Interview: Ivy on 'Perfecting English Script' and Behind-the-Scenes of Her Casting in Broadway's 'Chicago' / News Briefing / SBS

[News Briefing]

When quoting this interview, please clearly credit the program 'SBS <News Briefing>'. Copyright belongs to SBS.

■ Broadcast: SBS <News Briefing> Monday to Friday (14:00 – 15:20)
■ Host: Anchor Joo Young-jin
■ Guest: Ivy, Musical Actress
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● Interview with Musical Actress Ivy

"Decided to venture into the U.S. with a challenging mindset, thinking it would be a fresh experience"
"Hope this serves as an opportunity for more Asian actors to challenge themselves and expand their opportunities on stage"
"Long career in musicals... reached this point thanks to the help of those around me"
"Constantly working hard to build basic skills as a musical actress"
"Going as a representative of Korea, I will promote K-musicals to the world"

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▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: You are heading to New York's Broadway with the musical Chicago. We have musical actress Ivy here with us. Welcome.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Hello. Nice to meet you.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Thank you for coming. In the interview clip that aired just a moment ago, you mentioned, "Even if you are older like me, not a star, or can't speak English." It seems those thoughts were heavily on your mind. But regardless, you made it, and I feel you must be experiencing a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Yes, that's right. I still can't quite believe this is real. I think it will finally sink in once I set foot on American soil.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: When are you leaving?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: I am leaving very soon.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Soon, after getting your visa.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Yes, yes. That's correct.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Once you arrive, when do the performances start?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: From August 17.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: August 17?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Not much time left, right? It's a little over a month away.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: So when you go, all the other actors and staff will be local to the U.S.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Yes, I will be the only Korean joining the team that is currently performing there.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: But as you mentioned earlier, "even if you can't speak English," is English no longer an issue for you now?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Actually, after receiving the audition proposal, I studied English hard for about a year and a half. However, I am at an age where my learning speed is a bit slower, right? So although I worked hard, I don't think my English skills improved as rapidly as I had hoped. Still, I am at a level where I can communicate, and since my primary goal was to fully master the script, I have memorized the entire script for now.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: You memorized the entire script?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Of course.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: In English, nuance is always important—intonation, accent.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Right.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: And pronunciation as well.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Exactly. I realized how truly important that is while memorizing the script. Especially vowels, they were very difficult to pronounce. For example, in Korean, "a-e-i-o-u" is very simple, and "o" is just "o." But over there, it's pronounced more like "oh-oo," and those kinds of pronunciations took some time to get used to.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: I assume you didn't just audition once but multiple times. Since you are already a veteran when it comes to singing and vocalization, did they offer any feedback or suggestions regarding your English during that process?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Actually, I had a total of three auditions.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Three times.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: I had three auditions over a span of a year and a half. Honestly, they didn't have much criticism regarding my acting. Since communication is key, they mostly gave feedback on my pronunciation and accent, so I kept improving those aspects and submitted video auditions each time.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: How long has it been since you transitioned from being a singer to performing on the musical stage?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: It has already been 16 years.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: 16 years.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Time has flown by.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: You have done so many productions over the past 16 years. Looking at your record, you've starred in major musicals like Aida, Chicago, and Jekyll & Hyde. Once you are recognized as a top musical actress in Korea, you gain popularity and financial stability. So why, especially since you are no longer at a very young age as you mentioned, did you decide to take on the challenge when the audition offer came from the U.S.? Did you feel stuck, or had you always harbored a desire to perform on a bigger stage?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: To be honest, I had never once dreamed of Broadway. Because I couldn't speak English, it wasn't even something I could dream of. But this was such a—now I feel like speaking English, even though I'm not good at it—a "rare" case. It is extremely rare. So, I felt a sense of challenge, thinking it would be a very fresh experience. I started with a light heart, thinking that even if I didn't pass the audition, at least I would improve my English. But actually, after doing musicals for 16 years, that challenging spirit had faded a bit. This opportunity made me realize, "I can do this," and it became a turning point for me to take on more challenges and find courage in the future.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: I'm curious about how the people around you, who support you, reacted when you first said you were going to try.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Everyone cheered me on.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: They cheered you on, but...

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: But they probably didn't actually believe it would happen. Even I thought, "Is this really going to work?" To put it simply, I used to say that a Korean entering Broadway with Chicago, the most American of musicals, is like casting a white actor in a Korean musical like Seopyeonje.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Right.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: It felt a bit like that.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Like having that person sing the song "As We Live, We Get By."

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: It felt like a white person doing that. So, until the very end, I thought it probably wouldn't work out. But these days, casting diverse races has become a cultural norm in the U.S. Since I got this rare opportunity, I hope more Asian actors will challenge themselves and that the opportunities for them to stand on stage will expand.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: You mentioned that Chicago is the most American production. While musical fans know it well, those who don't might wonder what kind of show Chicago is and what role you play. Could you explain it briefly?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Chicago is set in 1920s Chicago and tells the story of criminals—specifically, female criminals. My character, Roxie, also commits a murder and goes to prison. Through her journey, the show portrays the desires and greed within human nature. It's a black comedy. While practicing in English, I noticed that the English script contains many sexual metaphors and jokes, which unfortunately are very difficult to translate into Korean. At any rate, it is a production that has been loved in Korea for a very long time, and a Korean run is scheduled for the end of this year. Performing it in Korean after returning from the U.S. will feel very special.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Chicago? The same show?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Yes. I hope many people will come to see it.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: How many months will you be performing Chicago in New York, starting this August 17?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: For a total of three weeks.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: For three weeks.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: In the U.S., they use a single-casting system. I will be performing all 24 shows by myself.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Whereas in Korea, there might be double or triple casting.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Like triple casting. Yes, that's right.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: I see. That must be tough, having to do it all by yourself.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Managing my physical stamina will definitely be key.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: For those traveling to New York, they might think, "Maybe I should go watch it because of Ivy." The competition for tickets might be quite fierce.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: I hope it gets fierce! I hope Korean residents there and Korean tourists will come and watch the show.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: And when you try to buy musical tickets, both here and there, you get surprised because they are so expensive.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Actually, the price difference isn't as big as you'd think now, but the dollar is quite expensive at the moment.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: It seems ticket prices for musicals in Korea have gone up a lot. Some people might not be able to watch them because they are too expensive, which is a pity.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: True. But there are also many discounts, so if they look out for those...

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: I asked because I suddenly thought it would be great if more people could enjoy musicals. You've explained the show Chicago and your character Roxie. Do you remember the exact dates of your debut as a singer and your debut as a musical actress?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: My musical debut was already back in 2010.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: 2010.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: It's been quite a while. Back then, the lead was Choi Jung-won, and I happened to audition and pass, which is how I took on the challenge. Now, I have been performing with them for a long time, and I've also joined the ranks of senior actors. It's hard to believe, and I think I was able to do musicals for this long thanks to the help of many fellow actors and staff members.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Transitioning from a singer to wanting to be a musical actress, and deciding to stake your life on it—was that always your dream? Or did you fall in love with musicals while working as a singer and decide you wanted to do it?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Well, I actually started by complete coincidence.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Coincidence.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: I always just thought it was really cool. I didn't think it was a field I could enter. But doing it step by step has brought me here.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Is vocalization for a singer completely different from that of a musical actor? I've heard that musical actors rarely get hoarse because their vocalization is different. Is that true?

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Vocalization for a singer and a musical actor is indeed a bit different. Because of that, I am still constantly working on classical vocal training and other basic skills that a musical actor needs.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: But these days, many musical actors are auditioning for trot shows and other programs, taking the opposite path of what you did—transitioning back to being singers.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Yes. I think it's great to see. I believe it's a good opportunity to introduce musicals to a wider public.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: On shows like Phantom Singer or trot auditions, people like Cha Ji-yeon, Enoch, and many classically trained singers have participated. It really feels like the walls between genres are disappearing now.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Especially for singers. Since you are interviewing with me today as a musical actress, we have prepared some footage of your debut and activities as a singer. I'm sure many viewers remember those days, so let's take a look together.

-(Song)

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Seeing it after so long makes me feel shy.

-(Song)

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Looking at your past performances, "Chocolate" was the show hosted by Kim Jung-eun on SBS.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: That's correct.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Right? You also appeared on SBS INKIGAYO many times and even won first place with "Sonata of Temptation."

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: The memories are coming back.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: In any case, you reached the peak as a singer, then took on the challenge of musicals, and now you are challenging Broadway. Will your life of challenges continue? I suddenly wonder if you might try acting next.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Indeed. I think life is very interesting. It's more exciting because we don't know what the future holds. I hope you look forward to my next challenge.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: It's truly amazing that you worked hard in the domestic musical scene, made it to Broadway, and finally landed the role. Since you are appearing on a news program after a long time, please share a parting message with our viewers before you leave.

▶ Ivy / Musical Actress: Dear viewers, I, Ivy, am heading to Broadway in the U.S. It would give me so much strength if the Korean community there and everyone back home could send me their support and love. Since I am going as a representative of Korean musical actors, I will promote K-musicals to the world. Thank you.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That was our interview with musical actress Ivy. Thank you for speaking with us today.

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.