KPOP Broadway? Workshop happening in November

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

There was a conversation a few days ago about KPOP possibly coming to Circle in the Square this spring, but now I can't find it. However...now there's a casting notice for a Developmental Workshop this fall:

KPOP
Call Type: ECC

CONTRACT 
Development Agreement 
Tier 3; $1250/week 

PERSONNEL 
BOOK BY: JASON KIM
MUSIC + LYRICS BY: HELEN PARK + MAX VERNON
DIRECTED BY: TEDDY BERGMAN 
CHOREOGRAPHER: JENNIFER WEBER 
MUSIC DIRECTOR: SUJIN KIM-RAMSEY 
PRODUCERS: TIM FORBES AND JOEY PARNES PRODUCTIONS 
Casting: Tara Rubin Casting, Claire Burke, CSA 


Dates: 11/25/19 – 12/22/19 

[JBroadway]

The conversation was in this thread:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?page=5&thread=1116327&dt=108

I said it in that thread already, but I'll say it again here: 

I'm happy to see this show have a future life, but if they want to do this show in a regular theatre setting, they will have to basically go back to the drawing board and completely re-conceive the show. They will have to change it to the point where it will essentially be a different piece of theatre.

[Tag]

^Hence the developmental workshop. 

[JBroadway]

Tag said: "^Hence the developmental workshop."

 

Sure. But I think it's worth making note that this wouldn't just be your average "let's make some adjustments" kind of workshop. It would have to be much more extreme than that (if, in fact, they are trying to do it in a conventional theatre setting - which hasn't been confirmed). 

[SouthernCakes]

Look how many times Hadestown has changed. It can be done. Or Fun Home which has literally been different every major production. 

[VotePeron]

Ive heard since the day it closed at Ars that the team is dedicated to bringing the show to a commercial audience, and want to rework it to do so. I believe the goal is broadway, but who knows. It sure ain’t dead though.

[JBroadway]

SouthernCakes said: "Look how many times Hadestown has changed. It can be done. Or Fun Home which has literally been different every major production."

 

You're right, it can be done! But it won't be like Hadestown, Fun Home, Great Comet, The Jungle, etc. Those shows just had to be re-staged. It's not just the staging that's the issue here. It's that the show is conceived, written, and structured to be an interactive show, with the audience split up and moving around. It's like saying you're going to bring Sleep No More to Broadway. You can take the content and concept of Sleep No More and use it as a basis for a Broadway show, but it wouldn't be the same show that's been playing downtown all these years. 

I don't know why I feel compelled to keep pressing this point. I guess I'm still just wrapping my head around it myself. If this does get adapted into a traditional Broadway show, it will be the biggest Pre-Broadway-to-Broadway transformation that I've ever seen or heard of. 

[singer234]

Who says they’re not planning on totally redesigning the space in the Square and constructing separate rooms throughout?They could be working to try to use all the other space available to that building as well. Sure there’s a million union/theatre owners/theatre school hurdles to jump, but anything can happen. Even the lobby could be a separate room. There’s 1000 ways to make it work.

[SouthernCakes]

I mean, true, but it’s easy to move around 40 people but 600? I doubt that’s the goal. But maybe a more interactive straight forward story. I could see them eliminating the multiple rooms and just doing the same story but straightforward. But not sure how compelling that would be.

[BJR]

The plan is indeed Bway and Circle, hopefully after OK!

You can't really turn a profit Off-Bway anymore. It costs almost as much at Bway but with far less exposure. So, if there's to be a future life, you need to get to Bway.

[SouthernCakes]

I think it’s such an exciting idea & a total wrench in the season.

[jbird5]

I don’t know that it would be that hard to do. They already have the musical numbers. The immersive stuff was fun but isn’t essential.