1. Overview

Interview is a Korean original musical thriller written by Jung Hwa Choo and composed by Huh Soo-hyun. The show explores the psychology of guilt, trauma, and multiple identity through the tense dialogue between a famous novelist and a mysterious young applicant who visits his office. The narrative unfolds like a crime investigation, gradually exposing the truth behind a decade-old murder case.

Premiering in Seoul in 2016 as a curated production by Kim Soo-ro under the Hyundai Card Understage project, Interview quickly gained acclaim for its compact scale and high dramatic intensity. It was later staged in Kyoto and Tokyo before transferring to New York.

2. Off-Broadway Production (2017)

The musical made its U.S. debut at the Theatre at St. Clement’s in New York from February 10 to March 5, 2017, following previews from February 7 – 9.

Produced by Double K Film & Theatre (founded by Kim Min-jong and Kim Soo-ro) and directed by Dimo Hyun Jun Kim, the Off-Broadway run marked the first time a Korean-language musical was fully localized and performed in English with an American cast.

Actors Josh Bardier (Matt Bebbington), Erin Kommor (Joanne Bebbington), and Adam Dietlein (Dr. Eugene Harper) led the cast, performing an adaptation that retained the original’s structure while revising dialogue and setting for Western audiences.

Critics noted the show’s psychological ambition and minimalist design — with Kyu Shin’s asymmetrical white set and Byung-Chul Lee’s stark lighting — though opinions were divided on its English lyrics and tonal translation. TheaterScene.net described it as “overwrought but visually striking,” highlighting Bardier’s physical intensity and Kommor’s haunting presence.

3. Synopsis

A knock is heard at the door of Eugene Kim, a best-selling crime novelist. The visitor, Matt Sinclair, seeks work as an assistant writer. During their conversation, Eugene reveals a suicide note written by a serial killer and challenges Matt to turn it into a story.

As they talk, Matt begins to unravel the truth about “The Ophelia Killer” — a murderer who re-enacted the drowning of Shakespeare’s tragic heroine. Gradually, the line between interviewer and subject collapses, revealing buried guilt, dual identity, and the question of who truly committed the crime.

4. Significance

Interview became the first Korean musical fully adapted for Off-Broadway presentation. While reception was mixed, the production demonstrated the feasibility of cross-cultural adaptation beyond large-scale spectacles, paving the way for later works such as Maybe Happy Ending and You & It to enter English-language development.