Musical theater star Choi Jung-won says she was born a dancing queen

Veteran musical theater star Choi Jung-won, 54, really means it when she says that she and Donna from “Mamma Mia!” are a destined match. Alternating the role of Donna in the ongoing local run of the musical along with actor Shin Young-sook, Choi...

Musical actor Choi Jung-won, center, as Donna during the 2007 run of the musical "Mamma Mia!" at the Seongnam Arts Center in Gyeonggi [SEENSEE COMPANY]

Veteran musical theater star Choi Jung-won, 54, really means it when she says that she and Donna from “Mamma Mia!” are a destined match.

Alternating the role of Donna in the ongoing local run of the musical along with actor Shin Young-sook, Choi has been the leading actor in the play since 2007.

“I’ve already told my daughter to play ‘Dancing Queen’ during my funeral and engrave the song’s lyrics ‘You can dance; You can jive; Having the time of your life’ on my gravestone,” Choi told the local press at the Chungmu Art Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on April 26, in celebration of having performed over 1,000 shows.

The ongoing licensed production of "Mamma Mia!" is produced by Seensee Company. Actors Kim Hwan-hee and Choi Tae-yi alternate the role of Sophie, Donna's daughter.

Having been in about 1,030 “Mamma Mia!” shows, Choi is the runner-up for being the Donna who has performed in the most "Mamma Mia!" shows, second only to Spanish actor Anna María Agustí Flores.

Even now, she says she can’t wait to go back on stage for the next performance whenever one show ends.

“I don’t feel like I've ever worked during the past 35 years that I’ve had this job,” she said. “Just as a child never gets bored of playing, for me, performing is the same thing as playing. And of all the types of plays, ‘Mamma Mia!’ is my favorite.”

“Mamma Mia!” is a famed jukebox musical with iconic music from ABBA, such as "Dancing Queen" (1976) and "The Winner Takes It All" (1980). The songs tell the story of a bride-to-be named Sophie, who, in hopes of finding her real dad, secretly invites her mother Donna’s three past lovers to her upcoming wedding. It debuted on West End in 1999, then on Broadway in 2001. The musical was first performed in Korea with a local cast in 2004. The movie version starring Hollywood actors Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried was released in 2008 and grossed $609.8 million, according to IMDbPro.

Choi Jung-won as Donna during the curtain call of the ongoing run of "Mamma Mia!" at Chungmu Art Center in Jung District, central Seoul [SEENSEE COMPANY]

For every single performance, Choi gives it her all, jumping up and down and dancing all the while belting out ABBA’s chart-topping music.

“I want the audience to leave the theater questioning how I can do this night after night!” she said. “But what they don’t know is that I actually feel more energized after doing a show. I don’t know how, but I feel like I have a super battery attached to me. My goal now is to keep my health in line so that I can do this for as long as possible.”

Choi believes that performers get better the more they perform. Even after over three decades in the industry, she is the first to arrive at the Chungmu Art Center, switching on the lights in the theater and walking up and down the stairs to get herself warmed up for a live show, which she says is different each time.

“It inevitably varies — from something as minor as the weather that day or the interactions I had before the performance,” she said.

Choi said that this ongoing run of “Mamma Mia!” feels more personal to her because, like Donna’s daughter Sophie, her own daughter is also in her earlier 20s.

“I deeply empathize with Donna’s interactions with her daughter, especially their fights,” she said, chuckling. “As an actor, I am very thankful to my daughter because she has opened my eyes to a much larger spectrum of emotions. I think I can really be Donna and enjoy playing in the show to the fullest because of her.”

And she couldn’t resist from, saying, again, “It’s why I feel even more strongly that I was born for this role.

“I got into this business because I love to make people laugh, and I feel like I can really do that while performing ‘Mamma Mia!,’ the storyline and music of which are loved all over the world and have the power to make people happy.”

Musical actor Choi Jung-won [SEENSEE COMPANY]

She continued, “To the Korean musical industry, in particular, I think this show was able to draw older audiences to musical theater. It warms my heart to see the grey-haired elderly of Sindang-dong [the neighborhood Chungmu Art Center is located] get up and dance with us during the curtain call. To middle-aged female actors like myself, the show is a gift and a ray of light.”

Choi Jung-won as Donna in the ongoing run of "Mamma Mia!" at Chungmu Art Center in Jung District, central Seoul [SEENSEE COMPANY]

And if Choi had the chance to meet the real Donna?

“I think the real Donna would say, ‘I lose! You are the real dancing queen!’” she said with a large smile. “As for me, I would like to give her a warm hug. She is a dear, dear friend who has allowed me incredible opportunities as a female and musical theater actor.”

“Mamma Mia!” runs through June 25. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekends. There are no shows on Mondays. Tickets range from 70,000 won ($53) to 150,000 won. English subtitles are not available.

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