Controversy has arisen surrounding STAYC member Sieun’s musical debut, with some raising concerns about preferential treatment.
Sieun will take on the lead role of Songhwa in the musical ‘Seopyeonje’, which opens on April 30th KST. While her casting has drawn attention as her first musical challenge, debate has continued among some musical fans after details of the casting structure were revealed.
The core of the controversy lies in the newly introduced “older Songhwa” setting for this season. In previous productions, a single actor portrayed Songhwa’s life from youth to old age. However, for performances in which Sieun appears, the role of older Songhwa will be played by a separate actor. The older Songhwa role will be performed by pansori singer Jung Eun Hye.
Some audience members have questioned, “Was the role structure itself changed to reduce the burden on a specific actor?” and “Making an exception for only one pairing goes against fairness.” In particular, as the pansori number that appears in the latter half of the show is considered the emotional peak of the work, there are concerns that splitting the role could disrupt immersion.
Sieun’s comments during fan communication further fueled the discussion. She reportedly shared messages along the lines of, “It may be a bit much for my face to portray a character in her 70s,” and “As the youngest Songhwa, I feel pressure in many ways.” Some musical fans responded by expressing disappointment regarding professionalism, saying that actors are expected to convincingly portray age through acting and makeup.
On the other hand, the production team maintains that the casting is not preferential treatment but a new interpretation. Production company PAGE1 previously explained, “We expanded the casting structure so that younger actors can challenge the work in a more open way,” describing it as a choice aimed at presenting Songhwa’s life in a more three-dimensional manner.
Amid both anticipation and concern over Sieun’s musical debut, attention is now focused on how the actual stage performance will be received. The musical ‘Seopyeonje’ will run from April 30th to July 19th at BBCH Hall in Seoul’s Kwanglim Art Center.
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