to fit Yumi.' Since I didn't know Yumi yet, I said, 'I'll read and come back.'" She added, "After reading the webtoon I said, 'I want to try it, I think I can do it well.' Yumi is so lovable. Her fashion is lovable and everything is lovable," conveying special affection for the character.
In the play, Kim Yumi is set as an ordinary office worker. Although different from Tiffany Young, who debuted with Girls' Generation and has lived a glamorous life, there are also similarities. Tiffany Young laughed, "I talk to myself a lot. Yumi talks to herself a lot, and I knew I did too, but Yumi gave me the opportunity to say it so confidently," and added, "I like that it's a character where my INFJ's INF can be maximized."
However, the Yumi Tiffany Young sees is a 'P.' Tiffany Young said, "I'm totally a J. I think I have more planning skills than Yumi," and said, "My prime cells are the bulletin board cell and the household chore cell. Without that organization I can't keep my schedule. I even bought a household chore cell doll for my home. I use a lot of Post-it notes. It's in our work too. My prime cells were the bulletin board cell and the household chore cell. Of course the love cell is also sitting on top. Love is the driving force."
"Yumi's Cells" runs at Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater through Aug. 23.
[Photo] Provided by Sam Company.
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