[K-MUSICAL] REVIEW "Attracted to MAMAMOO Solar style" Musical Mata Hari

 

MAMAMOO Solar's "Dance of the Temple" (Photo courtesy of EMK Musical Company)

- A musical in which the main character has to carry a lot of things alone
- Attracted voice, clear notes, and fresh acting - This is Solar's style
- Young chemistry with Lee Changsub (Armand) of the same age

Expectations in the pot boiled over.

One of the fun things about watching a performance is the line of expectation.

"That's it for today," I'll draw a line in my mind and go to the theater.

The audience is satisfied when the performance of the day meets the expectation line. On the other hand, when the performance is wandering under the line, disappointment and anger pour in one after another.

The best is a performance that breaks through the line of anticipation. A performance that rises coolly over a horizontal line as if an aircraft with wheels off the runway is soaring.

The audience's mind becomes as distant as the back of the plane moving away.

The musical Matahari flew high like an airplane of Armand, and it was fresh and mysterious like Matahari's first appearance.

The musical Matahari of this season (the third season) has been co-casted by Solar, a member of the girl group Mamamoo, along with Ok Joo-hyun, who played the role since its premiere.

Solar is the leader and vocalist of the four-member girl group MAMAMOO. The stage name "Solar" is derived from the scale of "Do Re Mi Pa Sol la".

MAMAMOO Solar's "Dance of the Temple" (Photo courtesy of EMK Musical Company)

 

Matahari is Solar's musical debut. Matahari is a very heavy work and role as someone's debut. This is because the musical "Matahari" is like a one-top formation in soccer.

Ok Joo-hyun also made his debut in 2005 with "Aida in 2005. However, in Aida, Ok Joo-hyun was able to share the burden because Egyptian princess Amneris put the ball up from the side.

But Matahari doesn't have that. About 70 percent of the musical's success or failure on the day of the musical must be carried by Matahari alone.

Because of this role, Matahari has been handled by the best actresses in Korea. It was Ok Joo-hyun and Kim So-hyang at the premiere in 2016, and Ok Joo-hyun and Cha Ji-yeon at the second season in 2017. And this season in 2022 is Ok Joohyun and Solar (MAMAMOO.

To see Solar's Matahari, I drew a long line of expectation horizontally.

There were two things I expected.

MAMAMOO is a group that has a particularly prominent singing ability compared to other girl groups. As such, I have high expectations for Solar's musical number performance.

The second is to show a different interpretation from the character "Mata Hari" that musical seniors have shown so far. Even if it's not 'better', I'm satisfied if it's 'more new'.

●Solar-style in musical numbers

A clear tone and a golden tone that seemed to be drawn in. Solar's song clearly penetrated the line of expectation. To be more honest, it rose 'tear apart'.

Solar did not sing the numbers of Matahari like a musical textbook. This is where singers who first appear on the musical stage are confused.

Pop-style singers can't help but worry about the musical number's score. "How should I sing this song?

This is because the number of the musical is 'one independent song' and 'one of the whole song'. Also, the number itself is a line and requires acting. Since it's a line, it has to be heard exactly for the audience, but if you sing it too clearly, it becomes old in an instant.

Solar could not have been free from these worries either. In this regard, Solar may have gotten advice from her senior Ok Joo-hyun, an expert among experts.

However, Solar's solution was very different from Okjuhyun's. Ok Joo-hyun used the singing method, vocalization, tone, and breathing differently depending on the situation. In fact, it would be hard to imitate unless it was just Ok Joo-hyun, so it would not be a style that would be recommended to anyone.

On the other hand, Solar tried to push most of the numbers of "Mata Hari" in her own style. It is a very different style from the musical singing style in the textbook, but when Solar sings it, our heads nod.

I think the reason why this was possible is her tone and pitch. Solar has a very popular and empathetic tone. Her songs go into our ears without any pressure, make our hearts beat, and then are digested with emotion. In addition, the exact pitch delivers the lines and feelings firmly and clearly to the audience without ambiguity.

BTB Lee Changsub (Photo courtesy of EMK Musical Company)

● Young chemistry with Lee Chang-seop (Armand)

Solar's number solution led to acting. The freshness of F or G beyond ABC. It's not the acting we've seen so far, but it's not burdensome. Sometimes I sweat my hands by saying, "A little more, a little more," but considering that it is her debut work, it is a great effort.

The chemistry with 'Armand' Lee Chang-seop was very good. Lee Changsub is also a member of BTOB. He entered musicals early on and appeared in many works.

The fact that they are the same age may have worked on the chemistry between the two, such as hamburgers and tomato ketchup. Both Solar and Lee Chang-seop were born in 1991, and even their birthdays are in February.

Solar Matahari and Lee Chang-seop Armand show much more "young love" compared to other combinations. This couple is very young.

Why did Matahari, who lived a rough life and went through all sorts of hardships, make such reckless choices for love, and was she able to be so bold in the face of death?

One unsolved question was solved by looking at Solar and Lee Chang-seop.

Taking "Matahari" like a staircase, Solar definitely took a step up. On this stage, she showed at least 'Si' or 'Si#'.

I don't know if Solar was as satisfied with her musical debut stage as the audience. I also wonder what kind of expectations line she has drawn about herself as a musical actress.

Solar's "The Girl of the Past" (Photo courtesy of EMK Musical Company)