Harvard Student Riew Creates Korean Princess Story
Korean-American Julia Riew is no stranger to musical composition. To date, the 22-year-old Harvard student hailing originally from St. Louis Missouri has composed seven musicals. Still, her most recent compliation appears to be catching the most attention. With no Korean princess yet in the Disney arsenal, Riew recently set out to create one.
@juliariew There was no Korean Disney princess so I decided to make my own 🙂 #disney #korean #koreanamerican #disneyprincess #musical #originalsong #originalmusical #musicaltheatre #theater #music #newsong #dreamworks ♬ original sound – Julia Riew
“There was no Korean Disney princess so I decided to make my own,” Riew writes in a video shared in early January on TikTok. In the video, the songwriter gives two thumbs up before snapping her fingers to transform into an animated version of herself in the short preview of “Dive,” a song featured in her latest musical, “Shimcheong: A Folktale.”
@juliariewBonus fact: I almost gave up on this story at least three times before I was finally able to finish my current draft on December 31st, 2021, at 11:30PM…it’s been my most challenging and most rewarding project yet and I’m so excited for y’all to see it! 🥰🇰🇷🇺🇸
“Don’t forget to close your eyes and hold your breath. Now … ready … set … Dive!” the song whimsically says. Since the first video, Riew continues to share glimpses of this new one-act story, the basis of her senior thesis this year. With almost a million views on TikTok, the first song shared from Riew’s new work certainly continues to gather attention. Since the original post, fans embraced the piece, sharing art and even asking for a karoake track release.
@juliariew Can someone with an actual villain voice please sing this?!!! #disney #shimcheong #korean #korea #disneyvillain #disneyprincess #musicaltheater #originalmusic ♬ original sound – Julia Riew
More recently, Riew shared sneak peaks of the villain character in her story as well as glimpses at the Prince’s role and a first look at another song that will fuel the narrative. According to a CNN article, the story finds inspiration in the Korean folktale, “The Blind Man’s Daughter,” the tale of a daughter who gives up everything for her father, who is blind.
Image Credit: @juliariew/TikTok
“The one-act musical tells the story of a brave young woman named Shimcheong who falls into the depths of the ocean while trying to save her father. She enters the magical Dragon Kingdom with seemingly no way out. Ten years later, she plots an escape, risking it all to find her way home. It’s not until the end of the story that the strong-willed Shimcheong earns the title of princess, and like any good fairytale, this one is filled with adventure, a prince and a villainous Dragon Queen,” the CNN article states.
Image Credit: Ramona Park
After starting school as a pre-med major, Riew switched to a musical theatre major her sophomore year. Already garnering incredible success with her compositions, Riew now finds herself receiving calls from filmmakers and producers “interested in bringing the story to bigger audiences,” according to the CNN article. Perhaps, Disney may also pick up the phone in the near future!
Feature Image Credit: @juliariew/TikTok
