Korean Americans are making their presence felt at the Los Angeles Opera. In the Los Angeles opera scene, Korean Americans have been cast in major roles with spotlighted performances.
First, Duke Kim will debut as Romeo in a “Romeo and Juliet” performance at the LA Opera starting next month. This is an unconventional casting for the Shakespeare classic, as it is the first time a non-white Asian man will play the role of Romeo on the world-class LA Opera stage.
Kim is a rising star in the opera scene. He immigrated to the U.S. when he was 16, and grew up singing along to Korean ballad singers Kim Kwang Seok and Park Hyo Shin. Kim got into voice because his first singing teacher was a voice major, and he became fascinated with opera when he sang pieces with an orchestra in college.
“In the past, Korean-American singers were often not recognized for their talent,” Kim said, ”but now I see a change in that Korean Americans are becoming a part of the American and European opera stage.”
“In 2011, I saw Romeo and Juliet at LA Opera as an audience, and this time I am thrilled to be on stage as Romeo,” Kim added.
In LA Opera, there are a number of other Korean-American singers in major productions. Most notably, the lead actors in “Madama Butterfly,” which closed at LA Opera this month, were also Korean Americans.
Karah Son sang the role of Cio-Cio-San, the main character in Madama Butterfly. Son was inspired to become an opera singer after seeing the opera Manon Lescaut in high school.
“In the early days, I was limited in roles due to my appearance and size, but in recent years, makeup technology has improved and Korean-American singers are being recognized for their skills,” said Son, adding, “The difficulties that previous generations faced still exist, but it’s much better now.”
Along with Son, the role of Suzuki, the superficially faithful maid in Madama Butterfly, is also Korean.
Hyona Kim is an accomplished actress with experience on the European opera stage. “In Europe, almost every opera house has at least one Korean singer,” Kim said, “and it’s not because of the DEI, which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, but because Korean singers are second to none in the world based on their talent.”
The presence of Korean Americans on stage at the LA Opera is remarkably unprecedented, and it shows that Korean-American musicians are making leaps and bounds in the mainstream opera scene. “Asian singers have been largely confined to Asian productions and specific roles,” said Melody Chang Heaton, Executive Director of the Asian Opera Alliance (AOA).
“Talented Asian singers have always been there, but they haven’t had equal opportunities,” Heaton said, ”and now that they’re in the spotlight, there will be more opportunities in the future.”
The LA Opera’s production of Charles Gounod’s opera Romeo and Juliet, in which Kim plays the title role, will run through November 23. “Charles Gounod’s music is so poignant like it expresses real love,” Kim said of the production. “The real charm of opera is that you can hear the sound in person, which you can’t feel in a recording,” he said, adding, “The singers’ voices that pierce through the orchestra without microphones move the audience.”
BY YOONJAE JUNG, HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
