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INTERVIEWCha Ji-yeon pushes every boundary she can

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Cha Ji-yeon as Francesca in the musical 'Bridges of Madison County' / Courtesy of Shownote
Cha Ji-yeon as Francesca in the musical 'Bridges of Madison County' / Courtesy of Shownote

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The four-day affair between housewife Francesca and photographer Robert in the musical "The Bridges of Madison County" might look adulterous, but actress Cha Ji-yeon, who plays Francesca for the Korean production of the musical now on stage at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul, found deep yet subtle feelings of a woman in it.

"I am very well aware that the subject matter is different from social norms," she told The Korea Times. "However, the flow of the story under the skin is tightly woven. It revolves around a woman and shows how she changes and gets old. It's a rare chance for an actress to follow a character's life's journey on stage. I am blessed as an actress to play such a delicate role with gorgeous music."

Debuting in 2006 playing the sagacious mandrill Rafiki in "The Lion King" at the age of 23, Cha has played some of the most coveted roles among actresses. These include Elphaba in "Wicked," Aida in "Aida," Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca" and Effie White in "Dreamgirls."

Francesca seems poles apart from her fierce and powerful previous roles. The role even requires a classic soprano voice, which is not in Cha's main range of notes.

"There are some roles that just aren't meant to be despite how much I want them, while other roles run after me even though I don't accept them at first," she said.

"Francesca was the latter. I did not see the musical or the film of 'The Bridges of Madison County' despite its popularity. I only knew it required a classical singing style so I refused to take the role, but the producer continued to ask me."

Cha Ji-yeon, left, as Francesca and Park Eun-tae as Robert in the musical 'Bridges of Madison County' / Courtesy of Shownote
Cha Ji-yeon, left, as Francesca and Park Eun-tae as Robert in the musical 'Bridges of Madison County' / Courtesy of Shownote

Francesca is an Italian war bride turned Iowa farm wife and Cha portrays the woman whose life is shaken and stirred by a visit of a photographer while her family is out of town.

"I am tall and have a large frame, which resulted in me playing so-called strong and outgoing characters a lot," the actress said. "However, I feel rather comfortable playing Francesca, often reflecting my ordinary way of speaking."

Cha tries to bring audiences together in Francesca's journey, not to adultery, but by portraying the character convincingly.

"Francesca's feelings for Robert are not just love, but something more than that. It's like their souls are connected to each other. Her husband Bud also loves Francesca very much, but he is tough and doesn't perfectly match with her. It doesn't mean that their marriage or family is at stake though," she said.

"However, Francesca found consolation from Robert in her emptiness and loneliness coming from building a new home at a place far away from her hometown. He was like a gift, compensating for her unfulfilled life and reminding her of forgotten dreams."

Cha Ji-yeon as X-White, left, and X-Black in the poster for the upcoming musical
Cha Ji-yeon as X-White, left, and X-Black in the poster for the upcoming musical "The Devil" / Courtesy of R&D Works

Possibilities beyond stereotypes

Cha is a versatile actress. Some might see ups and downs in Cha's roles, but to understand her choices, you have to see the forest, not trees.

"I aim to play a character contrary to the ones I have performed right before," Cha said.

After giving birth to a son in November 2016, Cha made a return as exotic dancer and double agent Mata Hari in "Mata Hari." After that, she played Song-hwa in "Seopyeonje," the story of a blind woman who strives to become the ultimate pansori singer.

Her next role was Wolha, a guide to posthumous time travel and narrator of the musical "Gwanghwamun Yeonga" and playful and carefree gypsy girl Esmeralda in "Notre-Dame de Paris," before settling in a small town in Iowa in "The Bridges of Madison County."

"I don't want to be a boring and predictable actress," Cha said. "I take the road not taken by others. I feel a sense of accomplishment whether I succeed or fail in my attempts."

Cha is often chosen as the most likely actress to break gender stereotype in Korea.

In January, Cha performed "Midnight Radio" from the musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," the story of a German transgender rocker, at the Korea Musical Awards ceremony and theatergoers showed their anticipation for Cha to become the first female to play the titular role in Korea.

"Yes, I want to be an actress of wide spectrum, but it does not mean that I just want to play male roles. For instance, a female Hedwig should be approached very cautiously because the story originates from a man who was forced to go through a sex change operation for the sake of freedom," she said.

"I don't want to overstep the mark, but push the boundaries as much as possible and play within the limit. There are budding young actresses who also want to break boundaries. It's not an easy way and I want to blaze a trail for those who want to take on challenges."

Cha began her career in theater as a way to earn a livelihood, but has made her way to the top over the past 12 years.

"I am still enormously pressured and worried about my performances," she said. "Some people say it is the time to set my heart at ease on stage, but I think such extreme strain and stress keeps me maintaining my first resolution as an actress."

After "Bridges," Cha will embark on another interesting journey as X-Black and X-White in the homegrown musical "The Devil." Roughly based on Goethe's "Faust," the rock musical revolves around a Wall Street stockbroker John and his choices after signing a contract with the evil X-Black.

In the musical's premiere in 2014, Cha played John's girlfriend Gretchen, but she returns as the symbol of good and evil mightiness X-White and X-Black, the roles previously played by male actors.

"I wonder what the future has in store for me. I am really looking forward to what I am going to do next because I have never chosen the obvious path," Cha said. "The next year is going to be another interesting one for me and my fans."


Kwon Mee-yoo meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr


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