'Vincenzo' musical to premiere this August in Japan
We're going to see Mr. Corn Salad and the gang again soon—in theater stages, that is—as a musical version of the hit K-drama Vincenzo will be released in Japan this year.
According to Studio Dragon, the production company behind the Song Joong Ki-starrer dark-comedy series, they have collaborated with Japanese entertainment company Avex Pictures for the production of the play.
The theatrical play adaptation is scheduled to premiere on August 11 at the AiiA 2.5 Theater in Kobe, Japan, and will run until the 13th. It will also have shows in Tokyo and Osaka from Aug. 18 to 21, and Aug. 25 to 27, respectively.
Up-and-coming Japanese actor Masanari Wada will be playing Vincenzo Cassano, while Japanese idol Tomita Suzuka will play the role of Hong Cha Young.
On Twitter, Masanari invited his fans to watch the play, adding: "I will do my best to play the role of 'Vincenzo Casano.'"
Tomita also took to social media to express her excitement over the news. She said
"I will be performing in the musical "Vincenzo" that will begin in August," she started, saying she'll play the role of Hong Cha Young.
"Strange that I'm in such a wonderful timing of being a musical, so unrealistic, yet so nervous! And at the same time, so so so happy to be a part of bringing this much loved piece to so many more people in the musical form," Tomita added. "This is my first musical myself, but I want to work hard to get together with all the kind and warm co-workers."
Vincenzo is about the story of a Korean-Italian lawyer named Vincenzo (Song Joong Ki) who returns to his motherland after the death of his mafia boss. In Korea he meets the righteous lawyer Hong Cha Young, and together they fight social injustice.
The 2021 drama stayed at Netflix's “Top 10” movies list for many countries including the Philippines for weeks.
Vincenzo isn't the first Korean drama that was turned into a musical play. A musical based on the 2016 romcom Another Miss Oh also hit the stages in 2020 and 2022. It even featured Sandara Park to play the role of Oh Hae Young.
In February 2022, 1994 medical thriller M ran shows at the arts theater in Dongguk University. The 2019 K-drama Crash Landing On You (starred by Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin) also had its stage adaptation last September 2022 at COEX in southern Seoul.