#if I do any more article translations they'll show up here

[born-to-eng-sub]

2022.11.18 Seo Eunkwang Theatre+ Interview English Translation

Original Korean article here. Interviewer's questions in bold. 

Please credit Born To Eng Sub if you post excerpts anywhere. 

[COVER STORY] Never Ending Story: Actor Seo Eunkwang

As the leader of an idol group, as a vocalist who gets recognition, as a 10-year musical actor, Seo Eunkwang never treats any dream recklessly and shines today.

editor: Son Jeongeun; photographer: Kim Taewoo; stylist: Park Hyejeong, Jeon Sohyeon; Hair: Taehyeon (Mijangwon by Taehyeon); makeup: Hana (Mijangwon by Taehyeon)

In the defining number 'A Musical' from musical "Something Rotten," famous musical numbers are wittily melded together. You may wonder why we're bringing up a past work, but the start of this story was 2 years ago. Back then, in a video interview with Theatre Plus, we asked if there was a musical parodied in that number that Seo Eunkwang would want to participate in, and without hesitation he answered "Jesus Christ Superstar." "It would be so great if I could do that musical with Michael (Lee)," he said and in two years that has become reality.

The musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" was created fifty years ago by the musical world's virtuoso composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice. It interprets the story of the seven days before the death of Jesus from an unconventional perspective, and became a topic as it stood at the center of several controversies. It was a work so ahead of its time that even now, a long time later, you can still feel how unconventional it is. One wonders what kind of message it will throw to the audiences of 2022. We asked Seo Eunkwang, playing the role of Judas, to tell us about this work which is being performed again in Korea after 7 years.

You mentioned that your dream work was "Jesus Christ Superstar" in a number of interviews. How does it feel to have that dream come true?

Like I've said, this is one of the works I wanted to try doing the most, so it makes me want to do a really good job. While I've been doing musicals, I think this is the first one that's made me feel this much pressure. And the thing that adds even more pressure is that this is the 50th anniversary performance. It's even the first time it's been performed (in Korea) in 7 years. Since I know that so many people have so much interest, I'm working very hard to prepare. It's such an honor to be able to participate. I'm very happy.

You mentioned that your dream role was Jesus, but this time you ended up with the role of Judas.

I wondered what kind of feeling it would be to stand onstage as Jesus, and that kind of expectation led me to say I wanted to play Jesus. I'm still not good enough for that role, so I think I'll have to build up more years of experience first. And Judas is very impressive and has a lot of charm, so I'm really into him. The Judas numbers are very intense, so on one hand it's very difficult.

Like you said, this work has a reputation for having very difficult musical numbers. You're famous yourself for being good at singing, but it must feel very different to be engaged in this work.

Since the Judas numbers "Heaven on their Minds" and "Superstar" are so famous, a lot of people probably know them, but as I've actually been starting work on the show, there are also a lot of other difficult songs. I was shocked the first time I started practicing. The number "Judas' Death" which he sings just before dying is incredible. And besides that all the other songs are hard, too. Three or four songs are in the range of the top of the second octave, even playing into the third octave, which is just ridiculous for a male role. It makes me wonder what the composer was thinking when he composed them.

And also all the different Judas actors have interpreted the songs in their own different ways.

That's why practice was so hard. The work itself is very free. The melody line is set, but everyone has sung it with their own style. So after absorbing the sheet music, changing it to fit my own style was really extremely hard. It was my first time doing such a free work, so it was very new for me.

Recently on a livestream you showed yourself practicing "Heaven on their Minds." It was like getting a taste of Seo Eunkwang's Judas.

Now I'd like to delete the video. At the time, after practicing a few songs including Western ones, I started livestreaming because I wanted to show that, but I really regret showing this song in advance. Since I was just practicing, there were a lot of parts that were lacking. It's a relief that the fans like it, but next time I'll have to be more thorough.

Even though it was practice, that in itself makes you feel like it was lacking, I guess.

When singing, I want to show a perfect side of myself. Compared to the past, I've let go a lot. When I was young, I felt that way strongly, but lately I've thought that I wanted to show my growth through even the imperfect side of myself. That's why I showed myself practicing, but afterwards as time has gone on I've felt regretful about it. "I could have done it better," I think.

There are a lot of videos where your fellow BTOB member and musical theater actor Lee Changsub sings the number "Gethsemane." It makes me wonder if the two of you might do this work together someday.

We tend to sing for fun, and we both really like that song. If someday Changsub could play Judas and I could play Jesus and we could stand on stage together, that would be a dream come true. Wow, just imagining it is amazing.

Judas is a person who's remembered as a betrayer. But in this work, he's drawn as a revolutionary, which became a hot topic.

I also only knew Judas as a betrayer. But while preparing for this work, the other day I asked my mom while we were eating. My mom is an elder and is very devout. I asked, "What do you think about Judas?" and what she told me is very similar to how I'm interpreting Judas now. Most people think of him as a betrayer, but how much must he have worried and thought over his decision up until he sold Jesus out, and what kinds of thoughts must he have had when he heard Jesus predict that he would betray him. She told me that must not have been an easy decision, and that put part of my mind at ease. I thought that I could express Judas as much as I wanted and the people watching would fully accept that. I had a lot of worries, but thanks to that I became a bit freer.

What kinds of things were you worrying about?

The hardest part was that the character of Judas isn't explained very well. In the Bible, he's mostly portrayed as a traitor, so most of the audience will come in with only that background for him. You can't help but come in with those biases. But within this work, rather than being a betrayer, he loves Jesus so much and reveals his own beliefs so strongly, and those beliefs are so clear. So my homework was to portray that well. Also my own image tends to be strongly of someone very bright and happy, on top of my build being on the small side, so I worried about how best to capture the character in order to explain him well.

In the role of Jesus, actors Michael Lee and Im Taegyeong have returned. What is the difference between the two Jesuses?

We're still in the practice stage, but I feel like Michael Lee sunbaenim's Jesus feels more like a friend. He mentioned that this season he wanted to show a more human side. So when we practice, I feel those parts and there's a closeness to it. I think Im Taegyeong sunbaenim's Jesus feels a little more divine. Rather than a friend, he feels like a teacher or a father.

It's been 50 years since this work was shown to the world for the first time. Yet the modifier of "unconventional" always seems to follow it even now.

Actually, I had never seen this musical before, myself. It's being performed in Korea for the first time in 7 years, and there aren't a lot of videos. I had only heard of it indirectly, and the reviews of audiences who saw it in the past were quite cutting. People say it's very serious and can be very polarizing, and due to the fact that it's all sung-through people could get bored, and as a rock musical the songs can be unfamiliar. I was also very nervous when practices started, but everything was a lot more fun than I expected.

In particular, I think there are a lot of reviews that say it can be polarizing.

I saw a lot of those reviews, too. But when it actually came down to doing it, it was very fun. Is that because I'm on the "liking it" side of the polarizing divide? (laughs)

Then please appeal to the audiences and tell them why you ended up liking it.

First of all, the development is very clear so the storyline progresses well on its own. The musical numbers are very convincing, as well. Seeing Jesus' more human side is very fresh and shocking, so it's not boring and has a lot of new charm to it. At first when people I knew told me they were going to see this musical, I, too, responded by saying "It's so polarizing, and it can be unfamiliar because it's sung-through." But now I say "Guys, this is so fun! You can expect good things from it," to people. It's a work that's snappy and full of charm.

Have you ever felt, like your character, that you are being led by a fate you can't refuse?

With my personality, I tend to accept things rather than try to refuse them. Even when I'm exhausted, I tend to think that if I can just get through this time then things will get better later. So I don't think I've had very many times when I feel like things are so hard that I break down. I live happily and enjoyably. I like living.

Just because you say you're happy, I'm sure you've still had hard times. How do you get through those times?

Of course I have hard times, too. When that happens, I try to work things out in a good direction, and I think that someday things will get better.

You must have what they call a good mentality about things.

I do think that I do. I've never doubted it.

This year BTOB reached their 10th anniversary. And you're also in your tenth year of doing musicals.

My debut in the group and my debut in musicals were just about a year apart. I've been doing musicals since I was 23, and back then there were a lot of things that were hard. Because I was young and an idol, I got a lot of various attention, and because of that I felt a lot of pressure to do a better job. Now I'm finally in the hyung line! [Someone with relatively more experience who is relatively older.] As I've been consistently working, now there are more people junior to me, so I'm a lot more comfortable now. I've always been the style to be less reserved with people younger than me. And now that I can work again with actors and staff I've already worked with, the practice room has also become more comfortable and I feel like I can try doing more new things.

When you look back, what is the most memorable period for you?

The thing that comes to mind the most is the practice room for my first musical, "Monte Cristo." I remember being so nervous I was shaking like a leaf. Back then I played Albert and Im Taegyeong sunbaenim played the Monte Cristo role with me, so I was so happy to see him again this time. It had been a long time, but I was so thankful that he greeted me so happily.

You've been consistently appearing on the musical stage. What kinds of charms do musicals have that they keep leading you to the stage?

I think the best thing is that through a musical work, you can live as various different people. I don't think I could really perceive it clearly until now, but this time thanks to this work I could strongly feel it. I thought "Wow, the works I've done up until now were really amazing." The thing that played the greatest part in leading me to realize that was Director Hong Seunghui, who is directing this time. The director always tells me to do things the way I want to, and asks me how I feel about each scene. The director tells me to follow my emotions and move the way I feel. I think I was able to immerse myself more in the role when I practiced because I was able to fully become Judas. So with this musical, I think I felt the good points of musicals even more.

So when you approach your character, what point do you start from?

Of course with each character you have to show a different side of yourself, but at first I work hard to find things that go well with me. When I look at myself, the nice way of saying it is that I have a strong identity, and the not-so-nice way of saying it is that I am a person who sticks out a lot. Because Seo Eunkwang is that kind of person, I think that if I only try to match things generally without melding more thoroughly, then I can't blend with the character well. So I try to find and bring out the most Seo Eunkwang-like parts of myself.

So then of the characters you've played so far, who was the most Seo Eunkwang-like one?

The character who fit me best was Nick Bottom from "Something Rotten." I barely had to add anything. I didn't need to immerse myself, he was just me so it was very easy. However, the tap dancing and other dancing, as well as the large amount of lines I had to memorize did make things harder, but when I think of the character it was so much fun. I think it might have been the only work I've done that was that comfortable for me.

With this work, you've achieved a dream of yours. What's your next goal?

I want to try something really shocking. Like Lola in "Kinky Boots."

You always have precise goals. And it seems like your goals are designed to challenge yourself.

I think you should always make goals for yourself. You need to have goals in order to prepare thoroughly and make progress. It's not just for musicals, I can only grow as a vocalist and singer when I make goals for myself, as well. And I always like a challenge. That's more fun, and I think I'm more proud of the result, as well.

Is that the reason that you appear on so many singing competition shows, too?

I went on a lot of them for that reason, but to tell the truth because of that I've been considering things a lot. I feel like I've been showing myself too much lately, and now maybe it's time to take a break for a bit. I asked my vocal teacher about these worries, but my teacher said "Eunkwang, you need to do these in order to grow." A person like me has to make goals and run towards them, as my teacher also knows. In order to even reach the general ballpark, I have to set clear goals and move towards them.

You're the kind of person who whips yourself into shape, I guess.

That's right, that's how I live. That can be my driving force. When I hear compliments, it feels nice, but it doesn't really help me to improve. So I also seek out negative comments. It lets me know what I need to work on. If it's not a helpful comment, I do pass it by, but for some negative comments I feel like if I can take them in, then I can make it so that I won't hear those comments anymore. I try to use them in a positive direction. When I do musicals, I look for a lot of audience reviews. I really look at everything. Be careful, everyone. (laughs)

You'll reach your 10th year anniversary of being a musical actor next year. What kind of musical actor do you want to be remembered as to audiences?

I want to be a truthful actor. An actor whose sincerity can be felt on every stage. And I want to continue to show my growth in the future. Of course I will continue to work hard and do my best. Since I'll continue to stand on stage and pour my heart into it, please continue to support me. And I'd like it if a lot of people could get good energy from me. As someone who is living through this time, I want to show that I'm living my life to the fullest. Let's all live the best we can.

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Since the announcement that Dune part three is in development I've watched a couple of youtube videos and read some articles announcing the news, talking about potential release dates and just generally talking about what they want for the third installment and in the comment section of them there seems to be a lot of discussion around how true to the book the third film will be.

Some are saying that they think Villeneuve will stick closely to the book Dune Messiah, others are saying that he will throw the book out completely and just make up his own story for the third film. Some are saying that after the changes made in Dune Part Two, particularly with the changes to Chani's character arc, its now impossible for him to stay true to the book.

Now I haven't read the book so not only do I have very limited knowledge of the book, I also don't have any special attachment to it. So my following views on the subject are coming from that perspective and are based on the two films I've seen and some comments that were in these articles/comments section.

(So mild book spoilers here, you can learn this from reading the blurb of the book.) One thing I did learn is that the book the third film will be based on, Dune Messiah, is actually set 12 years after the end of Dune Part Two's events. We don't see the holy war, we only see the aftermath. Personally I found this news a little disappointing because I feel like they've been revving the audience up with this holy war for the last two movies and so I was really looking forward to seeing it, to seeing just how far Paul goes, whether he tries to hold back at all, whether he has moments of hesitation etc, I was just really hyped to see this war they kept going on about. That being said I do think that seeing the aftermath would still be interesting too.

I've also seen some people say that the book itself won't translate as well to film as the first book does, apparently it has a lot less action and is more political intrigue, as one article put it, its a lot of people sitting in a room and talking. Again haven't read the book so I don't know how accurate that is, but on a similar vein, I've seen a few people say that whilst the book is good its nowhere near the level that the first book is and so they are worried the third film could be a let down for non-book readers.

So as I said above, lots of opinions going around, mostly from book readers because naturally they know a lot more about what is coming than us non-book readers. But it got me thinking how might Villeneuve approach the film and work around some of the concerns I've seen being discussed, the main ones seeming to be, there not being enough action/ it not translating well to screen and how they are going to deal with Chani, as it seems she plays a vital role in messiah and kind of needs to be at Paul's side in order to fulfil that role. So here are my theories and guesses at how Villeneuve might approach the last film. Again these are just my own speculations and opinions.

This first one could definitely be influenced by my own wishful thinking, but one way they could add a bit more action to the film is to spend say the first hour, for example, showing the holy war and using the time to explain how and why Chani returns to Paul, the birth of Alia maybe, etc and then have the time skip to 12 years later and cover the events of Messiah. These films usually have a long run time so if they keep the long run time for this film maybe they'll be able to cover both events. I do believe that the messiah book is considerably shorter than the Dune book, but then the Dune book was split into two films so I am not entirely sure on how well it would work. I guess it would depend on how well it is written.

Another possibility is what some have suggested and that they just throw the book out pretty much completely. The argument here being that Herbert wrote Messiah because when his first book came out the audience didn't get his intended message that Paul wasn't the hero, so he wrote Messiah to really hit home his message that this was a story about the dangers of false prophets and not a hero's journey type story. However Villeneuve has already achieved this message in Dune part two, which could give him some leeway to take the story in a new direction and add his own spin on it. It could also be an opportunity to make the story more appealing to modern audiences, the books were written in the 60's so political and world views were a little different than today. I do think that might be part of the reason why they changed Chani's character, the loyal concubine who follows along with the false saviour's crusade might not have been all that appealing to a more modern audience. The flip side of that though is that abandoning the book completely might not be a popular decision amongst the book readers. So you could end up alienating one side of the audience in favour of making the story your own and trying to appeal more to the general audience.

The third way could be to stick as closely to the books as you can given the changes made in part two. Villeneuve could just start the film with a narration from one of the characters like he did with Chani in part one and Irulan in part two, maybe this time they could have a narration from Paul himself explaining what happened in the war and how and why Chani came back to him etc, setting the scene so to speak. Then from then out just follow whatever happens in the books. Personally I don't know how satisfying I would find this but it would at least follow the same pattern as the other two films if it opens with a narration.

One other thought I had was they could keep the time-skip for the film but have a miniseries that is set during the holy war, I know they are already doing a miniseries covering the bene gesserit so maybe they can also do one showing the war to fill in the gaps. However I think this would be highly unlikely as I don't think they'd have the time to film both a mini series and an actual film. But you never know maybe we'll get really really lucky.

Out of all the possible options, I personally think the first one would be the best option. It would be the best of both worlds, the book readers will still get to see the book adapted, but spending some time at the beginning of the film showing the war could add that needed action and make it more exciting for those who haven't read the book and who might otherwise be disappointed.

But I am curious to know what others think. If you haven't read the book how do you feel about there being such a large time-skip? Do you care if they skip over the war? Or if you are a book reader are you hoping they'll stay close to the book or do you share the same opinion as some of the other comments I saw saying it won't translate well to film? How important do you think the change to Chani's character is and do you agree with those saying it has messed things up going forward? I am very curious to know. All of this being said I am still very excited that they are making a third film and I trust that no matter what direction he chooses to go Villeneuve will deliver another amazing piece of media for us.

[shiro-0197]

Oh I see!! I'll make note of that, then! So I can wish you good luck for school <3 you'll be in a new grade when you start, right? and AAAAH thank you!! We will have online classes off and on, but when we actually go to school (physically) we will have exams right off the bat (ugh).

oh wow the coincidence is so cool!! Yes, the more food the better, tho some are coastal states so they have mostly seafood ._.

it really is, and you have to be very thorough with it or you might make a mistake :( I'm glad!! You should do what you enjoy, and freelancing is definitely much easier and less stressful xx

omigosh bae aaah you're so cute. No one is going to think you're uncool, don't worry. And I'm sure they'll get it in the first time you teach, you seem to be a very gentle person and I think that's one of the main characteristics of being a teacher. Tho yes I can understand getting frustrated after the second time. I'm actually the least patient person I know, so I relate to what you've said a lot skhdskks. I guess it's an ENTP thing 😔

I'd low-key just be a koala bear or something :> I know right!!

Icouldn't find it, ugshshshhhhh :(((

Awww. Okay, playful hitting is cute. I don't do it at all, but my friends do, whenever I flirt with them 😭😭 I think they're just flustered 😼

Oh God yes. I hate my braces but I'm glad they're coming out soon. And then I'll be able to eat anything I want. What is one food you don't think you'll be able to live without, btw? (BESIDES CHEESE, SIR).

oh Turkish delights are WONDERFUL. I've also only tried it once. Your school seems to have such wonderful food! And wow I just googled maklube, and it looks so good?? Rice and meat are low-key the perfect combo 😭😭💖 (and the name is so cute?? It means upside down, right?)

oooh omg I'd totally read an article like that. Make sure you add "catboy supremacy" at the end 😹😹😹

yessss I love She-Ra! They're all actually remakes from old TV shows my parents watched when they were younger, and now Netflix remakes them with amazing graphics!! I also love Voltron (it's actually my favourite), and I was really into it before my anime phase as well xD I hope you're able to watch them sometime! What were you into, before anime?

And oh, love! How was your day? Mine was okay. I woke up really early and studied (and kinda burnt myself out) so I slept for an hour after studying for five. And then I had another meeting, and I watched an episode of money heist xD this may be off topic, but my Leo club is collaborating with three others from different schools and we're doing a project together! It's kinda like a tutor thingy, and there's 8 tutors who'll have 1 and a half hour slots to teach their specific subjects. I'm a tutor too, and my subject's English, so I'm really excited. I hope I'll be able to teach well, so lol, fingers crossed xD

I love you btw!! Like so so so very much. You make me smile. Let me be cheesy here, BUT THANKS FOR BEING MY SNOWMATE 😼☃️

—✨ARIANA

Hello!! Not really, this is just a small break, hehe. I'm in the last grade actually, and I'll be out of school in 25th of May~ Awhh that sucks😭 They have no chill, huh? Couldve at least given a revision day or something

Ouch😔 it's always the small things that ruin it all😭

Yeah, you're right!!! Though I'm afraid I might not make enough money for a living 💔 I'll try my best though!! Cant live without failing eh?

Ahh I really hope so~ still kind of worried. Because, you know, people are different? And I dont really wanna make them think bad of me XD I wonder if theres tutoring on how to teach someone. Thatd be useful

Koalas are so cute though🥺🥺 just like you😭

Nanwndnnwnd💔😩 dont worry, I'm sure itll float up when you least expect it hehe

Heheh, I also flirt with my friends and I remember one time one of them just headbutted me😩😭😭😭😭

Hmm~ I dont even know, probably noodles. Extra spicy instant noodles<3 or homemade noodles. Any noodle is a fine noodle😭 I love them a lot, not as much as Kuro though. He's literally that vine where a guy cries over spilled spaghetti.

Yes yes yes!!!! We absolutely adore those, and if we dont have one during teatime some people just refuse to come along xD they're still forced to lmao,,, I really hope you can try them again soon!! I'm not really sure about the translation, I dont think it has one hehe, all I know is that they taste good 😝

I really feel like making a clickbait thumbnail for a video about that. I'll show you when I do😋

Ahhh I really need to catch up on old fandoms hehe~ before anime i was really into Steven Universe... and video games, like Undertale, FNaF, Sally Face, Fran Bow... all that 2015 stuff xD I also enjoyed watching gameplay videos, because as a broke baby child I couldn't afford a game or a PC. I also liked Camp Camp, hehe

Mine was pretty good!!! Yesterday nothing much happened, I went to eat out and watched some guys dance on the street. It was fun, hehe~

Huhh??? Noo you really should've rested:(( Well, I'm glad you had a nap though!! You deserve it<3

That sounds so cool!!! I really hope the meeting went well, how'd it go? Was it hard?

Our class also made a project, where we post in a group anonymously about something that we had learned. It sounds really nice, I'm not really gonna post anything but I'm looking forward to whatever my classmates come up with xD

I love you too!! Your messages always make me so happy🥺 Its really an honor to be your snowmate💞💕💞💕💞