Shin Young-sook, the actress playing the titular role of Empress Myeongseong in the musical 'Empress Myeongseong,' which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, has announced her retirement from the role after this season's performances. In an interview held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 27th, Shin stated, "I believe the 30th-anniversary Empress Myeongseong will be my best portrayal. I will retire from 'Empress Myeongseong' after this performance."
Shin Young-sook debuted as a musical actress in 'Empress Myeongseong' in 1999, playing the role of Sontag. She has since taken on the role of Empress Myeongseong since the 20th-anniversary performance in 2015, showcasing her unique charisma. While many actresses have played the role of Empress Myeongseong over the past 30 years, Shin Young-sook has been praised as the best, thanks to her deep understanding of the work and her exceptional vocal ability.
'Empress Myeongseong' is a sung-through musical with no dialogue, requiring high vocal skills and volume. Shin Young-sook, who majored in vocal music, uses true and false voices freely to deliver a perfect performance, but she revealed that she pours all her energy into the show, leaving her exhausted afterward.
Shin Young-sook is about to reach her 100th performance as Empress Myeongseong. She explained, "This work contains my growth from the ensemble to the role of Empress Myeongseong. It's a work that shows my life." She added, "While playing Empress Myeongseong, my understanding of the character deepened, and I was able to deeply understand the pain of King Gojong and the Crown Prince."
Empress Myeongseong is a tragic historical figure with mixed evaluations. Shin Young-sook explained that she portrayed Empress Myeongseong as a courageous and bold figure, aiming to highlight her as a strong woman, a capable politician, and a diplomat.
'Empress Myeongseong' has been writing a new chapter in Korean musical history, surpassing 2.2 million cumulative viewers since its premiere in 1995. Shin Young-sook attributed the work's popularity to "the wide range of opera-like music, the ensemble's acting, and the stage that constantly tries to change to meet the audience's expectations."
Shin Young-sook, who is bidding farewell to 'Empress Myeongseong' after the 30th-anniversary performance, said she will reduce the number of works she appears in and spend more time living as 'Shin Young-sook, the human.' She said, "I've been living as a 'musical fool,' going on stage all year round. In the future, I will only do one or two, or at most three, works a year, works that I love and am excited about." She added, "I want to spend time studying the world as a human being, which I believe will enrich my life and acting."
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