Crayon Pop's Choa Makes Musical Debut with Princess Role

ChoA, a member of the girl band Crayon Pop, made her stage debut on Sunday in the lead role of the musical "Last Princess" -- a part she won not due to her fame as a pop idol, but through an audition process involving hundreds of hopefuls.

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Performing on stage fulfills a long-cherished dream, said ChoA, who has enjoyed singing and dancing since she was a young girl. In high school, she discovered the film version of the musical "Hairspray", and as she watched the performers acting, singing and dancing, she knew that this was what she wanted to do in life.

One day during a math class it occurred to her, "Why do I need to learn these strange formulas and signs?" Soon after, she dropped out of school to pursue her dream of a career as a performer in musicals.

In 2009, ChoA was admitted to the acting department at the Seoul Institute of the Arts. However, financial difficulties forced her to take a leave of absence, during which she worked as a model for young adults' clothing. In 2011, she got her first break, joining the girl band Hurricane Pop -- the predecessor of Crayon Pop.

In the historical musical, ChoA portrays the unhappy life of the real-life Princess Deokhye -- a challenging change of pace for a member of a K-pop band known for its energetic performances.

"I wanted to show that I'm serious about it, because I want to keep pursuing a musical career", she said.

Meanwhile, in June, ChoA's twin sister and bandmate Wei will also take to the stage, performing in the musical "Singin' in the Rain".