Seoul debuts one-man musical on Michael Collins, Apollo 11's overlooked astronaut

There was a third astronaut who never set foot on the lunar surface or shared in Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's glory during the 1969 moon landing — but his story is now being told.

Actor Ko Sang-ho performs as astronaut Michael Collins in the new Korean musical ″Behind the Moon″ at the Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 18. [COMPANY YEONJAK]

There was a third astronaut who never set foot on the lunar surface or shared in Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's glory during the 1969 moon landing — but his story is now being told.

Seoul’s new one-person musical “Behind the Moon” opened at the Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, on Nov. 11. The show takes inspiration from Michael Collins (1930-2021), the command module pilot on Apollo 11, and unpacks the responsibility, loneliness and, ultimately, the hidden history of the man who remained behind.

Writer Kim Han-sol said she was inspired after seeing a clip of Collins's speech at a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

“I knew about Neil and Buzz, but I had no idea Collins even existed until then,” she said during a press conference at the Chungmu Arts Center on Tuesday. “It fascinated me to realize that he never got to set foot on the moon and stayed behind alone. I’ve always been drawn to real figures, especially the ones that history overlooks.”

Writer Kim Han-sol speaks to reporters at Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 18. [COMPANY YEONJAK]

“Behind the Moon” won the Chungmu Arts Center’s NEXT Creative Musical Award — the center's annual program that's designed to foster original musicals in Korea — in 2023.

Kim holds a master’s degree from the University of Leeds and an MFA in musical theater writing from New York University. She is best known for “L’art Reste,” which won “Best Work” (translated) at the 2022 Korea Musical Awards, and recently contributed to the book and lyrics of the musical adaptation of Cheon Seon-ran’s best-selling novel “A Thousand Blues,” soon to be adapted into a Hollywood film as well.

According to the writer, the keyword for “Behind the Moon” is love.

“The more I studied Collins, the more I realized how steady and courageous he was,” said Kim. “I kept wondering where that courage, that pride, that self-assuredness came from. And the answer was love. Even when he was on the far side of the moon, he believed that the people he loved were waving to him from an invisible Earth, and that faith became a kind of grounding force, like gravity. I thought that I would be writing about loneliness, but love ended up becoming the keyword for the piece instead.”

Actor Ko Sang-ho performs as astronaut Michael Collins in the new Korean musical ″Behind the Moon″ at the Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 18. [COMPANY YEONJAK]

Composer Kang So-yeon said she shaped the music to match the warmth of the story. “Since it’s ultimately a human story rather than a tale about the journey to the moon itself, I wanted the emotional tone to reflect that. The [...] cosmic moments are expressed through the [more imposing] arrangements, while scenes on Earth are grounded via acoustic sounds.”

Kim Ji-ho — the director behind niche but solid fan-favorite musicals like the mystery thriller “Agatha,” inspired by author Agatha Christie, and plays such as “Old Wicked Songs” and “The Elephant Song” — took the helm of “Behind the Moon.”

The trio reportedly developed the musical over five years.

The show has notably cast Yu Jun-sang, best known for his work in K-dramas like “My Husband Got a Family” (2012) and “The Uncanny Encounter” (2020-23).

“I’ve always been highly interested in stars and space, so when I read the script for ‘Behind the Moon,’ it automatically felt like a show that I should do,” Yu said.

Actor Yu Jun-sang performs as astronaut Michael Collins in the new Korean musical ″Behind the Moon″ at the Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 18. [COMPANY YEONJAK]

“It is a special story as well,” he added. “The actors and staff all feel a great sense of pride in staging the story of Collins for the first time in live theater, and we are giving all that we have for a successful run.”

The 55-year-old actor made his musical debut in 1997 and has since starred in multiple major productions, from large-scale licensed Western productions like “Jack the Ripper” and “Frankenstein” to the hit local jukebox musical “Those Days.”

Actor Ko Hoon-jeong performs as astronaut Michael Collins in the new Korean musical ″Behind the Moon″ at the Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 18. [COMPANY YEONJAK]

Three more actors alternate the role of Collins: Ko Sang-ho, Ko Hoon-jeong and Jung Moon-sung.

Ko Sang-ho, a seasoned musical theater actor who previously collaborated with Kim Ji-ho on “Agatha” and other works, has joined forces with the director once again.

Ko Hoon-jeong is best known as a member of Forte di Quattro from the vocal crossover competition show “Phantom Singer” (2016-23). He also currently plays James in the Korean production of the Tony Award-winning “Maybe Happy Ending.”

Jung is a versatile musical veteran who has played the titular protagonist in “Hedwig,” Oliver in “Maybe Happy Ending” and D'Ysquith in “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” but “Behind the Moon” marks his first time starring in a one-man show.

“The hardest part was realizing there’s no scene partner,” Jung said. “That made me understand how much joy I normally get from that give and take. But as performances began, I’ve been able to gain that sense of interaction with the audience.”

Actor Jung Moon-seong performs as astronaut Michael Collins in the new Korean musical ″Behind the Moon″ at the Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 18. [COMPANY YEONJAK]

He added that the show's message resonated with him deeply.

“I’ve always been drawn to stories about lonely love and human longing, but what matters most in this character’s journey is that he has a dream and runs toward it — and when he finally reaches the edge of it, he discovers what’s truly just as important, if not more important, than the truth: the people you love.”

“Behind the Moon” is set to run through Feb. 8.

Actor Ko Sang-ho performs as astronaut Michael Collins in the new Korean musical ″Behind the Moon″ at the Chungmu Arts Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 18. [COMPANY YEONJAK]

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]