Choi Woo-ri Talks About Her Passion for Musicals
Published on | Source
A decade since her debut, actress Choi Woo-ri is getting a lot of attention with her starring role in the musical "42nd Street", which began July 8. Given that it is rare in Korea to see musicals that focus on a female star, Choi is indeed in a unique position.
Advertisement
The musical, set in the 1930s, is a story about a young country girl fresh off the bus in New York City who starts as a humble chorus girl and eventually becomes a star.
The 32-year-old became interested in musicals after watching "Singing in the Rain" when she was an acting student at Dankook University. She went for almost every audition and finally landed a minor role in "Grease" in 2004. She has since built her way up one step at a time.
"Just before I make an appearance on stage, I close my eyes and think of my first audition", Choi said. "That way, I try to be as true to my character as possible". Her joy of being on stage is apparent in every movement she makes, and her passion has carried her over any adversity.
Choi practiced tap dancing 12 hours a day for over four months, and was the last person to leave the studio every night. "I'm almost a perfectionist, so I make my life harder all the time", She said. "My toe nail came out during practice. But I'm scared that if I don't push myself to the limit, my passion will disappear".
Choi said her parents still want her to have a more ordinary life and thus they refrain from complimenting her work. After watching "42nd Street", they simply said, "You must have practiced very hard", but she knows it was meant as a great compliment.