"Sold Out on Home Shopping"… Why Kim Ho-young Returns to the Stage [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with Kim Ho-young in the musical 'Lempicka'.

Kim Ho-young has embarked on a new challenge with the musical 'Lempicka'. "At first, I worried whether I would fit in," he said, adding that after rehearsals and trial and error, he gained confidence that "this could become my life character."

Recently, we met with Kim Ho-young of the musical 'Lempicka' at the Woori Bank Hall, COEX Artium, Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to discuss the work.

The musical 'Lempicka' vividly portrays the life and art of Tamara de Lempicka, a painter who represented Art Deco art and was active primarily in early 20th-century Europe.

Kim Ho-young brings vitality to the role of 'Marinetti', a futurist who dreams of innovation.

Kim Ho-young, who has taken on a new challenge with 'Lempicka', said, "When I received the audition call from the director, there was no information about the work, so I watched the Broadway stage through YouTube. The actor playing Marinetti gave a very strong impression, and at first I thought, 'Why would they ask me to do this?' I was worried about whether I would fit that image."

However, curiosity led Kim Ho-young to 'Lempicka'. He revealed, "Along with the question, 'Can I do this well?', I felt a sense of 'Why not just try it?' At some point, after doing sequels like 'Kinky Boots' or 'Gwanghwamun Love Song', I was at a stage where I longed for a new character. Especially since my desire for acting grew, I felt it could be something new."

Kim Ho-young also shared an anecdote from the audition. He said, "I performed the number 'Perfection' in front of the foreign production team. They asked me to sing the same song three times. I thought doing it twice was fine, but when they requested a third time, I felt I had to do something completely different from before."

He continued, "At that moment, many thoughts flashed through my mind. The production team had told me to do whatever I wanted, and at that moment, I even threw a water bottle and ended the stage. Later, I heard that during the rehearsal process, they described Marinetti as 'someone possessed by something.' The part the production team liked was that I looked like someone who could go off the rails at any moment."

Kim Ho-young said, "They later told me that if I had just stood still and performed it a third time, they would have asked, 'Would you like to try being a bit more rude?' But I had already thrown the water bottle and been rude first," he laughed.

He added, "In the end, I expressed the original image I had inside me, but at the same time, I felt that something new unique to me might emerge. So I approached it with the mindset of 'let's collide and see.'"

Kim Ho-young was confident that Marinetti could become his 'life character'. Behind this was the great support of reactions and encouragement from those around him.

He said, "I usually prepare for works relatively quickly, but this one felt unusually slow. I thought I hadn't found the right direction. However, senior actors, fellow cast members, and the creative team kept praising me for fitting the role so well. So instead, I kept questioning myself."

Kim Ho-young said, "A senior actor asked me, 'Which role do you think fits you better, Charlie from 'Kinky Boots' or this character?' I replied, 'But isn't Charlie the protagonist?' The senior actor said the opposite, that this character seemed to fit me better."

Initially, he himself had questions about the reactions from those around him, but he revealed, "As I continued rehearsing, I began to think that if I did it well, this could truly become my 'life character'."

He also said, "The production team showed a lot of consideration during the work process. In fact, the Marinetti number is lower than my original vocal range. They waited and respected me fully through the process of creating the character and trying various approaches."

Especially, he explained, "During rehearsals, the composer told me he would give me 'creative freedom.' He said I didn't have to approach the Marinetti number like a song; I could express it like dialogue, so I was free to try any way I wanted. From then on, I thought this could be an opportunity to show a new side of myself that I had never shown before."

Kim Ho-young added, "I think the reason many people in the rehearsal room liked my performance is that I showed a character and voice I had never shown before. It's a character that makes people feel, 'Did Kim Ho-young have such a voice? Was such an expression style possible?' In that sense, I believe this role can become my 'life character'."

Kim Ho-young, who is active in various fields, also explained why he continues to take the stage without rest. He began by saying, "I do home shopping and variety shows, and coincidentally, since last year marked the 10th anniversary of 'Kinky Boots', I have been performing a lot. I was at a point where I could push forward more through broadcasting as an MC, so many people wondered why I focused on performances. In fact, in the past, I did have a desire to imprint the identity of 'musical actor'."

He continued, "If I introduce myself as a musical actor but don't actually perform, I start to worry about the title myself. I wondered what my starting point was. It wasn't a case where I appeared on variety shows to promote a work and became known; rather, it was the case where 'human Kim Ho-young' himself, who literally taps the desk and shouts 'Pull it up!', became the focus. So there were many people who didn't even know I was a musical actor."

When asked why he continues to perform, he answered immediately, "Because it's fun." He explained, "It's not that it's the most fun thing I do, but I have been on stage for a long time and feel a catharsis on stage. It's a different kind of catharsis from what I feel when home shopping items sell out. I perform because of the fun of creating various things on stage while hearing applause and cheers."

Especially regarding the role of Charlie in 'Kinky Boots', he said, "I thought I could do it, but those around me had doubts. However, through this new work, more people are seeing me anew, which makes me more conscious."

He also said he felt no burden in the process of creating the character. He candidly revealed, "Even if there are difficult moments, rather than thinking, 'Did I do this for nothing?', the process itself is fun. However, these days, as my recognition has grown, I am conscious that many people who come to see the performance already know me. A performance can feel different depending on my condition that day and the audience's situation and condition, so I think they might be disappointed if I don't meet their expectations."

He continued, "Still, I try not to think too much about the burden. Transforming into Marinetti in this work was really fun. Every time I hear reactions like, 'How can you use your voice like that?', I feel I can take even bolder challenges," he laughed.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.