Young-woong Bonsaek Yoo Jun-sang "Innovative Stage... Performance Like Filming a Movie"

Over 1,000 LED Screens Filling the Stage, Effectively Recreating Iconic Movie Scenes

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] "It is an innovative stage. It is a musical that gives the feeling that the actors are moving inside a movie."

The most striking feature of the musical Youngwoongbonsek is the LED screen that fills the entire stage. This ingenious stage device was prepared to fully capture the sensibility of the original movie Youngwoongbonsek, which sparked the Hong Kong noir film boom over 30 years ago. The production team of Youngwoongbonsek installed about 1,000 state-of-the-art LED panels on three sides of the stage, projecting videos that organically change according to the actors’ movements and perspectives.

Actor Yoo Joon-sang, who plays Song Ja-ho, described the musical as movie-like at the Youngwoongbonsek press call held on the 2nd at the KEPCO Art Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. "There are scenes that actually flow like a movie. During rehearsals, we only heard about the videos on the screen behind us and acted accordingly. I wondered what would happen if the videos didn’t come out as planned, but an innovative stage was created. Videos continuously follow the story from behind, and we perform as if making a movie, matching the pace well."

The 1,000 LED screens effectively recreate the dazzling nightscape of Hong Kong, which serves as the spatial background from the beginning of the play. The scene where Mark, enraged by the news of Song Ja-ho’s betrayal, heads from Hong Kong to Taiwan for revenge smoothly transitions with a simple airport security checkpoint setup and LED screen footage. When Song Ja-ho is released from prison and meets his younger brother Song Ja-geol, a three-dimensional rain scene is realized, and when Song Ja-geol enjoys a date with his lover Peggy, the entire stage feels like a large aquarium. The LED panels also add depth to the stage.

Musical 'A Better Tomorrow' performance scene [Photo by Big Picture Production]

The original movie Youngwoongbonsek is a masterpiece that won Best Picture and Best Actor at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards, as well as Best Director and Best Actor at the 1987 Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. The musical appropriately blends the stories of the first and second films of the original movie, faithfully recreating important scenes on stage. Especially for those in their 40s and 50s, it evokes a nostalgic feeling, with the LED screen playing a key role. The original soundtrack (OST) songs "Dangnyeonjeong" and "Bunhyang Miraeilja," sung by the late Leslie Cheung, the lead actor of the film, also stir nostalgia.

Park Min-sung, who plays Mark, said, "These are famous songs that anyone can recognize from just a few lines. Just hearing those songs live on site will be great. Many props that evoke nostalgia, such as the matchsticks, sunglasses, and trench coat that Mark carries, are placed on stage. It’s a work that’s good to watch with family or parents. It’s not only a story about noir and male loyalty but also about family and brothers, so anyone can enjoy it together."

Actor Lee Jang-woo, who plays Song Ja-geol, is making his musical stage debut with this production. "Before doing musicals, I thought acting would be the same as in dramas or movies. But after actually doing it, it’s very different. I felt strongly that there are different acting styles suitable for musicals and for movies and dramas. I have a lot of respect for musical actors, and through Youngwoongbonsek, I want to be reborn as a musical actor."

Yoo Joon-sang said that the large-scale LED panel stage is unfamiliar even to the actors, but as they gain experience, the performance will develop further. "I still enjoy watching Youngwoongbonsek. But for the younger generation watching now, it’s really an old movie. Director Wang Yong-beom thought deeply about how to bring it to the stage, and what he came up with was to lay 1,000 LED panels in three layers to realize all the scenes of the movie. When I first heard that, I wondered if it was really possible. Since this is the first time such a stage is being presented, we were nervous and wondered how the audience would receive it, but fortunately, the audience likes it. I believe that after gaining experience and finishing the premiere, the revival will receive even more love from the audience. I am thinking about continuing until I am 65 years old."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.