Where K-pop royalty meets blossoming Broadway theatrics, you get the K-pop experience of a lifetime - that’s what KPOP The Musical on Broadway felt like. After our trip to the Circle in the Square Theatre for a preview showing of the musical, we can confidently conclude that the show is a “must-experience” for all, whether you’re a K-pop diehard fan or a newbie to the scene. Expect any expectation that you have for the show to be exceeded.
Our favorite parts of K-pop are the impeccable performances, the brightly-colored and eclectic outfits, and the shining smiles of all the idols. As a fan of idol survival shows in particular, the storyline of watching an idol grow as an artist and work towards their dreams can bring tears to my eyes, instantly. KPOP The Musical on Broadway scratches all of those itches, and takes a step further with its incredible cast! (We’re still thinking about Tiny’s vocals, as played by SPICA’s Bohyung!)
The show immersed us in the K-pop industry, taking us behind-the-scenes of the fictional entertainment label RBY, pronounced “Ruby.” The label houses successful K-pop star MwE, played by f(x)’s Luna, as she prepares for a New York show that will serve as the debut for girl group RTMIS (pronouned “Artemis”) and boy group F8 (pronounced “fate”). Unfortunately, the show preparation can’t be as perfect as the label’s ability to select witty group names - the musical brought us along as the idols try their hardest to succeed.
What we expected: a story of idols striving to achieve their dreams of stardom, suffering through long hours of practice, and putting on a fun show with K-pop vibes. KPOP The Musical on Broadway met those expectations, and then promptly soared past them with the amount of narrative depth that writer Jason Kim was able to accomplish! Each RBY artist’s struggles, from the weight of a label’s expectations on your shoulders to the diaspora narrative of feeling “too American” for your Korean peers and “too Asian” for America, felt unique and heavy. These heavier storylines were balanced with perfectly timed quips and jokes, too.
The most striking part of the musical was the amount of immersion: the theatre’s visuals, right from the start, brought us into the set of a production studio and set the tone for a show within a show. Seeing the musical through the work of Harry, the show’s American director character played by Aubie Merrylees, gave the musical a witty and self-referential vibe that I can only describe as pure genius.
The darker melodrama of the musical is framed as Harry wanting to dig deeper into the underbelly of the K-pop world, going against the wishes of artists trained to only show their smiling faces and none of the difficulties. This East-meets-West clash lets us, the Broadway audience, get a curated behind-the-scenes look at the South Korean entertainment industry: the good, the bad, and the inspirational, all of it.
If there’s anything South Korean artists can do perfectly, it’s put on a show! The musical culminates in the New York debut show that each RBY artist was working towards - and the result had me incapable of doing anything but cheering, clapping, and dancing along to the success of MwE, RTMIS, and F8.
Our TL;DR? KPOP The Musical had all of our favorite parts of K-pop, immersed us behind-the-scenes of the industry, and intertwined angst-filled narrative with impeccable performance. It’s a must-experience, because it’s more than just a must-see! (Plus, you should never pass up the chance to see household names in K-Pop like f(x)’s Luna and Kevin Woo live in a brand-new stage.)
Make sure to experience the show yourself, live now at the Circle in the Square Theatre!
Get your tickets here.
