The former leader of Fin.K.L. gives an exclusive interview to JoongAng Daily as netizens views about her shift from positive to negative and how she handles that.
Ock Joohyun has been through a lot at this point in her life. She’s 30 years old but she’s managed to succeed at many things. She was once part of the Kpop girl group Fin.K.L. as the leader. Since then she’s been starring in musicals. To name a few, Chicago, Cats and recently Aida.
Though there are plenty of those who praise her for her work and how far she’s come, there’s plenty of those who look to bring her down. Especially when Aida had to be cancelled for one night due to her losing her voice. Many netizens gave very negative comments about why she’d be selfish to keep the role all to herself and not have someone else prepared to take it up in a situation such as that.
Joohyun commented about the feelings that shift with the fans, “I’m not always adored, you know. I think that’s the reason why I’ve become somewhat immune to all of the criticism and scandals that have arisen around me.”
Scandals definitely surrounded the young woman, especially when it came to her appearance. She was often in the tabloids for her weight all the way to plastic surgeries that were said to ruin her true beauty. Soon anti-fan clubs cropped up as they relentlessly spewed negative words at the idol.
Through it all though she stood firm not allowing anyone to bring her down. She does have a slight ego that many were looking to burst, but it looks like it actually failed. She’s continued on with her career as she sets out to complete the three month showing of Aida. Without that sort of passion for what she does, she wouldn’t be where she is today.
In the following interview she shares how she felt about the negative comments netizens gave as well as what went into her being the leading role in Aida.
Q: What happened on Jan. 23?
A: My health had been fine up to that point. Although I’d suffered a mild case of the flu after working on [the television drama] “The Musical” it wasn’t serious. And I was fine during the first act on the day “Aida” was cancelled. It all happened during the second performance of the day at the beginning of the second act when I was about to start singing. Suddenly my voice went mute. I felt so lost, and for a moment I thought it was because of the snacks I’d eaten during intermission. It was the most confusing moment I’ve had in all my years in the theater. Q: Was that the reason why the show was cancelled that day?
A: Yes. I was taken to the emergency room after the matinee performance because I was worried about my voice, but the doctor who examined me said that nothing was wrong. So I was absolutely mortified when I lost my voice during the evening performance because all I could do was squeak and I didn’t know why.
Q: I felt extremely sorry for all of the people who had come to see the musical that day and for the production company. So when it became clear that I had lost my voice, I went on stage and apologized for not being able to perform. After that I sat in the dressing room for two hours. I was speechless. Literally.
A: But my voice fully recovered the next day. Thinking back, the incident made me realize how important and serious a musical is. Although it was a painful experience, I will use it to motivate me to become a better actress.
Q: What is your view on the negative comments from netizens regarding your decision to play the role without an alternate?
A: I try not to look at articles or reviews while I’m working on a musical or other project. I’ve realized I can lose my balance if I continue to be bothered by all the comments online. My goal is to not be overly confident in myself or let my acting get in the way of the story.
Q: Of course, the cancellation was entirely my fault, but it seems inappropriate to respond to every single complaint directed at me.
A: My point is that people who know something about musical theater would probably not be critical of my decision to play the role without double casting it. It is common for a single actor to play a role throughout the run of a large-scale musical overseas and Disney, which originally produced “Aida,” wanted the musical to be cast that way.
Q: Do you have any regrets about the cancellation?
A: For me, it’s not productive to think about the mistakes I’ve made in the past. Rather than be frustrated with myself, I prefer to learn from my mistakes and put my energy into being a better actor. This is much more beneficial for me and for “Aida.”
Q: Your first musical was in 2005, also “Aida.” How have things changed for you since then?
A: At first I was overanxious about memorizing lines and stage directions, which kept me from building my character. But now I feel I have a much better grasp of my role as an actress. For that, I am grateful to the mentors I’ve had over the past five years. I’ve learned a lot of valuable things from watching them rehearse. Through them, I realized that a great performance is a product of teamwork and harmony.
Q: Do you have any advice for the new generation of singers who are making their way into musical theater?
A: I want to tell them that I also had a tough time initially. Through my five years of experience on the stage, I’ve realized the importance of restraint. An actor should also be able to move an audience without being overly emotional.
Q: How do you manage to hit the high notes in “Aida”?
A: Some songs can actually be sung at a lower pitch. But I prefer to go for the high notes because I feel that confronting challenges helps me improve as a singer. That’s my personality. Once you succeed in reaching the high notes, it builds your self-esteem and enables you to challenge yourself further.
Aida will continue to run until March 27th, with performances occurring Monday through Friday.
Source: The JoongAng Daily
Written by: nikkiepop@Kpoplive.com
Written by: nikkiepop@Kpoplive.com
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