Actor No Joo-hyun in 'Fiddler on the Roof'

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Veteran actor No Joo-hyun will star in the Korean version of Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof", marking his first musical performance in his 40-year acting career.

Noh will play the leading role of Tevye in the musical whose music was composed by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.

After spending most of his early career playing a gentleman in many TV dramas and films, he began changing his image to a comical character in various hit sitcoms a few years ago.

The musical focuses on a middle-aged man (Tevye), the father of five daughters and his sacrifice for his family and religious traditions.

The show portrays the traditional role of the father who on the outside seems strong but is vulnerable inside. It is also the portrayal of Korean fathers.

Its musical numbers such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were A Rich Man" well depict the fathers' warm-hearted love.

In Broadway productions, prominent actors Harvey Fierstein and Henry Goodman took the role of Tevye. Fierstein won the Tony Award for best leading actor, while Goodman grabbed the Laurence Olivier Award for the role.

For the Korean version, Noh and veteran actor Kim Jin-tae who acted the role of Tevye in the musical in Seoul in 1998, will alternate the role of Tevye.

Director and choreographer Gustavo Zajac of the original creative team who visited Korea in June expressed his strong expectation for Noh, saying his image and voice color were perfect for the part.

Meanwhile, violist Richard Yongjae O`Neill and violinist Kim Ji-yeong were designated promotional envoys for the musical.

According to CJ Entertainment, it is the first time that classic musicians have been appointed promotional representatives of the musical.

The musical premiered in Broadway in 1964, becoming the first musical to surpass the 3,000 performance mark.

The Broadway production has won nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, score, book, direction and choreography.

The musical will be on stage Nov. 21 to Dec. 27 at the National Theater of Korea.

For more information, call (02) 501-7888 or visit http://www.musicalthefiddlerontheroof.co.kr

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