Cherish Maningat fell in love with K-pop and Korean dramas while studying communication art in the Philippines. She came to Korea to study film directing, but decided to become an actress after coming across a musical in Daehangno, Korea's performing arts hub. In Korea's small theaters, where actors and audience interact closely, she felt a desire to create performances with audiences as an actress onstage. Cherish completed a two-year national tour with "Arirang Fantasy," an original musical about the conflicts between a Korean woman and her foreign daughter-in-law, and she is now waiting for a new work. The musical she was originally cast in was postponed, and the actors all went their separate ways. It's autumn of 2013, and Cherish takes her friends to Daehangno in Seoul, where her dreams all began. Daehangno is a neighborhood with approximately 150 small theaters clustered together, and over 80 live theater performances each day. She tells her friends about the musical that first inspired her to become an actress, about Naksan Park, where she goes whenever she feels down, and about the scenic Ihwa Mural Village. Then, she heads to a theater to watch the jukebox musical "Where the Wind Blows" featuring a fellow actor and friend, Park Jeong-gwon. Cherish's dreams began in Daehangno, but they blossomed in Daegu. Each year in June, Daegu hosts the International Musical Festival, and in 2012 Cherish was in the opening performance at the Daegu Opera House. Someday, she hopes to return to the opera house stage. Daegu is also where choreographer Ko Yu-jeong, a former colleague and self-proclaimed fan of Cherish, lives. In Daegu, Ko Yu-jeong takes Cherish to see the stage where she once performed, and also throws a surprise party for her with the children who had joined her for the finale at the 2012 performances. She also takes Cherish to Palgongsan, where wishes are said to come true, and to Spa Valley for a relaxing and healing experience. Cherish Maningat's heart beats fastest when she is standing under the lights on a stage. She has lived in Korea for seven years pursuing her dreams. Today, we follow her on her journey tracing the steps of her efforts over those years.

• published: 27 Dec 2013
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