Musical Actor Choi Jae-rim Withdraws from Chicago Due to Health Issues

Musical actor 최재림 (Choi Jae-rim) will not be performing in the upcoming 부산 (Busan) shows of Chicago due to health concerns. On December 21, the production team announced via their official social media that Choi's role as Billy Flynn will be taken over by 박건형 (Park Gun-hyung) for the performances scheduled on December 22 at 2 PM and 6:30 PM.

The production company expressed their wishes for Choi's swift recovery and apologized for any inconvenience caused by the sudden casting change. They also stated that ticket cancellations and refunds due to the casting change would be processed without any fees.

Choi's health issues were first noted during the performance of 시라노 (Cyrano) on December 20, where he struggled with high notes and his voice cracked during regular dialogue. As a precaution, the production team decided to cancel the second act and offered a 110% refund to ticket holders.

Following this, Choi was also unable to participate in the 성남 (Seongnam) performances of 킹키부츠 (Kinky Boots) scheduled for December 21, leading to further casting adjustments.

Currently, Choi is involved in the regional performances of Chicago, Kinky Boots, and Cyrano, and he is set to join the cast of 지킬 앤 하이드 (Jekyll and Hyde) starting in March next year.