“WHAT IF you were to live as someone else?” This is a question everyone has pondered at least once. The musical What If begins the show by addressing this possibility. The tendency to imagine life as someone else is often prompted by dissatisfaction with one's own life and envy of the other’s seemingly luxurious life. In the musical, the protagonist Ko Ju-myeong gets to experience the lives of other people whom she envies. The illustration of her unique and mysterious experience underlines the fact that everyone faces their own struggles unbeknownst to others and that the meaning of life and possibility of finding happiness is up to how one perceives their own life.

The sources of modern-day struggles

   Although not always explicitly seen on the surface, people in modern society are always dealing with their own struggles and hardships, which What If realistically portrays the various shapes and forms of. The way each character handles their difficulties resembles the real world in the sense that people often act against their fear and hide their weaknesses.

   The protagonist of the musical, Ko, is tired of repetitive everyday life and loses motivation and passion for her work. She fears standing up for herself in interactions with others so much that she compares her workplace to a battlefield in her song. Her solo number in the dark under the dim light visually represents her lonely position of having to fight through the darkness on her own. This leads her to lock herself within a very limited comfort zone of her inner world; avoidance serves as a defense mechanism in response to her fear of getting hurt. By doing so, she intends to control her unconscious and prevent her feelings of fear. 

   Shin Mi-so, a colleague of Ko, is depicted as an antagonist who intercepts Ko’s opportunities and treats her with inhospitality. Despite that, in Ko’s eyes, Shin is the subject of envy who is always nicely dressed in luxurious brands, is loved by everyone thanks to her pretty smile, and receives plenty of attention. However, after discovering Shin’s reality in which she lives in a go-shi-won[1] with her sister and is financially unstable, Ko rectifies her wrong preconceptions and learns that each person faces their own difficulties, which may not always be visible.

   Shin perceives her financial struggle as her weakness and tries to cope by veiling it and sprucing up her physical appearance with designer items. Such characterization of Shin reflects the social phenomenon of conspicuous consumption, currently trending among the younger generation.  “Save face culture” has been prevalent since the Joseon era, but with the rapid growth of social media platforms, it has emerged as a new form of conspicuous consumption—the practice of purchasing luxury goods for the mere purpose of displaying wealth to earn and maintain social reputation. By presenting the society that excessively focuses on one’s outer appearance, the musical addresses the absurdity of such vanity and emphasizes the need to embrace the true inner self. 

Stepping out of the comfort zone

   The process of change or development in oneself requires the expansion of one’s comfort zone. The comfort zone is the scope of area where a person psychologically feels safe, and within it, feels everything is in their control and can work without pressure. Stepping out of the comfort zone may be unappealing as new experiences cause stress and anxiety[2]. However, constantly exposing oneself to various, new environments accumulates a wide range of skills, leading one to expand the comfort zone.

   Initially, Ko limits her comfort zone by keeping things to herself and refusing to open up, thus avoiding feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Yu-shin, a close friend and colleague of Ko, helps her to step out of her comfort zone with his encouraging words. He reminds her about her infinite value that is overshadowed by the sense of discomfort she feels every day. Ko also gets the fortunate opportunity to experience the lives of five people whom she admires and envies. Although all her wishes start with hopes of getting along with Cha, her crush at work, she learns more valuable life lessons through experiencing the lives of other people. Everyone faces difficulties in their own way—even Cha, who is an allusion to Cha Eun-woo, a Korean celebrity who is popular for his looks—and the chances of overcoming them depends on their attitude. She realizes that changes can only be made when she is willing to step out of her comfort zone. 

   As she gains the confidence to accept herself and reveal herself to the world, she starts to voice her thoughts, which marks the first step towards progress. The change in her outfit—in which she starts dressing in brighter colors—is another feature that visually indicates the development of her inner confidence. The growth of Ko highlights the importance of facing oneself and shows that genuine self-acceptance should come first to acquire confidence. It also motivates those who prefer to hide in their comfort zones to challenge themselves and confront their fears by convincing them that it is worthwhile. 

Journey to new discovery

   Human beings have always been eager to explore and discover who they truly are. Reflecting such human desire, the musical portrays Ko’s journey of self-discovery, which is guided by Yu-shin. Not only does he emotionally support her throughout the process, but his magical ability to grant wishes lays the foundation of her journey. As this superpower was passed down to him through generations, he acts as the genie from Aladdin, with the overall plot of the musical also resembling the Disney film. In both stories, the protagonists make wishes to turn into a person they admire to get closer to their crush, but soon realize the greater values within themselves. The musical delivers the message that we need to be true to ourselves and not conform to what others perceive us to be, as the protagonists learn these lessons through the medium of the “genie.” 

   At first glance, the musical may simply seem to be dealing with the romantic comedy genre. However, it conveys a meaningful message beyond the simple entertainment; it pictures an individual’s journey to discover her true value. It highlights the importance of authentic inner beauty underlying people, rather than external beauty that fades away. As Ko comes to this realization, she is no longer interested in gaining her crush’s heart to prove her value. The performance ends with a bright, upbeat number implying a happy ending. This breaks the stereotype that a happy ending follows the protagonist’s love becoming true; Ko does not seek happiness through her crush, but chooses to do so within herself, putting greater emphasis on self-love.

Period: 2023.05.19-2023.12.31

Hours: Wednesday to Friday 19:30, Saturday to Sunday 14:00, 17:00

Runtime: 100 minutes

Ticket fee: Ranges between ₩17,500 and ₩50,000

Location: 12 Daehak-ro 10, Jongno-gu, Seoul

[1] Go-shi-won: A small single-room apartment building

[2] iTransform