[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] A musical themed around the globally popular K-POP is set to premiere this fall on Broadway in New York, USA. Luna, a former member of the popular idol group f(x) and an established musical actress, has been cast in a leading role.
Producers Tim Forbes and Joy Phouns, along with the Musical Kpop production team, held a press conference on the 30th (local time) at the New York Korean Cultural Center and announced that the first performance will take place this fall at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway. The preview will begin on October 13, with the official opening on November 20.
Musical Kpop was first introduced in September 2017 in Off-Broadway, primarily in small theaters. At that time, it sold out all seats, extended its run, and swept major awards, earning acclaim as a representative work of Off-Broadway.
The story revolves around a fictional Korean agency, JTM Entertainment, producing a female idol group, a boy band, and a famous solo female singer for launching into the American market. It features not only Korea’s idol training system but also incorporates various social issues such as racial discrimination, xenophobia, and the commodification of humans in American society.
This fall’s production will mark Luna’s Broadway debut as the solo female singer character MwE. Luna, who has received praise for her performances in numerous musicals such as Geumbalinneomhae, Mamma Mia, and In the Heights in Korea, said at the press conference, “It is a tremendous honor to be able to perform on Broadway, which can be considered the pinnacle of musicals.” She added, “I want to show the life of immigrants living in a foreign land searching for their identity, as well as the hidden sides of stars behind the glamorous stage.”
Jason Kim, a playwright from Korea currently active in New York, wrote the script, while composers Helen Park and Max Vernon handled the music and lyrics. Helen Park, who is of Korean descent, told reporters, “Since K-pop’s genres are so diverse and its spectrum so wide, I felt a lot of pressure about whether this one stage would be seen as defining what K-pop is or isn’t.” She explained, “But we worked hard to convey the charm of K-pop.” In particular, she emphasized to the audience that this work is “a fusion of K-pop and Broadway.”
Producers Tim Forbes and Joy Phouns stated in a press release, “The combination of the vibrant and exciting world of K-pop entertainment and the powerful storytelling of Broadway musicals was the driving force behind the production of the musical ‘Kpop.’” They added, “We will bring to the stage something no one has ever seen before, including the passion of the K-pop world and its catchy songs.” The rest of the cast, aside from Luna, will be announced soon.
The press conference held at the New York Korean Cultural Center at the request of the production team drew intense interest from major foreign media outlets including NBC and AP News, as well as Korean media. Jo Yoonjeung, director of the New York Korean Cultural Center, said in her welcoming remarks, “K-pop has now become a great cultural ambassador for Korea,” and added, “We are very proud and delighted to be able to bring an important and popular part of Korean culture to Broadway.”
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