'The Man Who Laughs' Park Kang-hyun "More Attached Because I Participated in the Original Creative Premiere"

Gwinplen Role... Strong Attachment Enough to Reappear for the First Time Since Debut

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] "I feel more attached to this work because I participated in its original production. It feels like I created it."

Actor Park Kang-hyun (31, photo) is currently starring as the protagonist 'Gwynplaine' in the musical The Man Who Laughs. Since his debut in 2016 with Liar Time, this is his first time appearing again in the same production.

Park Kang-hyun always wants to work on new projects and generally avoids performing in the same show twice. However, The Man Who Laughs is a significant work as EMK Musical Company produced Victor Hugo's novel of the same name into a musical for the first time in the world.

"From the beginning, I participated in the collaborative creation process. All actors probably feel this way, but you inevitably develop a different kind of attachment to such works. So when the offer came again, I gladly accepted it."

[Photo by Lighthouse]

The sense of accomplishment was also great. The Man Who Laughs won the grand prize at the 3rd Korea Musical Awards. Park Kang-hyun also received the Best New Actor award for the role of Gwynplaine at the 7th Yegreen Musical Awards. He has grown into a notable actor on the musical stage in a short time. Last year, he appeared in major theater musicals such as Elisabeth, Excalibur, and Marie Antoinette. At the 4th Korea Musical Awards held on the 20th of last month in 2020, he also won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Lancelot in Excalibur.

He said, "I have been fortunate with awards. It's nice, but the pressure is greater than I expected. Although I work hard, the audience's expectations will rise accordingly, and I feel the pressure to show a better side. On the other hand, I think that pushes me to improve a bit more."

Despite critical acclaim, musicals remain a challenging stage for him. "Since I started doing musicals, every moment carries an uncertainty about what role I can take on, but at the same time, there is an excitement like anticipation."

Therefore, Park Kang-hyun said he relates a lot to the scene where he sings the number "Can It Be" in The Man Who Laughs.

"Can It Be" is a musical number expressing the complex emotions Gwynplaine feels after meeting Duchess Josiana. Gwynplaine is a member of a circus troupe who owns nothing. During a performance, he provokes high-ranking nobles, and Duchess Josiana develops an interest in him. Through her, Gwynplaine vaguely hopes he might escape his lowly life and live a new life, and at that moment, he sings "Can It Be."

[Photo by Lighthouse]

Park Kang-hyun newly realizes that The Man Who Laughs is a demanding work. "Because it was an original production, preparing for the premiere was tough, but doing the revival feels about 1.5 times harder than the first run."

This is partly because his understanding of the character has deepened. He said, "I still think Gwynplaine is a very heartbreaking character. Compared to the premiere, there are definitely parts where the emotions have deepened."

During the revival, the order of some awkward scenes from the premiere was changed, making the story flow more naturally. Park Kang-hyun said that in the revival, Gwynplaine's journey feels more natural. "The musical genre progresses quickly and scenes change rapidly, which can be unfriendly at times. Unlike the premiere, we rearranged the scenes, so the flow became more natural. I want to fill in the parts we couldn't cover during the premiere. I want to improve and make it a better work."

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