In the Broadway musical “KPOP,” “waves of noise and excitement whirl around the theatre’s curved architecture, and a staggered observer can feel like an accelerated particle, carried along by forces beyond her comprehension,” helen_e_shaw writes.
The musical “KPOP” showcases a variety of modern music—emo meditations, house-inflected bangers, rap arias that transition quickly into dance music and reggaetón—but the through line is a certain audience-courting intensity. Of course it is: South Korean stars are known for manufacturing well-polished public personae and cultivating fervent fan communities.
This is tried-and-true material: it’s a little bit “Dreamgirls,” a little bit “Gypsy,” a little bit “MJ the Musical” , a little bit “Jersey Boys.” As sturdy as these supports are, though, “KPOP” frequently loses its footing. Despite some clever integrating of Korean and English text—even the program is bilingual—a lot of “KPOP” goes clunk. Line by line, some dramatic scenes feel like temp tracks that will get the real dialogue later, and the English song lyrics can sound like deliberate spoofs.
If you saw the Off Broadway version in 2017, produced by Ars Nova with Ma-Yi Theatre Company and Woodshed Collective, it’s hard not to miss its inventiveness and heart. I was an unabashed fan and have followed news of the show since. Five years ago, “KPOP” submerged you in the process of becoming a Korean pop star: audience members wandered around a hit-making factory , eavesdropping on a plastic-surgery consultation, a gruelling dance class, a P.R. session.
That entire innovative structure is gone. Half a decade is a generation in media terms, and, since 2017, Korean talent has revolutionized nearly every facet of global popular culture. It’s only natural, then, that Kim, Park, and Vernon’s project has pivoted from audience-needling to a more booster-ish attitude. They have added a ton of songs, many of which are strong enough to stand alone.
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