Yoo Seung-ho to make stage debut as drag queen in 190-minute 'Angels in America'

Go Jun-hee also to make stage debut as Valium addict

Actor Yoo Seung-ho rehearses a scene from "Angels in America." (Yonhap)

Actor Yoo Seung-ho hopes to make a bold transformation on stage with his role in the Korean production of the play "Angels in America."

Yoo has been cast as Prior Walter, a gay character and drag queen, who becomes a victim of social prejudice and self-hate after being diagnosed with AIDS and is abandoned by his lover. This is a stage debut for the actor who started as a child actor in 2000 and has appeared on television dramas and films.

"There wasn't a specific reason. I just felt compelled to say 'I'll do it,'" Yoo said Wednesday during an interview held after a rehearsal open to the press in Seoul.

"I still can't pinpoint exactly why I decided to take on this role, but I think it will be interesting to reflect on that thought throughout the performance."

Set in 1980s New York, "Angels in America" navigates the blurred line between reality and fantasy, delving into an often metaphorical, at times symbolic examination of sexual identity, homosexuality and AIDS. Certain major and minor characters are portrayed as supernatural beings (angels) or ghosts. Written by Tony Kushner, the play won numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award following its 1993 Broadway debut.

“I knew little about the issues tackled in this play, so I watched many related films and read the Bible (to understand the allusions),” Yoo said. “The director suggested I experience firsthand the kind of scrutiny minorities face. Getting a manicure was one way. While I can't fully grasp the true feelings of (sexual minorities), I'm trying various methods to get closer to their reality as much as possible."

Yoo will share the role with Son Ho-jun, who is returning to the stage after a decade. His last stage performance in the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

Actress Go Joon-hee will also make her theater debut as Valium-addicted Harper, the wife of Joe Pitt, a Morman Republican clerk who is deeply closeted about his homosexuality. The actress is resuming her acting career after the 2019 drama “Possessed.” She has been mired in the “Burning Sun” scandal rumor, which she has denied.

Directed by Shin Yoo-chung, known for productions such as "Wife" (2023), this adaptation of "Angels in America" will present the first part, "Millennium Approaches," of the original two-part play. The runtime is 190 minutes, including two intermissions. (The second part, "Perestroika," runs 290 minutes)

"Time in the theater feels different from real life. Sometimes 30 minutes can feel so long, and three hours can pass in a flash. I aim to create such an engaging experience," said Shin.

"Angels in America" will run from Aug. 6 to Sep. 28 at the LG Art Center in Seoul.

By Hwang Dong-hee(hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)