credits: soompi.com + hurlkie@soompi ( Korean translation ) + eugenekim22@soompi ( English translation)
SS501 Kim Kyu Jong has been cast in the musical “Goong,” which will be shown in Japan from mid-June, local media reported today. Following in the footsteps of DBSK Yunho and actor Joo Ji Hoon, Kyu Jong will play the lead role of “Lee Shin.” The production company Group Eight said in a statement, “Kyu Jong has already proven himself as a great stage performer with his strong vocals and skilled choreography as a member of SS501. He’s also shown great talent in other areas like modeling and DJing with his good looks.” It added, “Kyu Jong himself is showing a lot of enthusiasm and is very motivated for this role.”
Musical “Goong” is based on the premise that Korea is a “constitutional monarchy.” It centers around the romance between crown prince Lee Shin and a regular girl next door Shin Che Gyung. The drama adaptation of “Goong” starring Yoon Eun Hye and Joo Ji Hoon was a massive hit in 2006 making the two instant star celebrities. And in 2010, the musical version of “Goong” was launched featuring DBSK’s Yunho. Due to his global popularity, the show pulled in more than 60 percent its audience from Japan, and this year the production crew decided to actually stage the show in Japan.
Musical “Goong” will begin showing in Japan from June 11th to July 1st at the Minami-za Theater in Kyoto. Tickets will be available from Apr. 14th through the Shochiku ticketing site (www1.ticket-web-shochiku.com/pc/) and Brokore (http://www.brokore.com/). It must be fun to see if Kyu Jong lives up to the expectations and compare his acting to the other two who played the “Lee Shin” role so well.
