[Musical Elisabeth's Lead Kim Junsu]
To compare me, who has only participated in three works, with the best senior…
Due to the pressure received for being an idol and overcame it in debut work, ‘Mozart’.
If were to reborn, I would not be an artiste.
During the later half of 2009, musical ‘Mozart’ production team’s EMK musical company had the last contractual discussion with TVXQ member Xiah Junsu. Xiah Junsu was the best as an idol singer but the experience for musical was naught. The performance fee that the company proposed was different from the request by Xiah Junsu’s representative. The 3000 seatings in Sejong Cultural Centre for the performance was considered to be a large hall. “The 3rd floor won’t be filled up anyway,” this was what the production company thought. The situation ended with Xiah Junsu’s representative’s , “Our Junsu can do it.”
“Our Junsu” made it. At the opening of ‘Mozart’ on January 2010, the crowd filled up the three floors of Sejong Cultural Centre. There were hundreds of Japanese middle-aged ladies who held the air ticket in one hand and the other hand holding onto to a binoculars, flying across the sea to see him. Xiah Junsu gained the title of ‘Running Guarantee’ (Performance fee received based on the tickets’s sales) with 30 million won fee. Last year, the online ticketing system crashed for his second work, ‘Tears of Heaven’ and the tickets were sold out within 5 minutes.
“Our Junsu” Xiah Junsu (Kim Junsu) will be the male lead Tod for ‘Elisabeth’ that is opening next February 9th. When we met on the 27th in a cafe at Seoul’s Jeong-dong, Jong-gu, his seemingly thin frame made others curious about the charm that made his noona fans lost their mind over this 25 year-old young adult. He reached 8 minutes later of scheduled time and lowered his head, saying ‘sorry’. His sincerity about punctuality during the practice sessions was complimented by many.
- Your ticket selling power was compared with ‘Musical Sage’ Cho Seung Woo. How do you feel about it?
“It’s really crazy. Please don’t do this. Isn’t Seung Woo hyung the best in musical industry? Although I am thankful, it’s best not to compare with me who is only just about to start my 3rd musical work. If the comparison was made after I acted in more than ten musicals, probably I wouldn’t be wanting to hide away (like now).”
- When you debuted in musical, nobody expected Xiah Junsu to be such successful. Personally, what is the reason behind your success?
“When I received the musical proposal, I did not sleep well for a week. Because this is my first step after independency (from the previous company SM Entertainment), thus I was very troubled. I did heard of discrimination against idols in musical industry too. However, other than me myself, nobody can protect me. Moreover there’s no existence of protective barrier at all. I am very clear about it.”
- The part where you worked hard due to your status as an idol?
“Being an idol is a double-sided blade. Although you are able to easily attained the lead and received the limelight but there’s the enormous hinder. Due to the performance in musical and overcame the obstacle and learnt about life. ‘In this world, having a dream will need to accept the woes as well’, whenever I am listening to the songs in Mozart, I would cry a lot inside me. As an artiste and to face the public judgement, the pressure is huge, and he (musical/Mozart) speak it out for me.”
- Other than the songs in musical, there were a lot of elements added in, which is your favourite?
“When I first stood on the musical stage, I crazily felt that it’s embarrassing. After I have done it, the joy that it brought me was totally different from a concert. In the two hours on stage, I am not idol Xiah Junsu but as someone else. I like this point a lot.”
In July 2009, after the successful injunction filed by him and two other TVXQ members towards SM Entertainment due to unfair contract length and income etc, they emerged as JYJ. However after that, as singers, JYJ are unable to appear on national broadcasting companies. In the one hour, he has been friendly answering everything, however he paused for a while towards such an inquiry.
“One can’t live (in the past). Have to keep holding on and rough it out. I had the thinking that I have to work even harder. To be able to do what we want, I think this is the happiest to us (JYJ).”
- Many teens dreamt to be the next Xiah Junsu?
“I would not be an artiste in my next life. (He repeated this thrice) Of course as of now, I have no regrets in my life. It is very happy to receive love and concern. But after I passed the audition when I was 15, I have never been in my relaxed mode the minute I went out the door. I have never been to Lotte World either. Sometimes I do felt that I’ve wasted it. It is very tough to be receiving provoking comments from others too. However I have to admit that it’s normal to have losses in life and to understand the surroundings and into thankfulness.”
With regards to new work ‘Elisabeth’, “Working with (Ryu) Jung Han hyung who also acted as Tod, (Song) Chang ui and Kim Sun Young noona and Ock Joo Hyun noona who acted as Elisabeth, is the biggest subject (to learn).” “Recently I am only listening to music from musicals. I would like to try choosing works for small-scaled musicals.”
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