I love musicals.
If I could go back to sophomore year to decide my major all over again, I would probably do something musical theater related, maybe stage production.
But I can’t, and I didn’t major in either one of those (my major was dramatic literature, which is partially related), but it doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate a good musical when I get the chance to see one.
This is a long overdue post, but I’m finally writing about the last musical I watched, which is Le Passe Muraille or The Passer-through Walls in English.
If you know what musical this is, you are a Shinhwa fan or an avid musical theater geek.
If you don’t, that’s okay.
Le Passe Muraille is about an ordinary man who suddenly gains this awesome ability to pass through walls (does he count as a super hero?) and the confidence that he lacked his entire life. With his newfound power, he begins to become more outgoing, even going overboard at times, robbing banks and shiz, Then he falls in love, and everything gets complicated because love does that and then other things happen (for the sake of not spoiling the ending).
I haven’t read the original novel by Marcel Ayme, nor did I know it was actually a Broadway musical before it made its way over to Korea (but in my defense, it was on Broadway in 2002. I didn’t even know what to wear to school the next day… actually…I still don’t).
I watched Le Passe Muraille twice, because if you get to know me, you’ll find out that if I like something enough, I’ll repeatedly do it. (AKA, I watched Kungfu Panda twice in the theaters, Sunny three times – twice in Korea, once in the US…..don’t ask why. It was a good idea at the time).
I watched the November 17 – 6PM and the December 14 – 3PM showings. Kim Dong Wan was Dutilleul in both shows, and the first show had Go Chang Suk as Doctor Dubeurre, and the second, Lim Chul Hyung.
I actually enjoyed seeing different actors act in the same roles and how they portrayed the characters, so I’m debating whether or not I want to see the musical a third time just to see how Lee Jong Hyuk plays Dutilleul.
I initially went to watch it mainly because of Kim Dong Wan, but by the time I left the theater, I just loved the overall production of it. All the cast members were phenomenal, the music was great, and the stage design – oh the stage design…it got me thinking that I was doing the wrong thing in life and now I’m reconsidering my choices for the future.
There’s something magical yet so raw about musicals. It’s quite amazing how everyone – the actors, the musicians, the stage crew, the lighting crew, the stage manager, etc – comes together to create this beautiful overall piece of art and they somehow manage to do it…every. single. night.
In all honesty, Le Passe Muraille won’t rank as my favorite musical of all time, but I still enjoyed it to the fullest.
And Kim Dong Wan, he was just so adorable – as adorable as a 35-year old man can get.
PS: During the first show, I spotted Yeon Jun Suk from Cheer Up Mr. Kim. He was sitting a row in front of us. The girls sitting next to him didn’t even know it was him until intermission. I didn’t say hello or get a picture, but I realized that I may need to take a break from dramas or something because I recognized him by the back of his head…. ㅜ_ㅜ
Photos: the korean bubble + Liveworks Company FB
the korean bubble 