'The Phantom of the Opera' Returns with Choi Jae-rim and Jeon Dong-seok, Joined by 'New Face' Kang-hyun Park

[Financial News] Actors Choi Jae-rim, Jeon Dong-seok and Kang-hyun Park have been selected as the leading cast members of the special season of 'The Phantom of the Opera.'
According to Clip Service on the 21st, the three actors have been cast in leading roles in 'The Phantom of the Opera,' produced by S&Co with Seol Do-kwon and Shin Dong-won as producers, to mark its global 40th anniversary.

Choi Jae-rim will don the mask again following the 2023 production. Jeon Dong-seok, who led the show's box-office success in 2023, will also reunite with the Phantom. The new principal cast member is Kang-hyun Park, who has demonstrated a wide acting range.
Haewon Lee and Choi Sun Ho have been newly cast as Christine, the female lead. Haewon Lee, who has drawn attention on classical stages, is a talented performer with a pure and warm vocal tone.
Choi Sun Ho, who studied vocal music at Seoul National University and earned a master's degree from the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln in Germany, is a rising star making his stage debut as Christine.
Rainer Fried, the associate director, expressed strong expectations for the performances of the Phantom and Christine. Regarding Choi Jae-rim and Jeon Dong-seok's return, he said, "I am thrilled to continue this new journey by working again with these two wonderful actors, who created an extraordinarily compelling Phantom in 2023." He added of the new Phantom, Kang-hyun Park, "When I heard him sing, I immediately knew we had found a very special performer worthy of the Phantom."
Regarding Haewon Lee and Choi Sun Ho, he praised their "fantastic voices," the most important quality for the role of Christine, and expressed confidence that they would "tell Christine's turbulent and moving story in a highly original way."
Raoul, who confronts the Phantom to protect Christine, will be played by Song Won-geun and Kim Sung-sik.
Song Won-geun, who made an impression in the 2023 production with his gentlemanly elegance and rich baritone, returns to the stage. Kim Sung-sik, whose handsome looks and aristocratic aura evoke Raoul, newly joins the cast. With his sweet voice, he made his large-theater debut in 2023 and has drawn attention as a next-generation star by appearing in a succession of major productions.


This season is particularly meaningful for Yoon Young-seok, Lee Sang-jun and Kim Ah-seon, who have been part of the history of the musical's Korean productions.
Yoon Young-seok, who played the Phantom in the first Korean production and has appeared on stage more than 600 times after participating in every Korean-language production, will play Monsieur André, the opera house manager. Lee Sang-jun, who holds the record for the most appearances in Korean productions with more than 700 performances, returns as Monsieur Firmin, another opera house manager. Kim Ah-seon, who made her musical debut in the 2001 Korean premiere and has reached 500 performances, will play Madame Giry, the strict ballet mistress.
Evelyn and Han Bo-ra will play Carlotta, the haughty prima donna of the opera house, while Jo Ha-rin returns as Meg Giry, Christine's close friend and a lively ballerina. Yi Sangmun newly joins the cast as Piangi, Carlotta's lover and the opera house's principal tenor.
Completing the grand world of the Paris Opera House, the ensemble and dancers will include Hong Geum-dan, Kim Ga-hee, Kim Jun-oh, Yoon Jeong-yeol, Kim Jin-young, Bang Bo-yong, Kim Sun-woo, Kim Yo-han, Lee Han-beom, Jeon Beom-jin, Kwon Ga-min, Gil Ha-yoon, Lee Ye-jin, Kim Ga-yoon, Lee Ji-na, Cha Ji-hyun, Kang Hyun-joong, Bae Na-mu, Kim Jung-yeon, Park Ye-won, Ko Min-geon, Han Ji-won, Kim Min-young, Lee Hyun-young, Yoo Ga-young, Lee Yoon-hee and Lee Joo-ho.
Meanwhile, 'The Phantom of the Opera' is a signature work by musical theater master Andrew Lloyd Webber. It has been performed in 23 languages across 52 countries and 217 cities, attracting more than 160 million audience members. Marking the show's global 40th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of its Korean premiere, this Korean-language production will have a Seoul-only limited run at Blue Square Woori Bank Hall in Yongsan District, Seoul, from December 22 to February 28, 2027, for just two months.

[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter