After her nightmarish past year (public scorn, sex scandals, lawsuits), singer Ivy will be making her comeback to the public eye not with another album, but onscreen in her acting debut.

She’ll take a role in SBS’s Tokyo Shower [도쿄 여우비], a four-episode miniseries to follow the airing of I Love You, which just started last week.

Her management affirms that Ivy’s participation in the drama is all but a done deal (pending the usual finalization of contract issues), but it’s unknown whether she will be in attendance at the drama’s press conference in May, as she’s also going back to the recording studio. (I wonder if that’s really true, or if she’s avoiding a venue where she might be asked irrelevant questions about her personal life?)

The story of the drama is described as a Korean “top star” (played by Kim Sarang) meeting and falling in love with the character played by Kim Tae Woo. Ivy plays a Korean student studying abroad in Japan, working part-time in a sushi restaurant and dreaming of becoming a singer. She’ll also sing the drama’s theme song. On the Japanese side, the drama also stars Okuda Erika (who became known to Korean viewers through a CF she did with Kwon Sang Woo) and veteran actor Yamamoto Gaku, who starred in the original 1978 White Tower (then remade in Japan in 2003, again in Korea last year).

I always thought the “scandal” denouncing Ivy was absurd and hypocritical, so I wish her well. I don’t like her hit singles, but she DOES have strong vocals that are much better showcased in her ballads, and sets herself apart from the pack of gyrating lip-synchers by singing live while dancing (for which she prepared in her trainee days by singing while running on a treadmill — trivia!).

Via DongA.com

SONG OF THE DAY

Ivy - “낡은 자전거” (Old bicycle) [ Download ]

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Tags: acting debuts, Ivy, kpop, sex scandals, singers, Tokyo Showers

Filed under: Celebrity News, Kpop News by javabeans - 11 Comments →

Former Miss Korea Lee Ha-nui, otherwise known as Honey Lee, has been busy acting as a television broadcast MC and as a model for various CFs and clothing brands ever since she placed in the finals for last year’s Miss Universe pageant. And now she’s branching out into acting, preparing for her debut — in a musical.

Her rep explained that she’d considered making her acting debut in a drama or film, “but chose a musical in order to showcase her particular skills.” As you may know, she’s a noted classical musician, having majored in traditional music (gayageum, pansori) at Seoul National University. Not only that, she reportedly was in training as a vocalist under YG Entertainment prior to her Miss Korea win. She’ll begin rehearsals for the musical next week, produced by PMC productions (of the musical Nanta, which is described as a “non-verbal performance” that incorporated traditional folk music elements).

Via Sports Seoul

No mp3 available, but for a look (and listen) at Honey Lee’s musical skills, here’s her much-buzzed-about performance at the recent Golden Disk Awards with Epik High, transforming their thoroughly modern “Fan” into something of a fusion artistic statement.

SONG OF THE DAY

For the uninitiated, here’s what the original “Fan” by Epik High sounds like. [ Download ]

Tags: acting debuts, Epik High, Honey Lee, musicals, musicians

Filed under: Theater/Musicals by javabeans - 38 Comments →

Clazziquai’s lead singer with the velvety voice, Alex, is set to act in his debut role in the short romantic-comedy series Finding Love (연애의 발견).

Also cast in the cable drama are Choi Min Yong (from Unstoppable High Kick), Yoon Ji Min (HIT, Korea Secret Agency), and Han Ye In (Coffee Prince, pictured above). The story deals with “love versus friendship, reality versus romance” and all the confusion that comes with it. It’s being touted as “realistic and frank.”

I’ll hold off judgment until I see for myself, but I wish Alex well in the role (but perhaps not SO well that newfound acting jobs take the place of music-making ones!). And hey, if it doesn’t work out, at least he’s got another job to fall back on.

Sources: Newsen, Segye.com

SONG OF THE DAY

Alex - “Dance With My Daddy” from the soundtrack of 200 Pound Beauty.
[ zShare download ]

Tags: acting debuts, Alex, singers

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Ballad Queen Lee Soo Young, who’s just released her eighth album, is set to branch out into acting.

Cliched? Sure. But despite the overabundance of mediocrely talented pop singers hasty to jump into the acting world, I think Lee Soo Young may prove to be one of the more successful transitioners. For every flopped attempt to cross the divide (Se7en, Hyori), you have others who’ve made the leap so well that it’s easy to forget they started out as singers (Eugene, Yoon Eun Hye, Jung Ryeo Won, Lee Dong Gun, Eric, Kim Jung Hoon…).

Contrary to her dramatic, grand balladry, Lee Soo Young has always seemed cool and wickedly funny in real life. Not that I know her in real life. But she’s appeared on lots of variety shows and made her sharp wit known in X-Man’s popular Dangyunhaji (”of course”) game, which is (purported to be) largely ad-libbed amongst the celebrity participants. (I say purported because I know some of the events are planned, but I’ve always thought Dangyunhaji was for real — I mean, if it was planned, shouldn’t some of them come up with better answers?) I’ve also seen her in a guest-starring role on Nonstop 4, and was pleasantly surprised to see how completely she tackled her character, acting with a thick southern accent and showing a strong personality.

She seems fearless, or at least ballsy, so I think acting will suit her. Of course, it’s not like she’s making a full career change, so much as she’s trying out her hand at something new. Which is cool.

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Soo Young - “Heaven” [ zShare download ]

 
Read more about her debut >>

Tags: acting debuts, Lee Soo-young, singers

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