[On Stage] 'Ujudae Star' Showcasing New Possibilities of Original Musicals

Live Pub 'Stardust' Substitute Singer
Will Become a Cosmic Superstar but Farewell to Earth
Worries Due to Mother's Poor Health

Original Musical Stirring a New Wave in Daehangno
Selected 85 to 1 in CJ Cultural Foundation Support Project
Pre-uploaded Videos on YouTube for Marketing
Chinese Producer License Purchased Before Performance

Composer Park Jeong-a - Writer Han Ji-an Production
Fresh Idea Removing Boundaries Between Stage and Audience

The protagonist 'Nova (Kim Sun-taek)' is passionately singing in the musical 'Uju Daeseuta'.

Nova, a singer-songwriter who released three albums over 13 years but was forgotten by the public. One day, he replaces a popular singer’s stage at the live pub Stardust. Despite the audience’s indifference, he sings calmly until an alien appears and offers him a proposal: "Would you like to travel to space with me? I will make you a space superstar." It is the perfect opportunity to fulfill his long-cherished dream. However, he falls into deep contemplation because of one condition: once he leaves, he can never return. He must say an eternal goodbye to his ailing mother. What choice will Nova make?

This is the storyline of the original musical Space Superstar. Since its premiere earlier this year, it has been a hit through encore performances, bringing a fresh breeze to Daehangno. The production was selected from CJ Cultural Foundation’s '2021 Stage Up Space Support Project' with a competitive ratio of 85 to 1. Composer Park Jeong-ah of the musical Mama Don’t Cry and writer Han Ji-an of the musical Agatha joined forces to create it. The genre is 'immersive,' breaking down the boundaries between stage and audience. Actors and audience members engage in direct conversation, and sometimes the audience seats themselves become part of the stage. Although one might doubt the feasibility of this format amid the COVID-19 situation, the production team and actors brilliantly overturned such prejudices. Ironically, they found the solution online.

The stage of the musical 'Uju Daeseuta'.

Six months before the show opened, starting in December last year, the production team uploaded sixteen videos on YouTube exploring the characters’ backstories. These spin-offs expanded the characters’ universe by showing Nova going to work at the live pub and the alien’s background for coming to Earth. This encouraged the audience to become familiar with the characters before visiting the offline theater. Audience members who came to the actual performances waved 'glow stick' merchandise and followed the choreography. They also cleverly responded to the actors’ ad-libs. Writer Han Ji-an said, "In these challenging times for stage productions, we wondered if we could create content that allows people to experience the show in a different format first. We could feel on-site that audiences who watched the YouTube videos beforehand enjoyed the performance more."

The YouTube videos also had another effect. A Chinese production company, Focus Stage, which encountered the content, expressed interest in purchasing the license. The contract was signed even before the show premiered. This is a rare case in the Korean original musical scene. The Chinese version of Space Superstar is currently running as an open-run performance at a dedicated musical theater in Shanghai, with no set closing date, meeting local audiences. Composer Park Jeong-ah said, "Usually, completed works are purchased, but they expressed interest just by seeing the music score and video concept, which surprised us. It felt unreal, as if it was happening outside the universe."

Space Superstar could not have been completed without the dedication of the actors. Typically, musicals operate with double or triple casts to prepare for actors’ condition changes or unexpected situations. However, Space Superstar was run with a 'one-cast' system, with only one actor per character. Kim Sun-taek played Nova, Jung Seon-gi played the pub owner, and Young-oh played Alien 0126. In the premiere, they performed every day except Tuesdays, and in the encore performances, every day except Fridays.

Actors Jeong Seon-gi, Kim Soon-taek, and Young-oh, who appeared in the musical 'Uju Daeseuta' as a one-cast (from left).

Kim Sun-taek reflected, "During the run, I couldn’t even make personal appointments. I felt a strong responsibility to definitely pull it off myself." Young-oh said, "Since it was a one-cast system, managing my condition was the most important thing. Even if I felt a cold coming on, I went to the hospital to get an IV drip." Jung Seon-gi joked, "I ate a lot of health-boosting foods like meat, octopus, and beef bone soup for breakfast and lunch. I was practically attached to vitamins and supplements."

The main character Nova sings along with a live band and plays instruments himself. He performs songs on guitar and piano, creating an acoustic pub theater vibe, then reveals a powerful rock band or dance singer persona in highlight scenes. Kim Sun-taek said, "The character Nova overlaps a lot with my own image as an actor, so I could immerse myself. During the premiere, I acted within the text’s framework, but for the encore, I brought a flute and tried to show improvisational aspects to communicate with the audience."

Kim Sun-taek (right) as 'Nova' and Jung Seon-gi as 'Pub Owner' performing passionately in the musical 'Uju Daeseuta'.

All choreography in the show was created by Jung Seon-gi. As a dance major, he explained, "If the difficulty is too high, the audience can’t follow, and if it’s too easy, it can seem childish. I put a lot of thought into creating choreography at the right level. I focused on using glow sticks to create a dazzling effect with minimal movements."

The actors unanimously expressed their hope that Space Superstar will be remembered as a work that brings hope and comfort to the audience. Young-oh said, "I hope our show feels like a refreshing and sweet can of beer that helps people wrap up their tiring daily lives. When I think of Space Superstar, the moon and stars come to mind, and I hope the audience will remember our performance while looking at the moon and stars."

Actors Young-oh (right), who plays 'Alien 0126,' and Kim Soon-taek, who plays 'Nova,' in the musical 'Space Superstar.'

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