[On Stage] Lively Majors "We Want to Do More Comedy"

Nostradamus Role in Something Rotten: "After Playing Many Serious Roles, Enjoying My Transformation Now"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Like the footwork of a tap dancer, the movements of 'Majors' Michael Lee (47) are lively. The fun of watching the musical 'Something Rotten' currently performing at the Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater is doubled by Majors' unique transformation.

Michael Lee, whom we met last month on the 28th at a cafe in Bangbae-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, said, "I am so happy to be able to perform in an exciting musical," adding, "I am having a completely new experience."

Majors is a nickname musical fans use for Michael Lee. This is because he left a strong impression playing Jesus in the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' The nickname combines Michael Lee's name with the character name Jesus. Majors is also the image the public expects from him. Michael Lee revealed that he has played many 'serious' roles so far and enjoys his current transformation.

In 'Something Rotten,' Michael Lee plays the role of Nostradamus?not the great prophet Nostradamus himself, but his nephew 'Thomas Nostradamus.' The nephew predicts the future inaccurately.

The setting of 'Something Rotten' is Renaissance-era England. It humorously unfolds the struggles of the Bottom brothers, who set out to produce humanity's first musical in competition with the era's greatest playwright, Shakespeare. The protagonist Nick Bottom feels inferior to Shakespeare, who produces hit plays every time.

After repeated failures, he seeks out the fortune teller (?) Nostradamus. Nostradamus shows insight by predicting that the era of musicals will dawn. However, he mistakenly reveals the title of Shakespeare's masterpiece as 'Ham-Omlet' instead of 'Hamlet.' Because of this, a farce occurs during Bottom's production of 'Hamlet,' where suddenly a frying pan appears on stage.

Michael Lee, currently performing as Nostradamus in the musical 'Something Rotten'
Photo by MC Theater

'Something Rotten' directs wordplay like 'Ham-Omlet,' parodies lines, scenes, and some numbers from famous musicals, and cleverly borrows from Shakespeare's novels to continuously deliver laughter. Additionally, lively group dances such as tap dance add to the enjoyment of the performance. The parodied works during the show number 25, including 'Les Mis?rables,' 'Rent,' 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' and 'Broadway 42nd Street.'

There is also a number parodied at Michael Lee's suggestion. It is the most famous number from the musical 'Notre-Dame de Paris,' titled 'The Age of the Cathedrals.' The lyrics 'The age of the cathedrals has come' are rewritten in 'Something Rotten' as 'The age of musicals has come,' sung by Nostradamus.

'Notre-Dame de Paris' is also one of Michael Lee's representative works. He appeared as Gringoire in the 2013 production of 'Notre-Dame de Paris' and reprised the role in the 2016 and 2018 performances.

Michael Lee said that when he was active on Broadway, he did not know much about 'Notre-Dame de Paris.' This is because French musicals are not well introduced on Broadway. He said that although 'Notre-Dame de Paris' was performed in Las Vegas, USA, in 2015, it has yet to be performed on Broadway.

"French musicals have a somewhat different style, so they are not well known in the US. Coming to Korea, I got to know many musicals completely different from American ones." Born in the US, Michael Lee debuted in 1994 as Thuy in 'Miss Saigon' and first stepped onto the Korean stage in 2006 when he participated in the Korean production of 'Miss Saigon.' Since 2013, he has relocated and settled in Korea with his family.

The passion of Korean musical actors and production staff was also something Michael Lee had to adapt to when he first started working in Korea. "In the US, there is an actors' union, so rehearsal times are strictly observed. In Korea, actors rehearsed until 6 p.m., then after dinner, rehearsed again from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. I really couldn't understand that. I wondered when actors would rest if they were always in the rehearsal room. But after staying in Korea continuously, I feel it might be better than in the US. The actors gain more experience and become more professional. Honestly, following that rehearsal process made me a better actor too."

Michael Lee, appearing as Nostradamus in the musical 'Something Rotten'
Photo by MC Theater

'Something Rotten' premiered on Broadway in 2015. Christian Borle, who played William Shakespeare at the time, was a same-age friend who had performed together in 'Jesus Christ Superstar' in 2000. Brian d'Arcy James, who played Nick Bottom, was a senior of Michael Lee's wife at university. Michael Lee said, "Both are excellent Broadway actors," and "I am honored to be in the same production with them."

However, during the Broadway premiere, Michael Lee was performing in another show as a one-cast member, so he could not watch the performance. Last year, the first overseas tour was realized in Korea, allowing him to see the show. This year, a licensed production was staged. Michael Lee highly praised the licensed production.

"'Something Rotten' is a special work that Americans and British people can enjoy very much. They learn about Shakespeare from middle school and read 'Macbeth,' 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' 'Romeo and Juliet,' 'Othello,' and so on. When it was said it would be adapted into Korean, I doubted whether it would resonate with Koreans, but the translation was excellent. It preserved all the subtle nuances of the original. I think it is genius. The direction is also excellent. My Korean friends say they enjoyed it more than when it toured here. I am very proud to be able to show such a work to the audience."

Initially, people around him suggested that considering his previous image, he should play Shakespeare. During last year's Korean tour, Nostradamus was played by an older, larger person, which did not match Michael Lee's image so far. However, Michael Lee wanted to play Nostradamus from the beginning.

"The role of Nick is very attractive, and Shakespeare is great too, but the role that suits me best is Nostradamus. I want to try other roles too, but it hurts my heart not to be able to play Nostradamus because I am cast in other roles. Nostradamus is a very bright and fun role. I love the number that starts with 'Muu~sical.' I also like that Nostradamus is a person who loves musicals, which is similar to me."

He added, "Image is important, but if you keep following only the image, it eventually becomes a trap, and the roles you can play keep decreasing. I always want to show acting with different colors."

Michael Lee said he wants to perform many comedy works while he can. "Didn’t I become a musical actor to give joy to the audience? 'Something Rotten' is a work where you can forget all problems, laugh, and fall in love during the 2 hours and 30 minutes of the performance. Being able to perform during these difficult times is a blessing."

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