SHINee’s Onew, GOT7’s Youngjae, And DAY6’s Wonpil Reveal The Things They’re Learning About Themselves As Musical Actors

SHINee’s Onew, GOT7’s Youngjae, and DAY6’s Wonpil recently teamed up with Elle Korea Magazine for a fresh photo shoot, an interview about their friendships and their new musical, as well as a special romance interview!

The three vocalists are currently starring in the Korean musical adaptation Midnight Sun, which tells the story of Hae Na, a girl who sings with her guitar under the moonlight, and Ha Ram, a surfer who is as bright as the sun. The three all play Ha Ram along with NU’EST‘s Baekho and actor Jo Hoon.

When asked about watching Youngjae and Wonpil on stage, Onew shared that he watched every performance from each cast besides maybe one or two. He revealed that although they all play the same character, they each give a different feel to Ha Ram’s personality.

The Ha Ram that Youngjae portrays has a youthful feel to it. Even if he just steps on stage and laughs, that freshness is engraved in my mind. Wonpil is very detail-oriented. He sings as if he’s planned out how high he should sing each note and what beat he should follow. Even while explaining the entire story through his song, he acts very naturally.

—Onew

Since Ha Ram is a student, they all have to wear school uniforms for the role. Onew was asked to look back on his school days; after all, he debuted quite quickly as an idol at age 18. He shared that back then, he turned his back on the world. He trained hard, “Since it [training] was so hard, I think that that was my personal way of storing energy.”

Honestly, if I was like myself in the past, I would just smile and fill this interview with whatever I could say. However, nowadays I want to be sincere and to feel proud of myself. I want to become real.

—Onew

Since Wonpil is representing DAY6 on stage, he was asked if he felt any pressure taking this role. He shared that while he truly pushes himself to do better, he also tries not to think about it. He commented, “DAY6’s motto is ‘Let’s not try to do well.’ It’s our own way of getting rid of pressure and nerves.”

The interviewer stated that Wonpil’s fans we actually quite surprised at the news of him being cast in a musical, to which Wonpil laughed.

I think they will be fascinated when seeing me dance and act. I was consistently taking acting lessons and discovering the fun in acting when Midnight Sun came to me. I wondered whether diving into the real thing immediately was the right decision as I hadn’t practiced for very long, but I wanted to try.

—Wonpil

In a scene of the musical, Hae Na goes through a tough time and is comforted by Ha Ram. Wonpil described his own way of comforting others as “subtle.” He said that he would send them many messages saying, “You will overcome this,” and “You can do it.” He said that he would also remind them that they’ve had tough times in the past and eventually smiled and became happier.

After leaving JYP Entertainment earlier this year and after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, this musical is Youngjae’s first time back on a stage in almost 2 years.

At the end of 2019, I wasn’t able to perform near the end of GOT7’s world tour so it’s a relief that I can stand on the stage now. Honestly, musicals are something that I’ve wanted to try for awhile as I would always watch musical clips of Park Hyo Shin and EXO‘s Suho. The way they were good at both singing and acting looked so cool. Even while practicing, I worried whether I could do well, so overcoming that and standing on stage now feels fascinating.

—Youngjae

Like Onew mentioned, the interviewer brought up that Youngjae seems pretty similar to Ha Ram as he has bright and positive energy. Youngjae responded by saying that he thinks that their natural vibe is quite similar and that hopefully when he’s on stage, fans can see a version of Ha Ram that is brighter.

Youngjae also shared some of the lessons and tools that he has gained by acting in Midnight Sun.

I’m the type who can’t really comfort myself. Although I’m in my eighth year of promotions, I still have a bit of stage fright and I lack the ability to overcome mistakes. These days, I’m getting on stage with the mindset that I’m doing courage training. Through this challenge, I want to become stronger.

—Youngjae

Midnight Sun is being performed from May 1 through July 25 at the Kwanglim Arts Center and will be available for streaming internationally. Watch the trailer below!