‘Hourglass’ until August 14, Seoul Daesung D Cube Art Center
In musicals, there are actors who reveal the situation of the lead actor or escalate the case. We pay attention to ensemble actors who make musicals stand out while adding liveliness to the play with chorus or movement and movement. In Korea, there is a perception that ‘an actor who did not become a lead actor’, and we want to instill a correct perception of this.
Musical actor Son Jun-beom has a passion for the works he has participated in more than anyone else. His belief in ‘let’s do our best so that we don’t regret every moment’ is reflected in his attitude toward the works he has been participating in since his debut.
It was to the extent that he participated in the same work once again the following year because of his disappointment about the first stage of his debut film ‘Broadway 42nd Street’. He also shows his best efforts in the musical ‘Hourglass’, which is currently being performed. As well as his original work, he is making his own characters while analyzing the characters through videos related to characters and events appearing in the play.
-Did you dream of becoming a musical actor since childhood?
When I was young, my dream was to be a model. When she was in high school, the academy she went to because she wanted to become a model was a theater and film department entrance exam academy, so naturally, she took the theater and film entrance exam. In the meantime, she discovered the genre of musicals, and she became interested in it, so she went to university to major in musicals. She seems to have dreamed of being a musical actress like that.
-I wonder what the process was like to achieve your dream.
To achieve my dream, I was happy to come to Seoul from the countryside and work part-time while receiving lessons and practicing. The only thought was to work harder and the time passed so quickly that there was never a moment when I wanted to give up or sit down.
– Your debut was on ‘Broadway 42nd Street’ (2017).
Yes, it’s something I really love! I think ‘Broadway 42nd Street’ is a work that gives hope to all ensemble actors. It is a work I want to do again at any time.
-Are there any regrets about the first stage?
Actually, I had a lot of regrets about the first stage, so I auditioned once more and participated, and I think I did all the scenes that the male ensemble of ‘Broadway 42nd Street’ could do. If he says he can appear again, I think he will be supremely happy (laughs).
– It has been 5 years since you debuted this year.
A lot of experience has been accumulated over the past 5 years. I think it allowed her to become a little more proficient in performing. The attitude towards the stage and the passion for the work are always the same.
-What was the most difficult moment in your life as a musical actor?
All musical actors must have had a really hard time with COVID-19. I did too. You said that while I was dreaming of becoming a musical actor, I never wanted to give up or sit down. But during the pandemic, for the first time, I felt like giving up. It’s really hard to go into one piece of work, but life was very difficult as the work I worked so hard on was canceled. I think these unexpected things are the most difficult.
– How are you now?
In fact, the epidemic cannot be dealt with only by my will and strength. The more things like this happen, the more calm and not impatient, the more I have the idea that tomorrow will be better than today if I work harder. I tend to think a little more positively.
-You are currently participating in the musical ‘Hourglass’.
I didn’t know about the original drama at all. I didn’t even know that ‘Am I shaking’ and ‘I thought I could have you like this’ were lines from the drama ‘Hourglass’. haha. After the audition announcement for the musical ‘Hourglass’ was announced, I looked for drama highlights and also looked up the press call video for ‘Hourglass’, which premiered, but I felt my heart warmed. So I auditioned and participated in the project.
– How was the practice process? It was said that the actors had good chemistry among the members.
It was so good! It was a team that practiced happily throughout practice, and looked forward to the next practice day even on days off. In particular, Kang Dong-woo, who took on the role of the actor, acted as the mood maker, and the team members are so good, I think the only memories I have in the practice room are happiness.
-Please tell us in detail what preparations you have made since your participation was decided.
After I decided to participate in the project, I looked for dramas and movies that featured people from that era as well as ‘Hourglass’. Due to the nature of the ensemble, I had to play multiple roles, so I studied while looking for films drawn from the point of view of citizens during the 5.18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and films drawn from the point of view of the martial law military. I think I studied harder, feeling the pressure that painful history should not be expressed lightly.
– Could you please introduce the roles played by actor Son Jun-beom?
I perform on stage in a variety of roles, including a martial law soldier, a thug, an activist student, a gangster, a casino showman, and a newspaper manager. Among them, I am most attached to the role of an athletic student. I think it’s because it’s a character that uses more energy than other characters. Even though it’s early in the play, after the scene ends, I use a lot of energy to the point where I’m hungry.
-Is the scene appearing as an athletic student the most difficult for actor Son Jun-beom to digest?
no. The last scene in Act 1 is more difficult than that. It’s a tough scene emotionally rather than physically. In this scene, I appear as a former martial law soldier. They aim their guns at innocent people by command, not by the will of the soldiers. In the part where actor Kim Dae-sik, who plays ‘Seong-cheol’, asks Tae-soo hyungs to talk to him while he’s alive, and in the scene where citizens shout to see him alive before being shot, his heart is so bad that he wants to let go of the trigger he’s holding and run away.
-I’m also curious about the process of analyzing the character.
When I analyze a character, I first think about the situation each character faces, ask questions, and find answers. I am approaching with questions about the person I have to act and keep asking questions.
-As a musical actor, I’m curious about how you feel when you stand on stage.
From the beginning until now, I always stand on stage with a grateful heart. It takes a lot of effort from many people to get on stage. I always go on stage with a grateful heart to them and the audience who came to visit me.
-What’s your favorite number (or scene) in ‘Hourglass’?
My heart goes out to the last song of the performance, ‘What’s next is important’. This is a number sung by Taesu, Wooseok, Hyerin, Youngjin, and the students together. It’s the music that ends the performance, but it’s even more heartbreaking because it’s a scene where all the actors appearing in ‘Hourglass’ sing together on stage.
-If you were given the opportunity to participate in next season’s ‘Hourglass’, what role would you like to play?
I want to try the role of ‘Jongdo’! He is a character who shows various aspects in the play and feels cool to see him go towards his goal.
-I’m curious about the future direction of actor Son Jun-beom. What activity would you like to show?
I’ve been working on the works I’ve been working on with the desire to love them without regret. Even now, I still think, ‘Let’s do our best so that we don’t regret every moment’. In the future, I plan to challenge all musicals as a person who loves musicals while maintaining this mindset!
-Finally, please tell us about the final goal of actor Son Jun-beom.
My goal is to act on stage for a long, long time. I want to stand on stage for a long time, a lot, and often in various ways!
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