Kang-hyun Park

Kang-hyun Park (Korean: 박강현) is a South Korean musical theater actor, crossover artist, singer, and TV drama actor. He debuted in 2015 with the Korean original musical Liar Time,  and has since played leading roles in various musicals in South Korea. He gained prominence by appearing on the JTBC audition program Phantom Singer Season 2 in 2017, where he reached the finals, and was part of the runner-up team Miraclass.  Park made his TV drama debut in 2023 with Heartbeat on KBS2,  and released the single album "Magic" produced by Pdogg, the main producer of BTS.

Biography
Kang-hyun Park, born on December 27, 1989, with a recognized birth date of February 27, 1990, attended Deokwon High School. He later graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

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

Subsequent work and awards
After his initial recognition, Kang-hyun Park continued to expand his repertoire in both original Korean and replica musical productions, receiving several prestigious awards. In 2017, he performed as Young Age Myung Woo in Gwanghwamun Love Song (Korean: 광화문 연가),  an original Korean musical. This was followed by his role as Charlie in Kinky Boots in 2018.  Park's 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.  This performance earned him the 7th Yegreen Musical Awards for Best New Actor. In 2019, he continued to impress with his portrayal of Luigi Lucheni in Elisabeth,  which earned him the 13th DIMF Awards for Newcomer of the Year. Additionally, his roles in Xcalibur and Marie Antoinette earned him the SACA Best Musical Actor award for Best Male Supporting Actor. His roles as Lancelot in Xcalibur  and Axel von Fersen in Marie Antoinette in 2019  further solidified his standing in the industry. He was awarded the 4th Korea Musical Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Xcalibur.

Recent works
Kang-hyun Park has continued to thrive in recent years, taking on challenging and diverse roles. 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.  In 2021, he performed as Anatole Kuragin in Korean replica production of ''Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. ''

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

Park starred as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen from March to July 2024,  and is playing Orpheus in Hadestown at the Charlotte Theater from July to October, 2024.  His nomination for Best Actor for Memphis at the 8th Korea Musical Awards in 2024 highlights his continued dedication to his craft.

Critiques on vocal and acting abilities
Kang-hyun Park has received acclaim for his "overwhelming vocal ability and clear enunciation" and "solid and unwavering vocal strength." His high notes are particularly noted for their comfort and steadiness. His nickname "the Simmons," inspired by the Simmons Bedding Company's slogan "unwavering comfort" used in the Korean market, highlights his ability to perform challenging musical numbers with ease, especially in higher registers. Park is regarded as a promising talent in the Korean musical theater scene, recognized for his wide vocal range and versatility, including operatic tones. Shin Youngsook praised his vocal skills, stating, "I love Kang-hyun Park's voice. He is destined to become a big star, and I am a fan watching him grow. His voice is characterized by comfort, clarity, and energy, which are his greatest strengths."

Kang-hyun Park has also been recognized for his "excellent character interpretation," "displaying inner purity" and "an ability to convey the innocence of his characters in a beautiful way, becoming the character itself." In his role as Huey in Memphis, he depicted a "confident yet somewhat immature young man, showcasing a charming character with wit and vivacity." In Dear Evan Hansen, he received commendation for portraying a "fragile and anxious" character, "demonstrating perfect control over both chest and head voice, and effectively transforming into Evan Hansen with a nervous gaze and a hunched posture."

Since his debut in 2015, Park has consistently performed in one to four musical productions annually. He has achieved substantial growth, earning the Best New Actor award in 2017 and the Best Actor award in 2022. By 2024, he is recognized as a prominent and influential figure in the musical theater industry in South Korea, with strong ticket-selling power.

Below is a list of his musical performances in South Korea.

Play
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.

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

Phantom Singer
Phantom Singer is a South Korean audition program aired on JTBC, aimed at forming a male crossover vocal quartet. Seasons 1 through 4 aired from 2016 to 2023. During the COVID-19 quarantine period, a special edition titled Phantom Singer All Stars was broadcast online.

Phantom Singer 2 (2017)
Rookie musical actor Kang-hyun Park sang "She Was There" from the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel as his first audition song in Phantom Singer 2, achieving the highest viewership rating per minute during this performance. His duet with Lee Choong Joo, "As Flowers Bloom and Fall (Korean: 꽃이 피고 지듯이)," ranked first in the entire duet competition. Although he struggled in the trio and quartet team missions, he made it to the finals as one of the top 12 contestants. 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. Unlike teams like Forestella or Edel Reinklang, Park's final quartet included the members who sang together for the first time. The team name Miraclass was suggested by member Phillip Jeong, combining 'Miracle' and 'Class,' symbolizing 'miraculous harmony' and 'miraculous reinterpretation of classical music.' Miraclass finished as the runner-up among the three final teams.

Phantom Singer All Stars (2021)
Formed just before the final stage of Phantom Singer 2, Miraclass had only performed four final songs. Phantom Singer All Stars, which aired during the COVID-19 period when all offline performances were canceled, provided another opportunity for Miraclass. This special season featured all nine finalist teams from seasons 1, 2, and 3. Miraclass won MVP in the first mission among the nine teams, and performed a variety of songs in different rounds, including team challenges, solo performances, season battles, genre battles, and the ultimate auditory pleasure contest (Korean: 귀호강 끝판왕전), achieving multiple victories and showcasing their talent.

Phantom Singer 4 (2023)
Six years after competing as a contestant in Phantom Singer 2, Kang-hyun Park returned as a producer for Phantom Singer 4. 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. Kang-hyun Park is the first producer who previously participated as a contestant. He provided practical and valuable feedback on contestants' psychological states, microphone techniques, and team harmony.

Miraclass
Main article: Miraclass

The crossover group Miraclass consists of Julian Jootaek Kim, Phillip Jeong, Kang-hyun Park, and Tain Han. Since forming the team on September 26, 2017, Miraclass has been active in releasing music and performing. They released their album Romantica in 2018, and have actively participated in concerts related to Phantom Singer. Additionally, Miraclass has held numerous performances of their own. In 2021, they launched their own YouTube channel, "Just Ten Minute," to interact with fans. Miraclass is known for the distinct musical inclinations of each member, which blend to create the unique color of the team. The producer, Mexicomini52, has creatively developed content that showcases the team’s cohesion and the members' camaraderie. As of June 2024, their YouTube channel is in its fifth season.

TV and media
For his activities as a member of Miraclass, see Miraclass

He appeared as a contestant on Phantom Singer 2,  and later returned as a producer on Phantom Singer 4. Kang-hyun Park starred in a leading role as Sin Do-Sik in the KBS2 TV drama Heartbeat (Korean: 가슴이 뛴다) in 2023.  He occasionally performs musical numbers on TV by himself,  and crossover music as a member of Miraclass.

Concerts
For his activities as a member of Miraclass, see Miraclass

Park performs in concerts with fellow musical actors, singing musical numbers. He also performs crossover music, which encompasses musical numbers, Italian canzones, Korean lyrical songs, pop, and rock music, both as a member of Miraclass,  and with other artists. In 2019, he held his own solo concert titled "MElody in Blue."

The following is a curated selection of his concerts.

Discography
Park has compilation albums of live performances from musicals, and the TV program Phantom Singer 2. His singles include the original soundtrack of his TV drama Heartbeat, and a project album by M SOUND CLOUD Project with producers including Pdogg. Due to his prolific musical work, Park has numerous music videos featuring key musical numbers from the stage musicals in which he has performed.

Awards and recognition
Kang-hyun Park received the Best New Actor award at the SACA Best Musical Actor Awards in 2017 for his performances in In the Heights, Evil Dead, and Chilseo. In 2018, he won the Best New Actor award at the Yegreen Musical Awards for his role as Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs. In 2019, he portrayed Lancelot in Xcalibur, earning the Best Supporting Actor award at the SACA Best Musical Actor Awards and the Korean Musical Awards in 2020. His performance as Orpheus in Hadestown in 2022 garnered him the Best Actor award at the 6th Korean Musical Awards, and the Star of the Year award at the 16th DIMF Awards. In 2024, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the Korean Musical Awards for his role as Huey Calhoun in Memphis.