It has been revealed that the globally popular TV drama "Itaewon Class" will be adapted into a musical for the first time in the world, with popular group "WEST." member Nozomu Kotaki playing the lead role. A visual of Nozomu Kotaki with his distinctive "Seroyi hair" cut has also been released.
The film is based on the popular manga of the same name by Jo Kwang-jin. The story follows the protagonist Park Sae-ro-yi (played by Kotaki) as he opens a restaurant in Itaewon and strives to become successful with his friends while vowing to avenge his father's untimely death.
The script was written by Sakaguchi Riko, who has worked on the musical "Your Lie in April." The lyrics and structure were written by Lee Hee-jun, who has worked on many hits in Korea, including "Darwin Young: Origin of Evil." The music was composed by Korean-American Helen Park, who is the first Asian woman to be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Original Score in 2023 for the musical "K-POP." The musical will be directed by Koyama Yuna, winner of the Yomiuri Theater Award for Outstanding Director.
Other cast members besides Kotaki have also been announced, with Jo Yi-seo being played by a double cast of Kazuki Sora and Sara, Oh Soo-ah being played by a double cast of Umezawa Minami and Kawaguchi Yurina, Jang Geun-soo being played by Niihara Taisuke, Ma Hyun-yi being played by Doi Kate, Choi Seung-won being played by Yoshida Kodai, Jang Geun-won being played by Akizawa Kentaro, Park Sung-yeol being played by Asano Masahiro, and Jang Dae-hee being played by Satoi Kenta.
The band will perform in Tokyo at Tokyo Tatemono Brillia Hall (Toshima-ku, Tokyo) in June, and then go on tour in July.
◇Comment from Nozomi Kotaki
Because it is a global production, when I was first offered the role I thought, "Such an important role for me...are you joking?" However, after hearing the details, I said, "If you're okay with me, please let me do it!" and accepted the role.
Saeroyi has a distinctive hairstyle, but when I actually had "Saeroyi hair" and filmed in Seoul, it felt like I was discovering a side of myself that I didn't know, and it suited me surprisingly well.
It's a really thrilling story about relationships with Yi Seo and Soo Ah, finding love while exacting revenge, and more. I want to create the role faithfully to Kwang Jin's original manga, re-reading it over and over again and thinking about the character's innermost feelings. Because Sae Roy doesn't say much, every word he says carries a lot of weight and makes you want to follow him. He cares for his co-workers and trusts them a lot, and I also think it's important to build trusting relationships with the people I work with.
I would like to carefully perform each scene in the limited space of a stage and create a production that makes people want to watch it again.
◇Comment from Cho Kwang-jin
I was very happy when I heard about the plan to make it into a stage play. This is my first experience of making a musical after a TV drama, so I am really happy.
Kotaki-san is famous in Korea and has many fans, so I knew him from before. He is very handsome, so I was worried whether the character would suit him (laughs), but when I actually met him and felt his masculinity, I was convinced that it would be fine. Park Sae-ro-yi is not just a serious person with a sense of justice, but also a person who has flexibility and softness in the face of adversity. I hope that Kotaki-san will interpret the many faces of Sae-ro-yi and give him new values and charm. I am looking forward to seeing him in Japan!
