The legendary Naver Webtoon ‘Yumi’s Cells,’ which hit a staggering 3.5 billion global views, is creating a new legend on stage. The creative musical ‘Yumi’s Cells,’ blending the original’s multi-dimensional world with musical imagination, proved it is the most anticipated show of the second half of the year by sweeping the #1 spot on major booking sites immediately after tickets opened.
According to producers SAM Company and Studio N, the ticket opening on the 29th was nothing short of a “war.” With pre-sales starting at 11 AM and general sales at 2 PM, traffic surged, and the show swept the daily rankings for creative musicals on NOL Ticket, Ticketlink, and Yes24. Many key dates sold out instantly, confirming the massive fandom of the original and the high interest from musical theatergoers.
This success was expected. Before the main ticket sales, the “Cell Village” membership recruitment sold out completely on the 27th. The membership marketing, which brought the village where Yumi’s cells live to life, sparked the desire of fans to collect it, which translated into powerful ticket-buying energy.
Yumi’s inner world transformed into breathtaking stage art.
Musical ‘Yumi’s Cells’ does more than just list the daily life of an ordinary office worker. The core of this production is to implement “Yumi’s inner world” as a wondrous piece of stage art by combining the original’s identity with musical numbers and flashy performances. By visualizing Yumi’s emotional changes through the activities of the cells, it aims to offer the audience cheerful and warm comfort.
The project gains further trust with a top-tier creative team. Led by director Yang Jung-woong, known for his unique aesthetics in ‘Faust’ and ‘Macbeth,’ the team includes composer Choi Jae-kwang and music director Kim Sung-soo, who worked on the musical ‘Gwanghwamun Sonata’ and the Netflix series ‘Squid Game.’ Writer Kim Ga-ram and choreographer Lee Hyun-jung also joined to perfectly recreate the original’s imaginative world on stage. The production team stated, “To present a well-made creative musical that anyone can relate to, we maintained the warm emotions of the original while maximizing the live presence that only a stage can provide.”
A golden casting lineup you can trust: Tiffany Young, Kim Ye-won, Kim So-hyang, and Yoo Ria.
The quality of the work is completed by the cast. Global star Tiffany Young and the talented Kim Ye-won have been cast as the protagonist ‘Yumi,’ promising two different charms. They are expected to increase audience immersion by delicately portraying the inner self and growth of the ordinary yet special Yumi.
Musical divas Kim So-hyang and Yoo Ria were chosen for the role of ‘Love Cell,’ who leads Yumi’s emotions. The two actresses are expected to bring vitality to the play with their bright, lovely energy and explosive vocal power. Additionally, character cuts for other unique cells like Reason Cell, Emotion Cell, and Hunger Cell have been released, raising expectations for their perfect synchronization with the original characters.
A particularly noteworthy point is the special drawings by the original author, Lee Dong-gun. The released character posters were completed by adding cells drawn by Lee Dong-gun himself onto the lead actors. This is praised for serving as a bridge between the original webtoon and the musical stage, capturing the unique cheerful and warm atmosphere.
The addition of the “irreplaceable” Choi Jae-rim and the original character ‘Cell 109.’
The biggest hidden card for this premiere is the addition of Choi Jae-rim. Musical star Choi Jae-rim, who updates “legendary” stages in every production with his overwhelming volume and excellent character interpretation, will take the stage as ‘Cell 109’ alongside Jung Taek-woon.
‘Cell 109’ is especially intriguing as an original character created specifically for the musical, not appearing in the original Naver Webtoon. Choi Jae-rim plans to build a new musical universe and provide a multi-dimensional narrative through this mysterious character. How Choi Jae-rim’s ‘Cell 109’ acts as a variable in Yumi’s head and drives the story will be a major highlight of the production.
SAM Company and Studio N expressed their gratitude, saying, “We thank you for the passionate support from the Cell Village membership to the ticket bookings. We will perfectly implement the imaginative world on stage to meet your expectations.” Having signaled a hit, musical ‘Yumi’s Cells’ will welcome audiences from June 30 to August 23 at the Seoul Arts Center CJ Towel Theater, promising a new musical syndrome.
