KPOP - 2022 Broadway History , Info & More
Circle in the Square (Broadway)
1633 Broadway at 50th St. New York, NY
Claim your backstage pass and dive inside the high-stakes world of K-pop with this exhilarating new Broadway-bound musical. As global superstars put everything on the line for a special one-night-only concert, one singer's inner struggle threatens to dismantle one of the hottest labels in K-pop. Pulsing with infectious beats, electrifying choreography, and breathtaking joy, KPOP, the Broadway Musical, is an all-consuming multimedia experience that explores the relentless discipline, raw talent, and commercial ambition behind the heart-thumping international phenomenon.
KPOP - 2022 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR KPOP
KPOP
5 / 10
And while Circle in the Square proves to be an excellent space for the show’s mostly concert-like format – indeed, the last 15 minutes of the show is nothing but a concert – “KPOP” would have benefitted by being in a space that allowed the audience to get up, dance or otherwise feel more involved in the onstage goings-on. Indeed, director Teddy Bergman too often places the numbers towards the back of the thrust stage, which seems doubly foolish given the natural intimacy of the theater. Still, the exuberance of that final section will leave almost everyone to wonder why the show needed a book, and not just a quick set-up. Moreover, if it had to have a book, couldn’t one have been created that was less hackneyed, dull and even preposterous than the one penned by Jason Kim?
If the Refreshing ‘KPOP’ is the Future of Broadway, Consider Me a Stan
10 / 10
nifer Weber’s formula-based though clever pop-and-bop choreography―with a stylistic assist from assistant choreographer MJ Choi―is as fun and catchy as anything Britney Spears ever performed. Likewise, Helen Park’s and Max Vernon’s evocative score is full of bangers that also comment on the action―much like John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Cabaret. And Jiyoun Chang’s lighting, Mia M. and Neal’s hair and wigs, Joe Dulude II and Suki Tsujimoto, and Peter Fitzgerald and Andrew Keister’s make-up designs must be applauded for converting the show into an actual pop concert. But hats off to director Teddy Bergman for doing the impossible―modulating each show-stopping element so that Kim’s wonderful, multilingual book never loses focus. Though KPOP feels fresh, there is a precedent for what it has accomplished. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II essentially laid out the blueprint when they revolutionized musical theatre in 1927 with Show Boat―another backstage drama and the first Broadway musical to seamlessly integrate dialogue, music, and dance in the service of plot. Almost one century later, it is a pleasure to see this glorious cast of Pan-Asian performers reclaim and elevate the form. If this is the future of Broadway, please consider me a rabid and reinvigorated stan.
Category
KPOP History
Other Productions of KPOP
| 2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
KPOP - 2022 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Jennifer Weber |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical | Clint Ramos |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Jennifer Weber |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Clint Ramos |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Helen Park |
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