[On Stage] "Sang with minimal Yoon Do-hyun style... I think Brother Lee Young-hoon would like it from heaven"

Yoon Do-hyun Returns with the Musical 'Gwanghwamun Yeonga' After 5 Years

Yoon Do-hyun, who played the role of Myeong-woo in the musical 'Gwanghwamun Yeonga'. (Photo by CJ ENM)

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] "I have experience recording with composer Lee Young-hoon and we had many conversations. He treated me well. When I visited him in the hospital, even in a critical condition, he was still composing songs. He said, ‘I will make a musical with my songs, and you must do it.’ Since the production is going well, I think he is probably watching from heaven and feeling happy."

Yoon Do-hyun has returned to musicals after five years. He is passionately playing the lead role of Myung-woo in the jukebox musical Gwanghwamun Sonata, which features the masterpieces of the late composer Lee Young-hoon. Gwanghwamun Sonata has returned for its third season this year following its premiere in 2017 and revival in 2018, receiving favorable reviews and drawing audiences.

Lee Young-hoon is a pioneer of Korean pop ballads, having created numerous hits such as "Red Sunset," "Girl," and "In the Rain." Yoon Do-hyun built a friendship with him through two recording sessions. Yoon, who left the musical stage after Hedwig in 2016, returned to the stage thanks to his connection with "hyung-nim" (older brother).

In the play, Myung-woo, portrayed by Yoon Do-hyun, is a middle-aged composer who embarks on a time travel journey through memories of the 1980s and 1990s with Wolha, a god who governs time, standing at the threshold of death. Yoon said, "Myung-woo is a composer obsessed with music who foolishly consumes all his emotions to create songs. As a fellow musician, I find many similarities with him, so I empathize deeply."

Yoon Do-hyun, who played the role of Myeong-woo in the musical 'Gwanghwamun Yeonga'. (Photo by CJ ENM)

Yoon Do-hyun also appeared in the 2011 musical of the same name, Gwanghwamun Sonata. Although the current production shares the same director, the production company, song arrangement, and story are completely different. While the previous work focused on love between a man and a woman, this CJ ENM production centers on the life of a middle-aged musician. Yoon said, "Through Myung-woo, who calmly accepts the weight and burdens of life and then departs, middle-aged and older audiences will especially find much empathy. Since I need to show a captivating character, I feel I must sing even better."

Yoon named "Memory Is More Than Love" as the song he feels most attached to in the play. "It is a song Myung-woo sings with the heart of putting everything in order before he dies. The melody is beautiful and the emotions never dry up, so I like it. I always feel anticipation before the performance, and every time I sing it, it feels new. Personally, I really like the whistling in Lee Young-hoon's songs, but unfortunately, this number does not include it."

Yoon Do-hyun, who played the role of Myeong-woo in the musical 'Gwanghwamun Yeonga'. (Photo by CJ ENM)

He is undoubtedly a representative rocker of Korea. However, this strong identity sometimes becomes an obstacle on the musical stage. Therefore, he put a lot of effort into removing as much of "Yoon Do-hyun’s color" as possible when singing. Yoon said, "I practiced a lot to sing with a clean and clear voice by restraining my head voice and singing with less force," emphasizing, "My signature vocal style only appears in the high notes of ‘That Was Me’ and ‘Red Sunset’ when I sing in chest voice."

Yoon praised Cha Ji-yeon, Kim Ho-young, and Kim Sung-kyu, who play Wolha, as actors each with different charms. He said Cha Ji-yeon has excellent vocal skills, Kim Ho-young embodies the ideal charm of Wolha, and Kim Sung-kyu stands out with his cute and colorful singing style. Yoon said, "The actors playing Myung-woo don’t seem very different, but the three Wolha actors are very different from each other. Every time I perform, I find many interesting and fresh aspects."

All members of his rock band YB watched the performance. Even Scott Hallowell, the British guitarist who doesn’t speak Korean well, came to the theater to support him. Yoon said, "Scott didn’t fully understand the story, but he told me the music was really good."

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