‘The Musical’ Interviews Seohyun

Seohyun will be getting on stage not as a Girls’ Generation member, but as Yeonwoo of ‘Moon That Embraces the Sun’. In reality, there seemed to be a lot of similarities between Seohyun and Yeonwoo. First of all, she is beautiful and innocent like Hwon and Yangmyung’s first love, Yeonwoo. Recalling the first love anyone dreams of, seeing Seohyun appear wearing a fluttering white one-piece, is a natural phenomenon. Also, like Yeonwoo, who is finding her love again by overcoming numerous hardships, Seohyun carries a gentle appearance, but is strong in spirit. She looks weak on the outside, like she would break easily. But her eyes that unravel her thoughts and dreams, are firm.

One Step Closer to the Stage

The Musical: You’re finally debuting in a musical. How does it feel thinking of your first stage?

Seohyun: My heart is beating and fluttering. I want that day to hurry up and come. But it’s also really burdensome. It’s part nervousness, part fluttering of my heart, and part anticipation (laughs).

The Musical: I assume Girls’ Generation members who have experienced the musical stage before gave you various tips for your first performance.

Seohyun: They really believed in me. They told me to be confident. Participate in practices as much as possible. They always send me messages of support. Rather than giving me special advice like a teacher, they become a great source of strength next to me.

The Musical: When did you decide that you should do a musical?

Seohyun: I got the dream watching [Ock] Joohyun unnie’s performance. I watched every musical she was in, not missing a single one. I gradually set my mind on wanting to be in a musical like that.

The Musical: What work was especially memorable?

Seohyun: ‘42nd Street’. The role of Peggy Sawyer was quite appealing. I really want to be in this work one day. So after seeing the performance, as a future promise [to appear in the musical], I learned to tap dance. During a concert, I created a stage similar to the musical and showed off my tap dancing.

The Musical: I’m looking forward to your Peggy. What other role do you want to play?

Seohyun: Glinda from ‘Wicked’! I really enjoyed ‘Wicked’. I watched it in New York, and I also watched the performance in Korea. But I liked Joohyun and [Jung] Sunah unnie’s performances the most. If it weren’t for those two, it’s a character that I could have never even imagined. They were over 100% in sync with the characters. Every time I see Joohyun unnie’s performances, I get a lump in my throat and gain a great amount of strength. Of course, her role of Elphaba was also great and I did want to play it, but Glinda was quite lovable. Of the two, it’s the character that I could express a bit better. I’ve set the goal to try playing it within the next ten years.

The Musical: Is there a special reason why you chose ‘Moon That Embraces the Sun’ as your debut musical?

Seohyun: I’ve only watched historical dramas since I was little. I like them a lot, and naturally, I dreamed of appearing in a historical drama. While I was dreaming of being in a musical, this turned out to be a historical one. I was also into the drama, ‘Moon That Embraces the Sun’, for a while. It was very fun, and I got the thought that it would be nice to play the character of Yeonwoo. Like magic though, this musical appeared. It was amazing and I was happy.

Destined Meeting on Stage

The Musical: Do you remember your initial impression of Yeonwoo when you first came across ‘Moon That Embraces the Sun’ as a drama?

Seohyun: Yeonwoo was 13 years old, but age seemed conditional. Even if they are the same 13-year-olds, there can be a mature child, and there can also be a much younger child who has a much more mature mentality than my older self. Yeonwoo seemed very mature mentally. Of course, she is innocent and fresh like other kids her age. Still, she seemed closer to a lady than a young girl. She’s a mature and wise girl.

The Musical: What do you think now after acting as her?

Seohyun: Yeonwoo’s a girl that’s close to my ideal type. If I were a guy, Yeonwoo would probably be my ideal type. She’s that perfect to me. I’m just imagining that I’m Yeonwoo right now (laughs). Even when I read the original novel, I read it like it was my own journal, and it made it easier to understand the character a bit more.

The Musical: Even if she’s close to your ideal type, there were probably parts that you couldn’t agree on, right?

Seohyun: At first, other than the background being set during the Joseon dynasty, there weren’t any particular difficulties. But it was difficult when Yeonwoo appeared eight years later as the female shaman, Wol. She’s not just a female shaman, but it’s Yeonwoo whose memory’s been sealed. It wasn’t easy acting confused about whether the things bothering her were memories of her past, or if they’re memories she’s recalling from being a female shaman. So I drew a line under the parts where Wol appears in the original work and looked at it whenever I had time.

The Musical: Yeonwoo and Hwon’s love was truly destiny. Do you believe in destined love?

Seohyun: I do. Is it because I still have the sensitivity of a young girl (laughs)? People say that you can clearly see the person you’re going to marry. While there are some people you can see for ten years and never feel the desire to marry them, they say there are some people that make you think, ‘It’s them’, as soon as you see them. While I do ask back, ‘Is that true?’, I believe in destiny.

The Musical: Not just Hwon, but Yangmyung is also woefully in love with her. In reality, if you were to choose one of the two, which person would you pick?

Seohyun: It’s too hard (laughs). But I thought about something like this. In the musical, Yeonwoo picks Hwon, but I don’t think it was an easy decision. When Yeonwoo learned that Lord Yoon Daehyung’s daughter was nominated as the Crown Princess, Yangmyung found her and told her that he would leave everything and leave with her. If I were Yeonwoo, I think that would have really swayed me at that moment. Already, my destiny was not with the Prince, and Yangmyung devoted his love to me. Because of that, I think I could have chosen Yangmyung.

The Musical: Kyuhyun, from your same management company, SM Entertainment, was in charge of the role of Hwon. Since you are acquaintances, I feel like you would have talked a lot more. Is there any memorable incident you had?

Seohyun: Oh! Kyuhyun oppa gave me the novel of the original story as a gift. I was really thankful. And I also remember him telling me that I really suit the role of Yeonwoo. I was really happy at that moment. Because I heard something like that from someone else, I really got some kind of hope. Thanks to him, I was able to practice a lot harder.

The Musical: How are the other ‘Hwon’s?

Seohyun: Kim Dahyun senior looks out for me with a lot of care. He analyzes the works really thoroughly. So he gives me advice on parts that I couldn’t think of. So that I can constantly think about new things. Jun Dongsuk senior checked all my parts during the runthrough and explained each thing to me. Because it’s my first musical, I was really worried, but the seniors gave me a lot of help. Now, ‘Moon That Embraces the Sun’ feels like my family. Everybody’s nice and delightful. I got close with all of them. Even when I’m stressed, when I go to the practice room, I get a lot of energy. Since I’ve sat down at an already well-set dinner table, I will work hard to do my part properly as one spoon [on the table]!

Waiting for that Day

The Musical: You looked elegant wearing a hanbok in the poster. I got the thought that you would suit historical dramas. Can I look forward to [you appearing in] other historical dramas?

Seohyun: Of course. Everyone that is close to me knows just how much I like historical dramas. I have all the journals I’ve written thus far saved, and recently, I pulled one out that I wrote when I was little. I looked at it going, ‘What’s this?’, and it read, ‘Today, Heo Jun passed away.’ I was a fan of the drama, ‘Heo Jun’ (laughs). I liked historical dramas that much. When I was little, while my other friends would play with dolls, I wore a hanbok and played ‘historical drama’.

The Musical: Then which historical figure do you want to play?

Seohyun: Hwang Jinyi. Rather than a character who only gets protected because she’s a female, I prefer an adventurous figure. The Joseon dynasty was a time of severe social discrimination, so no matter how gifted they were, women could not gain recognition. However, Hwang Jinyi had her goal set and pioneered towards her destiny aggressively. That side of her looked amazing. To be frank, the current generation doesn’t read a lot of history books. I also watch more dramas than read books, and then study a lot about history. That’s what I like about historical dramas, and I think that’s the reason why I keep dreaming [of being in one]. I want to be of some help to younger people to think of history a bit more closely.

The Musical: You seem to think deeply of fans in particular. I heard you asked to take a picture with fans who brought in support gifts to the practice room first.

Seohyun: The fact that they’re always on my side regardless of whether I do well or bad is a great strength. How could I repay them? Of course, an answer would be to do my work well, but I want to treat them in a more friendly way. Fans probably spend days and nights preparing support gifts, but the time I can repay them for it is only but a mere ten minutes. I feel really sorry about that. So I asked to take a picture first. Looking at that picture later on when I’m exhausted, it’s a big consolation thinking, ‘There are fans who support me like this’.

The Musical: Can you pick a recent time when you gained a lot of strength from fans?

Seohyun: I usually gain strength from reading their letters. I gather fan letters in one place and read one whenever I’m having a hard time. Just then, there are a lot of times when I gain strength. ‘I’m happy thanks to you, unnie.’ I read things like this and think, ‘There are people who gain good influences from me. I will overcome this right now.’

The Musical: It would be difficult trying to reply to each and every fan. If you were to send them a response that you couldn’t until now, what would it be?

Seohyun: ‘Please, don’t change, and continue to love me.’ I don’t want to say anything like that. I would just be grateful if, one day, our fans recall this moment and reminisce, ‘I really liked Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun around this time’. Them just remembering me means that I’ve become a part of many people’s lives. I’m just not going to forget this love.

The Musical: I’m looking forward to your activities with Girls’ Generation soon. Right now, what does Girls’ Generation mean to Seohyun?

Seohyun: Girls’ Generation is the turning point in my life. There is a great divide in my life between before and after Girls’ Generation. Of course, having gained a lot of popularity could be a reason, but meeting eight unnies is an experience that’s more valuable than anything else. Before they were my colleagues, we met as friends who had the same dream and goal. I was always especially jealous of my friends who had older sisters, because I am an only child. But, like fate, I met unnies whom I walked and shared dreams together with for over ten years. They’re a family that created fate.

The Musical: Ten years ago, Seohyun must have been a young girl dreaming of [becoming] Girls’ Generation. Then, from now until ten years later, what kind of appearance might you have?

Seohyun: First of all, I hope to still be doing musicals. No, I’m going to be doing them. I want to do musicals for a long, long time. After working hard, don’t you think I’d have improved a lot more than now? I’m also going to still be acting and singing. I want to continue to donate my talent. I may be weak, but, if what I have can be of some strength, I want to help people achieve their dreams. I’m a bit greedy. You only live once, so I’m going to continue to live dreaming.