Why ‘Lempicka’ is the Must-See Musical of 2024: Insights from the Cast and Creative Team

Musical Lempicka press call / Photo: TV Daily

[Sports Today reporter Song Oh-jung] \”Lempicka\” arrives in Korea with a star-studded cast.

On the afternoon of the 26th, Coex Artium’s Woori Bank Hall hosted a press call for the musical Lempicka. After a performance of highlight scenes, the creative team and cast took questions from the press. Composer Matt Gould and playwright Carson Kreitzer attended alongside actors Jo Hyung-kyun, Kim Sun-young, Park Hye-na, Rina, Son Seung-yeon, Kim Woo-hyung, Kim Min-cheol and Kim Hye-mi.

Lempicka traces the tumultuous life of painter Tamara de Lempicka. While rooted in the artistic milieu of 1920s Paris, the piece also explores the social turmoil and disorientation of the era.

Since its Broadway premiere, Lempicka has earned both critical acclaim and buzz — including three nominations at the 77th Tony Awards in 2024. This production is the world’s first licensed premiere and the first staging to be presented publicly in Asia.

Musical Lempicka press call / Photo: TV Daily

Because the show grapples with weighty themes — female agency, same-sex love and fraught family ties — some wondered whether it might struggle to connect with audiences. Cast members say they trust empathy will bridge the gap between the material and theatergoers.

Asked what audiences should look for, Kim Sun-young said the show is dense and can feel overwhelming, but at its core it’s a story about how people navigate difficult lives. With striking music and lighting, she believes theatergoers will feel they’re seeing something new and different from typical musicals.

Park Hye-na emphasized the production’s focus on women’s stories. \”I hope this fresh approach broadens perspectives,\” she said. \”I want people to leave feeling a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration.\”

Beyond its themes, the production’s gallery of bold, vividly sketched characters will also draw viewers.

Musical Lempicka press call / Photo: TV Daily

On Rafaella — Tamara’s muse and foil — Rina said, \”She has a fierce will to live. They see parts of themselves in each other, which is why they fall in love and feel curiosity and attraction. Rafaella fights to survive on her own terms. She hides herself and sings ‘Don’t trust love’ as a way to restrain emotion and protect herself, yet she also wants to find a home with Tamara.\”

Reflecting on preparing to play the muse, Son Seung-yeon observed, \”Isn’t freedom what every artist dreams of? When I write and make albums, I crave that freedom.\” She added, \”If I can gift that sense of freedom to Tamara, that could be the spark between them. Tamara symbolizes control and restraint; Rafaella symbolizes freedom. Their pull and friction is a core dramatic engine. People often fall for qualities that contrast with their own — I used that as an acting focus.\”

Jo Hyung-kyun, who plays Marinetti, earned praise for his numbers but admitted early rehearsals were grueling. \”I kept asking, ‘What is this? How should I sing it?’\” he said. \”It felt like rap but wasn’t exactly rap. Practicing with only piano in rehearsal made reality hit hard. I felt embarrassed and unsure at times.\”

Musical Lempicka press call / Photo: TV Daily

Because Marinetti helps set the show’s tempo, Jo said he had to approach the role with specific dramatic intention. \”Marinetti appears at moments that mark turning points for Tamara,\” he explained. \”Rather than inventing the character for its own sake, I focused on clearly showing how Marinetti catalyzes those shifts.\”

The production drew attention from the moment its high-profile cast was announced. Another headline: real-life couple Kim Sun-young and Kim Woo-hyung appear together.

As a married pair, they shared anecdotes from rehearsal and the stage. Kim Woo-hyung, who normally avoids discussing work at home, admitted, \”We talked nonstop and communicated constantly during this project,\” acknowledging how demanding the show proved to be.

\”We discussed how to maximize and deepen our acting textures,\” he said. \”We rehearsed relentlessly, rented a nearby practice room and ran full run-throughs,\” a revelation that surprised attendees.

Musical Lempicka press call / Photo: TV Daily

\”We wondered what this work would mean for us as a couple,\” he continued, \”but we’re creating something beautiful, and I believe audiences will respond. I’m glad to work with such a respectful partner,\” he said, expressing affection for Kim Sun-young.

Kim Sun-young took the mic and added, \”In Act II, the conflicts of a real-life couple emerge intensely. I worried our personal issues as a married couple might surface onstage, but that concern proved needless. We’re a married couple, yes, but we are first and foremost individual actors. If each actor can bring precision and density to portraying a couple, that energy will translate powerfully to the audience.\”

Lempicka runs at Coex Artium’s Woori Bank Hall through June 21.

[Sports Today reporter Song Oh-jung ent@stoo.com]
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