Musical "Jekyll & Hyde" Wins High Acclaim

The musical "Jekyll & Hyde" starring Jo Seung-woo opened at the Opera House of the Seoul Arts Center on Jan. 25. Cho appeared again in the musical after his previous performance, the musical's 2004 premiere in Korea, which sold out completely.

In the musical, based on the original novel written by L.R. Stevenson, Jo plays a double role as Dr. Jekyll, a scientist who has invented a drug that can help people discern good and evil, and Mr. Hyde, an evil character.

Jo received a large ovation for his remarkably outstanding acting performance during the musical's opening night. Ninety-five percent of the tickets have been sold for all the performances featuring Cho as of Jan. 25.

He will reportedly receive 400 million won for his role in the musical, or 10 million won per performance, which is the highest amount for a musical actor in the country. The amount is equivalent to the performance fee for a top-class film star in the country.

Ryu Jung-han, another actor double cast for the musical alongside Jo, enjoys similarly high popularity. More than 70 percent of the tickets for the performances featuring Ryu have been sold as of Jan. 25. If Jo, the actor of the box-office hit film "Marathon", outshines Ryu in terms of popularity or acting ability, Ryu, a vocalist, overwhelms Jo in terms of singing ability. The musical's director David Swan said, "The two actors excellently portray 'Jekyll & Hyde' based on their individual characteristics. In particular, Ryu Jung-han's singing ability is outstanding".

During the matinee of the musical staged prior to Jo's performance in the evening on opening night, Ryu struck a chord in the hearts of the audience with his marvelous singing ability. The bona-fide competition between these two actors is contributing to enhancing the level of the musical and winning it higher popularity. The musical is even more popular among audiences because of its apparent attempt to delve into the duplicity of humans, as well as its peculiar theme and thriller-style plot.

Audiences are also charmed by its beautiful songs combining classical and pop styles, such as "Once Upon A Dream", "Someone Like You", and "This Is the Moment".

Also appearing in the musical are actors and actresses such as Kim Bong-hwan, Kim Seong-gi, Kim Seon-young, Lee Hye-kyeong, and Kim Ki-soon.

"Jekyll & Hyde" will be staged at the Opera House of the Seoul Arts Center until Feb. 4 and the Daegu Opera House from Feb. 10 until 29.