The cast of the musical 'Solo Leveling on ICE,' set to meet audiences from the 24th to the 31st, met with the press on the 23rd. The press call event featured iKON member Kim Jinhwan, tripleS member Kim Chaeyeon, actors Lee Howon, Choi Woo-hyuk, Kim Sun-kyung, former figure skater Kim Ye-rim, Lee Si-hyung, executive producer Song Dong-il, music director Lee Kang-hyun, director Woo Jin-ha, and figure skating director Kim Hae-jin.
'Solo Leveling on ICE' (hereafter 'Solo Leveling') is based on a web novel and webtoon of the same name, which has amassed 14.3 billion views. It tells the growth story of E-rank hunter Sung Jin-woo, who awakens as a 'player' to fight monsters.
The gathering of singers, musical actors, former and current figure skaters, and circus performers is also a highlight. Not all cast members were selected as top-tier skaters. Figure skating director Kim stated, "Some actors were new to skating, while others were not. However, everyone learned from scratch during preparation. Choreographers put a lot of effort into ensuring everyone could perform well on the ice."
Kim Ye-rim, a former figure skater who earned the title 'General Ye-rim' during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, made her first official appearance since retiring in February. She shared, "I've had many experiences on the ice, but preparing for a musical-based performance was a fun new challenge."
Kim Ye-rim emphasized the uniqueness of 'Solo Leveling' by stating, "It's a performance where people with high careers in various fields come together." Kim Chaeyeon added, "You come to see the stage on ice, and you get to see ice hockey and circus acts too, so it's a triple treat."
Producer Song expressed, "The ice show genre has enough competitiveness and can become new K-content," adding, "We considered commercial aspects to bring the original work closer to fans. If this performance succeeds, the goal is to create up to season 4."
Reporter Dayeon Jeong, TenAsia light@tenasia.co.kr