[Photo Credit to Unsplash]

On May 16th, 2024, at the 77th Tony Awards held at Lincoln Center in New York, USA, Korean-American stage costume designer Linda Cho won the award for Costume Design as part of the musical The Great Gatsby, which signals significant strides in the global expansion of Korean musicals.

The Tony Awards, which have been ongoing since 1947, is the largest global musical award ceremony.

Actors who win an award at this event often quickly rise to stardom, landing leading roles, while productions that win the Best Musical award garner global attention and often see their licensing rights sold worldwide.

Still, it is important to note that this is not the first time a Korean has taken the spotlight at such a prestigious ceremony.

In 2015, Korean-American actress Ruthie Ann Miles won the award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

This year however, Linda Cho’s recent win holds a special place because it was earned through the musical The Great Gatsby, a masterpiece produced by Korea's OD Company, showcasing the growing influence of Korean artists in the international musical scene.

The OD Company is a leading musical production company in Korea.

This company is best known for the musical Jekyll & Hyde, featuring the song "This is the Moment," as well as hits like Man of La Mancha, which starred renowned actors such as Cho Seung-woo and Hwang Jung-min.

Despite these hits, OD Company has repeatedly failed to succeed on Broadway.

CEO Shin Chun-soo pursued his dream of winning a Tony Award by bringing musicals like Doctor Zhivago and Chaplin to Broadway but faced continuous setbacks due to lack of ticket sales.

The Great Gatsby was different.

The musical, which opened just last year, featured not only stunning costumes and sets but also Broadway star actors such as Jeremy Jordan, known for Newsies, and Eva Noblezada, known for Hadestown.

Additionally, Jason Howland, a Grammy-winning composer known for Little Women, was brought on board.

Despite past challenges, The Great Gatsby emerged as a shining example of the success of Korean musicals.

Currently ranking 7th in ticket sales among the 79 shows running on Broadway, it has surpassed well-established fan favorites such as Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in less than a year, a feat that speaks volumes about the quality and appeal of Korean musicals in a global market.

The Great Gatsby has been praised for its beautiful music, excellent storyline, and solid acting, with its costumes receiving the most acclaim.

Linda Cho designed over 350 costumes for the lead female character alone, all of which was noted for their unprecedented vibrant colors and uniqueness.

The costumes have been described as unlike any seen before on Broadway and are expected to be remembered and talked about for a long time, even after the show closes its curtain.

Clearly, through the success of this musical, it is clear that the globalization of Korean musicals is gradually progressing.

The most significant achievement is undoubtedly the award for Linda Cho and The Great Gatsby, but additionally, at this year’s Tony Awards, another Korean, Hana Kim, won the award for Lighting Design for the musical Outsider and the original Korean musical Marie Curie is on the brink of debuting in London’s West End.