Kang-hyun Park

Early career and recognition

Kang-hyun Park made his debut in 2015 as the lead in the original Korean musical Liar Time.^[1] In the subsequent production of Bare: The Musical, he was cast due to his "captivating voice that impressed the creative team."^[11][12] Despite being a rookie, he was featured in an in-depth interview during the performance period.^[13] Since his debut, he has been actively performing in both Daehangno and major theaters in South Korea.^[14][15] Park played Benny in In the Heights,^[15] Ash in Evil Dead, and King Gwanghae in Chilseo (Korean: 칠서) in 2017,^[16] which led to his Best New Male Artist award at the 2017 Stagetalk Audience Choice Awards (SACA) in South Korea.^[17]

Phantom Singer, subsequent work and awards

After his initial recognition, Park continued to expand his repertoire in both original Korean and replica musical productions,^[2] receiving several prestigious awards.^[18] In 2017, he performed as a young Myung Woo in Gwanghwamun Love Song (Korean: 광화문 연가),^[19] an original Korean musical.^[20] He also joined Phantom Singer 2, a South Korean audition program aired on JTBC, aimed at forming a male crossover vocal quartet. Park sang "She Was There" from the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel as his first audition song, achieving the highest viewership rating per minute during this performance.^[21] His duet with Lee Choong Joo, "As Flowers Bloom and Fall (Korean: 꽃이 피고 지듯이)," ranked first in the entire duet competition.^[22] Although he struggled in the trio and quartet team missions, he made it to the finals as one of the top 12 contestants.^[23] In the finals, based on his wishes and the team arrangement by the producers, he formed a quartet with Julian Jootaek Kim, Phillip Jeong, and Tain Han [ko] named Miraclass. Miraclass finished as the runner-up among the three final teams.^[24] They released their debut album Romantica in 2018.^[25]

In 2018, Park played Charlie in Kinky Boots.^[26] His role as Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs (Korean: 웃는 남자), a Korean musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel, was noteworthy, with performances throughout 2018.^[27] This performance earned him the 7th Yegreen Musical Awards for Best New Actor.^[28] In 2019, he portrayed Luigi Lucheni in Elisabeth,^[29] which earned him the 13th DIMF Awards for Newcomer of the Year.^[30] Additionally, his roles in Xcalibur (as Lancelot^[31]) and Marie Antoinette earned him the SACA Best Musical Actor award for Best Male Supporting Actor.^{[citation needed]} He was awarded the 4th Korea Musical Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Xcalibur.^[32]

In 2020, he returned as Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs. The 10th anniversary performance of Mozart! in South Korea, where he played the protagonist Wolfgang Mozart, was held at the main auditorium of the Sejong Center, and also aired online due to the special circumstances of the COVID-19 period.^[33] In 2021, he performed as Anatole Kuragin in Korean replica production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812^[34] and returned to Phantom Singer All Stars with Miraclass.^[35]

Park played Orpheus in Hadestown from September 2021 to February 2022.^[36] This role earned him the 6th Korea Musical Awards for Best Actor,^[37] and the 16th DIMF Awards for Star of the Year.^[38] In 2022, he returned to the role of Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs at the Sejong Center.^[39] His role as Tony in West Side Story in the 2022/2023 season,^[40] was followed by his portrayal of Huey in Memphis in 2023.^[41]

Six years after competing as a contestant in Phantom Singer 2, Park returned as a producer for Phantom Singer 4.^[42] In Phantom Singer, producers assist contestants with team formation, song selection, and determining outcomes. Depending on the season, producers include experts in vocal music, popular music, instrumental music, composition, lyrics, and performing arts.^[43] Park was the first producer who previously participated as a contestant.^[44] He provided practical and valuable feedback on contestants' psychological states, microphone techniques, and team harmony.^[45]

Park starred as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen from March to July 2024,^[46] and played Orpheus in Hadestown at the Charlotte Theater from July to October, 2024.^[47] He was nominated for Best Actor for Memphis at the 8th Korea Musical Awards in 2024.^[48] Park played the protagonist, Aladdin, in the Korean replica premiere of the musical Aladdin.^[49]

Musicals

Plays

In the early stages of his career, Kang-hyun Park appeared in the play Our Bad Magnet, which is based on the book by Douglas Maxwell.

Film

Park appeared in a film when he was an undergraduate student at Sungkyunkwan University.^[72] He was also in another film, a director's cut of the live musical performance of The Man Who Laughs in 2019.^[73]

Television

Compilation albums

Singles

Music videos