Musical 'SheStars!' pays tribute to the original Korean girl groups

“It was back when there was no lip-syncing or auto-tune, but these singers' stunning performances opened the first chapter of Korean music history," musical director Kolleen Park said. "The singers, even in their 60s and 70s, are still alive ...

Musical director Kolleen Park [SEENSEE COMPANY]

“It was back when there was no lip-syncing or auto-tune, but these singers' stunning performances opened the first chapter of Korean music history," musical director Kolleen Park said.

"The singers, even in their 60s and 70s, are still alive and kicking in the music scene. I wanted to shed light on these singers at this time, when young K-pop singers are taking the world by storm.”

The 56-year-old musical director reimagined stories of female singers, often dubbed the original K-pop girl groups, and turned them into pieces for the musical stage.

Titled “SheStars!,” the musical premieres at Hongik Daehangno Art Center in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sept. 3. The Korean title of the musical is pronounced “Sisters,” unlike the English version, which is intended to be a pun.

The JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, sat with Park recently in Cheongdam-dong of Gangnam District, southern Seoul, for an interview.

Park co-wrote the scripts for the original musical by teaming up with writer Jeon Su-yang, together summarizing 80 years of the country’s girl group history.

“I could realize this project that I'd had in my mind for decades,” Park said with a smile.

Singer Yoon Bok-hee, left, and her husband Yu Ju-yong go on touring overseas in the 1960s. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Consisting of four members from Joseon Orchestra, Jeogori Sisters are considered the first female band in Korean music history, having debuted in 1935. Jeogori is the upper portion of hanbok (traditional Korean dress).

The Kim Sisters were popular even in the United States in the 1950s. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Lee Nan-young, one of the Jeogori Sisters and famous for her hit song ”Tears of Mokpo,” produced another girl group, The Kim Sisters, in 1953 with her two daughters and niece. Lee even debuted The Kim Sisters in the States.

The lives of 18 female singers of the past are weaved into the musical in chronological order along with their hit songs.

The musical shows the beginning of the local music industry with the popularization of radios during the Japanese colonial period and how the 1950-53 Korean War enabled the music industry to thrive even in wartime, with many singers performing for soldiers in the U.S. Army. Then the musical follows Korean singers’ advance into Southeast Asian countries after the U.S. Army bases were relocated there following the outbreak of the Vietnam War.

“SheStars!” opens with a scene where the character of Lee sings the score called “Maiden Choir” in front of Japanese soldiers. “Maiden Choir” is mixed with the Korean folksong “Arirang.”

Girl group trio Hee Sisters debuted in 1978. Insooni is in the middle. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Singer Yoon Bok-hee, who once performed as a member of the female duo Korean Kittens, began her singing career during the Korean War in a shantytown because she needed a job. It was either that, or starve. The singer later became a star, performing next to American singer Louis Armstrong.

Kim Myeong-ja, a high school senior who was listening to “You Are My Sunshine” by The Kim Sisters, debuted as a member of the Lee Sisters. She later changed her name from Myeong-ja to Hee-seon.

Kim In-soon, who used to dance to “Ulleungdo Twist” by Lee Sisters, debuted as a member of the trio Hee Sisters. The life of Kim, also known as Insooni, is reflected in the lyrics of “A Goose’s Dream.” Born to a Korean mother and an African American father, the singer once thought about living in a convent because of her skin color.

Some members of the Joseon Orchestra. Lee Nan-young is fourth from the left. Photo courtesy of music critic Choi Kyu-sung, the author of the book titled “Ancestors of Girl Groups” [CHOI KYU-SUNG]

“There was no problem using the songs [of the singers] for the musical as long as I paid the Korea Music Copyright Association, but I couldn’t use their stories without their permission. So I met them in person, except for the ones who have passed away. Yoon already knew about this project. When she saw me, she said, ‘You don’t have to come. Just do it.’ But it was hard for me to get others’ phone numbers at the beginning,” Park recalled.

Park continued, “Go Jae-sook, who performed as one of the members of the duo Bunny Girls, cried while talking about her twin sister Jeong-sook, who had also been a member of Bunny Girls. She felt sad about her sister passing away, forgotten by the public.”

According to Park, most singers welcomed her idea of making their stories a part of Korean music history by turning it into a musical.

“I used to call them and ask details like what they wore for auditions. I enjoyed the whole process. I got very emotional from time to time while preparing for the musical. The eyes of instrumental players often welled up with tears because their stories are similar to ours [people who work in the show business industry].” A brass band accompanies the musical in an old-school way.

“SheStars!” doesn’t solely focus on specific girl groups of the past. Its theme is the lives of female singers on stage. Milestone events in music history are made into episodes.

Seven musical actors including Yoo Yeon, Shin Ui-jeong and Kim Rye-won take on different roles for every stage.

Park said she chose songs to maximize the drama. For example, Park selected a Lee Sister’s song that has been covered multiple times, and a piece of Korean Kittens, to show their explosive energy on the stage.

The members of the original K-pop girl groups don’t dwell on the past and keep on moving. Insooni, 66, will perform her 99th musical, and Yoon still sings at 77.

“I wanted to pay my respects to the modern music of Korea and singers of the time,” Park said. “What mattered to me the most is not a story of a superstar but their lives on stage and the bonds [they had with each other]. I also wanted [musical] actors to feel that they are part of the history their seniors have made.”

Even amid the outpouring of original musicals, mostly centered around foreign historical events and foreign figures, the production of “SheStars!” is meaningful.

“I searched foreign publications published as early as the 1920s. There was a thesis in the United States about the history and transformation of Korean music history,” Park said.

The first musical Park took the helm of was “The Last Empress.” The musical is about the death of Empress Myeongseong (1851-1895), set in the late Joseon Dynasty.

Park majored in gukak (traditional Korean music) composition at the graduate school of Seoul National University.

Park, who is an American-born Korean Lithuanian, jokingly said, “A person like me does a musical about Korea, and Koreans make musicals about other countries.”

“I don’t work on musicals by thinking about the needs of Korean audiences. Creators are self-centered. I’m drawn to things that intrigue me.

“Korea, with 5,000 years of history, has a lot more stories to tell than Broadway, often dubbed the home of musicals. My next musical is about traditional Korean paper folding. This is a project I started preparing for a long time ago. You will see a stage covered with folded hanji [traditional Korean paper],” said Park.

BY NA WON-JEONG [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]