K-pop idol and actor Yoon Jisung is making a buzzworthy return to the musical stage after nearly two years, sending fans into a frenzy.
On the 27th, production company Red & Blue Co., Ltd. announced the opening of the original musical A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and unveiled its casting lineup.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is set in Italy and follows the mystery surrounding the restoration of painter Marcello's lost masterpiece, 'Portrait of the Baron.' A present-day conservator traces an unfamiliar signature and clumsy overpainting, leading to a riveting face-off with the hidden life of a female artist inside a 1530 Venice portrait.
Selected for CJ Cultural Foundation's 2024 'Stage Up' program, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man brings together writer Yoo Min and composer Yang Hee-yoon. Director Kim Eun-young takes the helm to elevate the production, joined by music director Lim Se-young and choreographer Hong Yoo-seon to craft a flawless premiere.
The star-studded cast also turns heads. The role of Rosina, a painter from 1530s Venice, will be played by Im Yejin from the musicals A-yeogo Saseoui Yeonggwanggwa Bigeuk and CHAMI, Seong Minjae from BEETHOVEN and Bare: The Musical, and rising talent Park Sohyun, who made a splash in Club Deubai. The dual roles of Marta—Rosina's ally—and present-day conservator Viola will be alternated by Song Youngmi of The Secret Garden, Kim Su of Phantom, and Kim Dani of Robin.
The heir to a Venetian atelier, Marcello, will be portrayed by stage veterans Kim Idam, Park Sunyoung, and Jung Baekseon. The dual roles of the free-spirited boy Jacopo and modern-day art dealer Nicola go to Do Yoohyeon, Cho Eunseong, and Yoon Jisung. Former Wanna One member Yoon Jisung—who has impressed in the drama Cheondung Gureum Bibaram and the musicals Haepi, O Haepi! (2024), Something Rotten! (2021), and The Days (2019)—is expected to showcase even deeper acting through this production.
As news of Yoon Jisung's casting broke, fans reacted enthusiastically, saying, "It's been so long since Yoon Jisung stood on a Daehangno stage" and "I'm so happy we get to see him perform live again."
The highly anticipated original musical A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man runs from July 28 to October 18 at TOM Theater 2 in Daehangno.