The K-Pop Girl Group Craze Began with the 'Sisters'

Jegori Sisters, known as Korea's first girl group. The stage features Inan-young, famous later for "Mokpo is a Harbor," along with Kim Neung-ja, Park Hyang-rim, Jang Se-jung, and Lee Hwa-ja. At the time, a high-ranking officer from the Jongno Police Station during the Japanese colonial period was in attendance. They reluctantly agreed to the threat that they could not perform unless they sang songs encouraging young people to participate in the war, but then cheekily mixed in the soul-stirring "Arirang" and joked, "I thought the two songs would go well together, and indeed they do."

Stage of Jegori Sisters (Jeong Yuji, Jeong Yeon, Seonmin, Kim Ryeowon, Hong Seoyoung) [Photo by Shinsee Company]

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In this way, the musical Sisters dramatically introduces the history of domestic girl groups by blending the era's circumstances with songs. Starting with the 1930s "Jegori Sisters," composed of female members of the Joseon Opera Troupe, it recreates the 1950s "Kim Sisters," who led the original Korean Wave in the United States; the glamorous 1960s girl group "Lee Sisters"; the legendary pop singer Yoon Bok-hee's "Korean Kittens"; and the 1970s "Hee Sisters," who produced the eternal diva Insooni, connecting past and present.

The preparation period spanned a full 10 years. At the press conference held on the 13th at the Hongik University Daehangno Art Center Grand Theater, director Park Kal-lin explained, "We verified the singers' costumes and stages at the time through photo materials, videos, and overseas theses. Writer Jeon Su-yang searched domestic materials, and Jeon overseas materials," adding, "Except for the late Inan-young, we interviewed everyone in person. The work was created based on the stories most frequently told by the seniors."

The Sisters stage is arranged with actors playing multiple roles. They appear as leads in one scene, supporting roles in another, and even those roles change with each performance. Even the actors said, "Today, am I Suk-ja or Ae-ja?" expressing how confusing it was, which made them practice harder. Director Park said, "Being a girl group requires tremendous harmony. If someone is out of place, they naturally move to fit in; if the pitch is off, they compensate with harmony," adding, "I wanted to show the audience the image of a group helping each other by running around in a live setting all at once."

The only male actor in the play, Hwang Sung-hyun, conveys the background behind the songs in detail. For example, during the Kim Sisters' stage, he shares that they earned about 1.7 billion won per week in Korean currency at the time. Director Park said, "Without historical background, the songs are just familiar tunes. We tried adding, reducing, or removing explanations, but without background, the songs could become something else," explaining, "So we decided on the concept of a show musical."

The stage of The Sisters (Yoo Yeon, Lee Ye-eun, Shin Eui-jung)
[Photo by Shin Company]

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On the 8th, the actual models Yoon Bok-hee, Go Jae-sook, and Kim Hee-sun watched the performance and took the stage, expressing their impressions as "a very moving, enjoyable, and wonderful moment." The actors who portrayed the girl group legends felt the same emotion. Lee Ye-eun, who played Yoon Bok-hee, said, "While dancing on stage, I saw Yoon Bok-hee's face shining brightly in the light illuminating the audience, like a scene from a movie," adding, "I felt an indescribable emotion from that sight." Lee Seo-young, who played Go Jae-sook, said, "It felt like riding a time machine to the past. She thanked us," and added, "I was happy to have given them memories, and I was glad to be able to perform such a stage."

At the end of the performance, a unique scene is staged where the actors call out the names of the Sisters and their own names. Director Park said, "There has never been a moment on stage where an actor recites their own name. But the feature of this performance is live music, and relying on such spontaneity, I wanted to instill the awareness of 'Who am I on this stage?' I wanted to introduce the actors who created the history and story to the audience."

'Sisters' Pre-show Stage (Hong Seoyoung, Shin Uijeong, Lee Seoyoung, Yoo Yeon, Lee Yeeun, Ha Yujin) [Photo by Shin Company]

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"It is a unique stage that does not belong to the existing musical category. It is neither a show nor a concert, but a show musical, and we ask for your great support."

The performance runs until November 12 at the Hongik University Daehangno Art Center Grand Theater.

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