KPOP review: Broadway's newest musical has Seoul, but not enough heart
It's been a decade since Psy skipped, hopped, and jovially swung his hips in the high-octane and delightfully absurd music video for his single "Gangnam Style" and shone a spotlight, for some, on K-Pop for the very first time. Its global popularity has, of course, grown exponentially since then, spearheaded by pristine, pitch-perfect artists like Blackpink, BTS, BIGBANG, Girls' Generation, NCT 127, TWICE, and more that break streaming records, vie for awards consideration, and scale the Billboard charts with ease. Now, the Hallyu Wave has officially crashed onto Broadway in KPOP, a vivacious new musical opening this week at The Circle in the Square Theater.
Created by Jason Kim (who also serves as book writer) and Woodshed Collective, KPOP attempts to capture the blood, sweat, and tears behind the cultural phenomenon by inviting audiences to attend the fictional South Korean music label RBY Entertainment's first U.S. showcase. On the eve of the concert, however, everything falls apart when the company's long-reigning star MwE (played by Luna, a member of real-life K-Pop group f(x)) experiences a crisis of confidence during rehearsals.
Matthew Murphy/ Evan Zimmerman The cast of 'KPOP'
The fallout — all documented by villainous videographer Harry (Aubie Merrylees) — extends far past MwE's sudden stage fright. The members of boy group F8, helmed by its brusque leader Jun Hyuk (K-Pop soloist Kevin Woo), are all at odds with new member Brad (Zachary Noah Piser): a biracial vocalist from Connecticut who "skipped the line" and joined with the group even though he can't speak Korean fluently. Meanwhile, five-membered girl group RTMIS, who are set to make their debut at the concert, suddenly find their careers in jeopardy when cutthroat CEO Ruby (Jully Lee) threatens to cancel the entire event if MwE does not perform.
Despite having such rich territory to explore, KPOP (directed by Teddy Bergman) refrains from inspecting any of the complex issues that it presents with any real depth. Characters often make fleeting comments about not eating, sleeping, or seeing their families in over three years, yet they are almost instantly swept under the rug in favor of another song and dance. Piser's plucky Brad, for example, has his ethnicity completely negated by his group members, yet his solo — the soulfully sung "Halfway" — describes a romantic relationship rather than the culture shock or homesickness that, ostensibly, an isolated teen living nearly 7,000 miles away from home (likely without a cellphone) would feel.
Matthew Murphy/ Evan Zimmerman Luna as MwE in 'KPOP'
As veteran K-Pop idol MwE, Luna not only dazzles with her ethereal vocals, but also brings authenticity to her character's search for personal agency and creative freedom within the regimented industry with which she is well acquainted. MwE's contentious relationship with her mother-like figure Ruby — who has invested everything to painstakingly mold her into a star — is undoubtedly the most interesting dynamic within the show, flitting at times between heartfelt, celebratory, and downright cruel. Still, the musical's breakneck pace leaves their storyline in the dust — even with its two hour and 10 minute runtime — and audiences with more questions about the pair's futures than when it started.
Instead, and perhaps a bit unsurprisingly, KPOP really, truly shines when it comes to the music. Because K-Pop encapsulates so many different genres, writers Max Vernon and Helen Park are given free rein to dabble in a variety of musical stylings, from RTMIS' bubbly hyperpop bop "Gin & Tonic" to MwE's soaring single "Mute Bird." Each feel like an actual K-Pop title track — RTMIS' "Perfect" could be an homage to artists like Red Velvet, while F8's "Meant 2 B" might as well be SEVENTEEN's "Home" — and are flawlessly delivered by KPOP's impressive cast (most of which are making their Broadway debut), whose superb vocals never waver even while performing Jennifer Weber's most complicated choreography.
Matthew Murphy/ Evan Zimmerman Boy group F8 performs in 'KPOP'
Scenic designer Gabriel Hainer Evansohn delightfully utilizes K-Pop's use of "concepts," or overarching themes, to his advantage when it comes to artfully setting the scene for each song. For RTMIS' ultra-dramatic break-up anthem "Waste of Time," the girls hilariously dance upon a cracked phone screen as their ex spams them with messages and crying emojis. In another, they shimmer underneath cotton candy-colored lights as they sing about love in vibrant ensembles supplied by costume designers Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi. It's loud, it's fun, and it's all fantastically on brand. Interestingly, some K-Pop fans in the audience leaned even further into the experience by bringing their own lightsticks — a group's individual light up baton — with them to wave during each number, making it feel even more like an actual concert.
It seems silly to note but, much like the music, one does not need to be the biggest K-Pop fan or understand Korean in order to enjoy KPOP. Those who are familiar will find extra laughs, but any Korean dialogue can either be implicitly understood (think cursing during an argument) or another cast member will explicitly repeat the sentence again in English. Even when F8's Lex (Jiho Kang) explodes in a furious tirade, his passionate speech utilizes enough English loanwords (also known as "Konglish") that it still effectively draws laughs from the entire audience.
While the overall plot doesn't quite hit its mark, KPOP's stellar musical numbers and all-star cast are able to turn the beat around into a solid, feel-good joyride that both K-Pop and musical fans can appreciate. Grade: B-
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