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| ▲ This photo, provided by Korean Cultural Center New York, shows Luna making her Broadway debut in the musical "KPOP." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
NEW YORK, Mar. 31 (Yonhap) – The musical under the theme of K-pop will transfer to Broadway in New York this fall.
The production team of the musical "KPOP" held a press conference at New York’s Korean Cultural Center on Mar. 30(U.S. Time) and announced that it will hold a preview on Oct.13 as well as its first performance on Nov. 20.
An earlier version of the musical played Off Broadway in 2017 and received favorable reviews. Off Broadway is a small theater with less than 500 seats, which is considered as a test to arrive on Broadway.
The Broadway version of the musical "KPOP," which won a number of awards, including the Richard Rodgers Awards, stars Luna from K-pop girl group f(x).
Luna, who has built her career as a musical actress by appearing in diverse Korean musicals, such as “Mamma Mia!” and "In the Heights," will be making her Broadway debut as the star of the show.
Luna said at the press conference, “Broadway represents the pinnacle of achievement in my profession, so being able to bring my culture to the fans who flock here from all over the world to see a Broadway show is the honor of my life.”
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| ▲ This file photo shows the press conference of the musical "KPOP." (Yonhap) |
The musical "KPOP" depicts the story about superstars risking it all for a one-night-only concert, and it also portrays a singer’s internal struggle, which in turn threatens to dismantle one of the biggest labels in the industry.
The show contains a process of training trainees and making their debuts in the industry as well as the racial prejudice experienced in the U.S., from which pop originated.
In the musical, conceived by Jason Kim and Woodshed Collective, Helen Park and Max Vernon participated in writing lyrics and composing.
Korean-American Helen Park said at the press conference, “The world we explore in ‘KPOP’ is cutthroat, relentless in its pursuit of perfection, full of passionate, hugely ambitious artists, and ultimately a source of joy.”
Producers Forbes and Joey Parnes said, “The driving force of this production of KPOP has always been to fuse the vibrant, joyful, and wildly entertaining world of K-pop with the powerful storytelling of a Broadway musical,” adding, “The result is something that no one has ever seen before on stage, complete with epic production values, catchy songs, passion, and heart.”
In response to the request of the production team, a number of reporters, including major U.S. media, such as NBC and Fox News, visited the press conference at New York’s Korean Cultural Center.
Cho Yoon-jeung, the head of the Korean Cultural Center New York, said, "K-pop has become the greatest Korean cultural ambassador," adding, "I am very proud and happy to transfer some of the significant and popular Korean culture to Broadway."
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Kim Sun Min.)
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