"On Broadway and in the West End, I always felt excitement first, but now, ahead of the Seoul performance, fear is what I feel most."
Shinchunsoo, CEO of Odi Company, said that as the opening of the Seoul run of the musical "The Great Gatsby" approaches on August 1, the foremost emotion he feels is fear. He led the American production team as the first Korean to serve as lead producer and achieved box office success with "The Great Gatsby" on Broadway, but he emphasized that he is, above all, a Korean producer and that facing the Korean audience is the most nerve-wracking moment for him. However, Shinchunsoo also expressed confidence, stating that by refining the versions performed in the United States and the United Kingdom and presenting a new original production in Seoul, he will deliver an even more advanced and special work.
On July 15, a launching showcase for the musical "The Great Gatsby" was held at Mood Seoul in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
Shinchunsoo, CEO of Odi Company, is giving remarks at the 'Great Gatsby' launching showcase held on the 15th at Mood Seoul, Solbitseom, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Odi Company
"The Great Gatsby" is a production that Shinchunsoo led as Korea's first and Asia's first solo lead producer, working with an American creative team and cast. The show first opened on Broadway in New York in April last year. As of July 6, it has been running for 15 months, surpassing 500 performances, achieving an average seat occupancy rate of 92.7%, and recording cumulative sales of $79.66 million (109.883 billion KRW), continuing its box office success. In April of this year, it also opened in London's West End. In August, the show will be performed simultaneously in New York, London, and Seoul. The Seoul production is an original production featuring a different cast from those in New York and London.
Shinchunsoo emphasized, "For the Seoul original production, we created all new sets and costumes and cast new actors through auditions held on Broadway." He stressed that by presenting a new original production each time in New York, London, and Seoul, he is continually developing the show.
"The more we produce the show, the more opportunities there are for improvement. We developed the Broadway production to create the West End version, and the same applies to the Seoul production. We made a number of revisions."
He described this process as "layering" on top of the original. "It's about building upon previous ideas and adding new layers. The current Korean original production is being developed by staff from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Korea working together. Musical theater is a comprehensive art form, and I believe this organic collaboration will create great chemistry."
For the Seoul original production, Shinchunsoo newly cast Matt Doyle as Gatsby and Senzel Amadi as Daisy. Doyle was recognized for his talent when he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in 2022. Senzel Amadi is a rising star who drew attention for her role as Jasmine in the North American tour of the musical "Aladdin."
Regarding Doyle, Shinchunsoo said, "From the start of production, I thought most about how to express Gatsby's inner voice on stage. Doyle is an outstanding actor who can portray Gatsby's inner world with great sensitivity." About Amadi, he emphasized, "She is an actress with tremendous potential who will shine brightly on Broadway in the future."
Actors Matt Doyle (right) and Senzel Amadi, who play the male and female leads Gatsby and Daisy in the musical "The Great Gatsby." Photo by Odi Company
"The Great Gatsby" is scheduled to run at GS Art Center until November 9. Shinchunsoo said, "I hope this will be a production that audiences can experience as a gift."
He also revealed that "The Great Gatsby" will continue its performances in the United States and the United Kingdom, and is scheduled to open in China, Japan, and Germany in the future.
The New York run is an open-ended engagement with no set closing date, so performances will continue. In contrast, the London West End production is scheduled to run until September 7.
Shinchunsoo said, "In the UK, we are discussing moving to a new theater for performances next year. It looks like the show will continue at a new venue early next year." He added, "In the United States, the national tour will begin in Baltimore in February next year, and there are significant discussions underway regarding performances in Germany, Australia, Japan, and China as well."
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