Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan transforms into "Solo Leveling" protagonist for new ice musical

South Korean figure skating stars, including Cha Jun-hwan, are stepping onto the ice not just to showcase their athletic prowess, but to embody characters from the wildly popular webtoon "Solo Leveling." The upcoming ice show, "Solo Leveling On Ice," promises a unique fusion of high-level figure skating and dramatic narrative, bringing the world of hunters and monsters to life on the rink.

Cha Jun-hwan, a national figure skating representative, will take on the lead role of Sung Jin-woo, the protagonist of "Solo Leveling." In practice sessions, he has been seen wielding daggers and swords, executing swift and beautiful movements across the ice as he battles numerous monsters. Unlike traditional ice shows that focus on individual skating programs, "Solo Leveling On Ice" emphasizes dynamic group choreography and action sequences, recreating the intense combat scenes from the webtoon.

“

I have participated in many ice galas, but most of them showed figure skaters' programs. This time, it's a stage that shows the protagonist's growth narrative like a drama, centered on the original work. I will be singing and delivering lines like a musical actor. It's truly enjoyable and fun.

The performance is based on the "Solo Leveling" webtoon, which boasts over 14.3 billion views and is hailed as a K-content phenomenon. The original story follows Sung Jin-woo, a "Level E" hunter who fights monsters to support his family, only to be chosen by a "System" to level up and become humanity's hero. The ice show adapts the first 45 chapters of the 175-chapter webtoon, focusing on Sung Jin-woo's journey from an ordinary young man to a powerful hero through trials and tribulations.

“

In last year's premiere, we emphasized the beauty of figure skating movements, but this year, we focused on dividing those parts more finely and reinforcing the choreography to match the original story. Discussing the choreography with Cha Jun-hwan allowed us to effectively capture the protagonist's character, such as his masculine strength.

This production marks Cha Jun-hwan's debut in an ice musical, a departure from his previous appearances in ice galas. "This is a stage that shows the protagonist's growth narrative like a drama, centered on the original work," Cha explained. "I will be singing and delivering lines like a musical actor. It's truly enjoyable and fun." He highlighted that the show incorporates not only difficult figure skating techniques like jumps and spins but also expresses various narrative elements through his entire body, aiming to create a performance that is on a different level from previous ice galas.

Choreography has also been a collaborative effort, with skating choreographer Kim Hae-jin noting the focus on enhancing the original story's narrative through detailed movements and Cha Jun-hwan's input on portraying the character's strength. The show will feature other skaters as well, including Kim Ye-rim as S-class hunter Cha Hae-in and Lee Si-hyung as the shadow knight Igris. The production aims to dynamically and realistically translate the globally successful webtoon, game, and animation into an ice show, combining figure skating, projection mapping, action, and media art to create an immersive experience.

“

Figure skating's speed is utilized, and we've incorporated special effects using fire, which appears frequently in the original work, along with aerial movements using wires. While there aren't many such (drama) ice shows in Korea yet, I hope this work becomes a starting point for various productions to be staged like musicals.