[On Stage] Valerina and Resident Choreographer No Ji-hyun, 30 Years with 'The Phantom of the Opera'

First Stage Performance While Studying in the UK... "Korean Musical Actors' Singing Is the Best... Hope They Learn More Dance"

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] In the musical 'The Phantom of the Opera,' the male lead, the Phantom, kidnaps the female lead, Christine, from the dressing room and takes her to the underground labyrinth. While a tense situation unfolds inside the dressing room, ballerinas outside are busy rehearsing their performance. The ballerinas remain completely unaware of the urgency inside the dressing room. The contrasting situations inside and outside the dressing room heighten the tension of the play. The lighting also contrasts, with the dressing room brightly lit and the outside darkened.

No Jihyun, the resident choreographer (47) of 'The Phantom of the Opera,' explained that this scene showcases the details of the musical.

"The scene where ballerinas dance wearing white tutus (the short skirts ballerinas wear) is dimly lit, making it barely visible, but without that scene, the stage would feel really empty. The most important aspect in choreography is storytelling, and the ballerinas' rehearsal scene is choreographed based on a scene from a painting by French artist Edgar Degas (1834?1917). Because of such detailed storytelling, even after 30 years, 'The Phantom of the Opera' has much deeper content than newly created works."

Choreographer No has been connected with 'The Phantom of the Opera' for nearly 30 years since its premiere in 1986. His journey began with the 1993 London production of 'The Phantom of the Opera.'

No started learning ballet at the age of nine. After graduating from Sunhwa Arts Middle School, he entered Sunhwa Arts High School in 1989 but left for the UK to study abroad within a month. This was due to a suggestion from a British ballet teacher who asked if he wanted to focus more intensively on ballet.

In 1992, he first appeared on the musical stage with the production 'Carousel.' At that time, the choreography for 'Carousel' was handled by Sir Kenneth MacMillan (1929?1992), the resident choreographer of the National Ballet of the UK. Many dancers auditioned because of Sir MacMillan. Right after 'Carousel' ended, auditions for 'The Phantom of the Opera' were held. No performed on the 'Phantom' stage from 1993 to 1994. From 1995, he participated in productions of the English National Ballet and the Irish National Ballet and returned to Korea in 2000.

No Ji-hyun, Resident Choreographer of 'The Phantom of the Opera'

His connection with 'The Phantom of the Opera' continued in Korea as well. The year after his return, the licensed Korean premiere of 'The Phantom of the Opera' took place. The foreign creative team involved were colleagues who had worked together during the London production of 'The Phantom of the Opera.' No participated in the Korean licensed premiere as the character Meg Giry. Meg Giry is a ballerina and friend of the female lead Christine. She is the character who reacts most dramatically and is most surprised whenever a murder occurs in 'The Phantom of the Opera.' She also plays a key role at the end of the play. After the Phantom sits on a chair in the underground labyrinth and suddenly disappears, Meg Giry is the one who lifts the remaining mask in surprise.

Following the 2005 and 2012 tours, the third world tour of 'The Phantom of the Opera' has been underway since last year. No has participated as a choreographer in all three tours. This latest world tour started in Manila in February last year, then went through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tel Aviv, and finally arrived in Korea. Due to his participation in the world tour, No stayed in Korea for less than two months last year.

Last summer, he visited the UK and the US consecutively to watch other touring productions of 'The Phantom of the Opera.' No said that the Korean production team’s skills are the best. He said, "I watched all three 'Phantom of the Opera' teams, and the passion of the actors performing in Korea is better than that of actors on Broadway or the West End. If you come to the theater and see it for yourself, you won’t regret it."

In particular, No said that the actors performing in Korea possess the perfect combination of singing, dancing, and acting. "Claire Ryan, who plays Christine, majored in vocal music and learned ballet as a child and still continues to study ballet. Jonathan Roxmouth, who plays the Phantom, is very skilled at tap dancing. When actors know how to use their bodies, their emotions connect better, resulting in more expressive performances."

No expressed some regret that Korean actors tend to excel in certain areas rather than mastering all three skills. As a choreographer, he especially feels that their dancing is lacking.

"Korean musical actors sing really well. Even foreign actors watch Korean singing programs like 'King of Mask Singer' and 'Double Casting' and acknowledge that Koreans sing very well. The singing skills of Korean actors are top-notch. However, as a choreographer, I hope they would learn more dance. If I could sing as well as they do, I would be greedy and learn to dance."

No emphasized that ballet is the foundation of dance. "Just as opera is classical in singing, ballet is classical in dance. Just as classical vocal training is necessary to perform various styles like pop and jazz, ballet must be learned first to perform other dance genres. Many people think ballet is difficult, but ballet is the foundation of dance."

Since 2010, licensed productions featuring Korean actors have not been staged. No said he would definitely participate if invited to join a licensed production. He said, "'The Phantom of the Opera' has been such a long-standing connection for me that it is a very precious work." He also said that if he participates in a licensed production, he would rigorously train the actors in dance, which he feels is lacking. "When Korean actors are given assignments, they focus and do well on their own. Foreign actors don’t have that. In that sense, I feel Korean actors are very earnest."