EMK Musical Company

The original musical ‘Beethoven’ has unveiled its casting lineup, including Park Hyo-shin and Hong Kwang-ho.

Producer EMK Musical Company (hereafter EMK) announced the full cast of the musical ‘Beethoven’, which opens on June 9 at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center in Seoul.

This season drops the previous subtitle ‘Beethoven Secret’ and will be newly presented simply as ‘Beethoven’. Set in Vienna in 1810, it focuses on the inner world of an artist who refused to stop creating despite the extreme ordeal of losing his hearing, and on his struggle as a composer.

The staging has been reconfigured to match the revised narrative. A succession of varied scene changesfrom lavish court balls and the streets of Vienna to rose gardens and a stock exchangerenders the era in multidimensional detail.

In addition to Beethoven’s signature melodies such as the ‘Moonlight’, ‘Pathetique’, and ‘Appassionata’ sonatas and Symphony No. 9 ‘Choral’, new songs by Sylvester Levay are layered in, promising music that blends classical depth with a modern sensibility to vividly reveal the characters’ solitude and yearning.

As anticipation grows for this season, which overhauls the narrative, music, and staging, attention is also focusing on the casting lineup.

Actors Park Hyo-shin and Hong Kwang-ho are cast as Ludwig van Beethoven, the genius composer who struggles to find the music of his soul amid the agony of losing his hearing.

Park Hyo-shin has established a singular presence through deep interpretation and commanding vocals in musicals such as ‘The Man Who Laughs’, ‘Mozart!’, and ‘Phantom’. In particular, during the 2023 premiere of ‘Beethoven; Beethoven Secret’, he delicately portrayed the inner life of a solitary artist and helped drive the show’s success. Ahead of this season, he has closely collaborated with the creative team and composer to refine musical details with even greater precision. As a member of the original cast who understands the narrative most profoundly, Park is set to bring an even deeper emotional palette and overwhelming energy to the stage in this revival, completing the most vivid moments of one person’s existence and life.

Hong Kwang-ho joins this season as a new addition. Having showcased overwhelming stage command and dramatic acting in numerous works including ‘Il Tenore’, ‘Jekyll & Hyde’, ‘Death Note’, and ‘Moulin Rouge!’, he is expected to render Beethoven’s inner world in three dimensions through a deeply considered interpretation. Not only has he been offered the role since the premiere, but he is also known to have practiced piano for more than four hours daily over half a year to authentically realize Beethoven’s performance scenes on stage, heightening expectations for the ‘Beethoven’ he will depict this season.

Playing Antonie (Toni) Brentano, the soul friend who understands Beethoven’s inner life and inspires his music, are actors Yoon Gong-ju, Kim Ji-hyun, and Kim Ji-woo.

Yoon Gong-ju returns to the role of Toni from last season. Having led the stage with solid vocals in musicals such as ‘Jekyll & Hyde’, Chicago’, she will anchor the drama by delivering an even deeper reading of Toni, who understands Beethoven’s inner world.

Moving between stage and screen with nuanced emotional performances in the play ‘The Repair of the Living’, the musical ‘If/Then’, and the drama ‘Shining’, Kim Ji-hyun brings her signature warmth to understand Beethoven’s wounds and inspire his music as Toni, adding emotional depth to the work and drawing audience empathy.

Kim Ji-woo, who has flawlessly embodied diverse characters in musicals such as ‘Moulin Rouge!’ and ‘Frida’, takes on the role of Toni. With proven vocals and steady acting across many productions, Kim will heighten immersion through her own interpretation while newly shaping Toni and adding another texture to the drama.

Shin Sung-min and Kim Do-hyun appear as Kaspar van Beethoven, portraying a character in whom affection and conflict toward his elder brother intersect.

Shin Sung-min has drawn notice for nuanced acting in musicals such as ‘Maybe Happy Ending’, ‘The Bunker Trilogy’, and ‘Showman_The Fourth Stand-in for a Dictator’. Kim Do-hyun, known for solid acting and a resonant voice in works such as ‘The Great Fitzgerald’, ‘Buchihanan’, and ‘Hero’, will convincingly depict Kaspar’s inner life as he experiences conflict within his relationship with his brother Ludwig yet ultimately chooses his own path.

Park Si-won and Choi Ho-jung appear as Franz Brentano, while Sung Min-jae and Yoo Yeon-jung play Bettina Brentano. Lee Sang-joon joins as Baptiste Pichok, and Kang Sang-beom as Duke Kinsky, adding density to the drama.

The musical ‘Beethoven’ opens on June 9 and runs through August 11 at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center in Seoul. The first ticket release takes place on April 14, with a pre-sale for EMK membership holders on April 13.