KPOP Reviews

I hope the critics agree with me this time once again, just like they agreed with me when it comes to Strange Loop and LEA in Funny Girl. I hope they get it. But if not, oh well, life goes on.

The Ars Nova production did receive good reviews...what's playing at Circle In The Square is NOT the Ars Nova production. Several friends I know who saw both, loved it at Ars Nova and hated the show at Circle (a few even left at intermission). We shall see what the critics think.

DCS said: "The Ars Nova production did receive good reviews...what's playing at Circle In The Square is NOT the Ars Nova production. Several friends I know who saw both, loved it at Ars Nova and hated the show at Circle (a few even left at intermission). We shall see what the critics think."

Same here and we have no desire to see it

I saw a performance Saturday at 2pm.

O&M rep was outside handing out press tickets - she had a huge amount of envelopes in her hands.

This was rough. I went with an open mind and was hoping for a pop concert, SIX type show - unfortunately, that did not happen.

Forgive me, but I’m confused after all the cancellations and pseudo-opening night. When are we actually expecting the reviews to come out?

Broadway News: Broadway’s underdeveloped ‘KPOP’ is saved by the music

“KPOP” has the most electric original score on Broadway [...] While discrepancies riddle the musical’s book and erase all potential for a transformative time, I’d instead advise to venture out in pursuit of an entertaining one. You’ll find that at “KPOP.”

Theatrely: KPOP The Musical Shines On Broadway
KPOP The Musical is the most exciting, interesting, and alive show on Broadway right now. In a season of half-baked adaptations and Golden Age revival attempts, this exhilarating musical is a reminder of the importance of new works and contemporary stories. This musical knows exactly what it wants to be and the cast? They’re ready to win over your heart.

Updated On: 11/27/22 at 06:09 PM

These are... not good.

DTLI Consensus: KPOP is an uneven, incoherent piece of live theatre (especially its book), but it’s the lively score and choreography that blasts off into the Broadway stratosphere.

4 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative (the NYT).

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/kpop/

i think their fate is sealed. i dont quite understand what the producers were thinking here, but Korean pop music is either something you are into, or are not- you couldn't pay me to see this show, its just not something remotely appealing to me (or my friends, and i would gather most theatergoers). It needed very strong reviews to convince someone like me that this is, in fact, worth seeing despite not having any affinity for this niche. these reviews arent doing that.

HeyMrMusic said: "That’s a very narrow mindset. Pop/rock music has infiltrated Broadway for years/decades and it’s here to stay. Why not have a musical featuring k-pop, a very popular genre not just in the US but worldwide? There’s a musical that just opened featuring bubblegum pop. The biggest show in decades heavily features rap. No genre of anything is “you like it or you don’t.”"

Wait wha? I'm not a Neil Diamond fan, so I'm not planning on seeing the Neil Diamond musical. I am a big Green Day fan, so I saw American Idiot three times. I wouldn't spend a cent to support the Jackson Estate, but MJ is based on a very popular catalogue that has literally billions of fans.

Without recognizable pop music that fans are eager to hear live, you need to sell patrons on a story, or celebrity, or something else to hook them in. K-Pop does none of that, it just announces that it consists of K-pop music, something I have absolutely no interest in. Now, of course, a review/word of mouth that tells me that despite my lack of familiarity with this genre, I should see it anyway because XYZ, and we are in business. Im merely pointing out that the reviews (and the posts here) have not done that at all. The producers seem to have gambled on the existence of K-pop being enough to sell tickets; I think that gamble has clearly not paid off.

As for pop-heavy Moulin Rouge and &Juliet, they are printing money because they have (i) recognizable pop songs everyone knows, and they feature those songs heavily to get people in, and (ii) are both based on famous films/plays that pique people's interest. And a pop musical like RENT won the Pulitzer, and was The Talk of the Town for 3 years.

Again, K-Pop does none of this. So the idea that I'm suggesting that pop music isnt here to stay is ridiculous. Of course it is- and its inclusion on Bway is welcome. But that in and of itself sure ain't enough to sell tickets. Why you are arguing this point when this show is playing to half empty audiences is beyond me.

but mea culpa if i came across as not wanting this to succeed-- i wish it all the best, and if it found an audience, id be happy to see it run. And, again, if the NYT or Vulture or the New Yorker or even the right crew on these boards told me it was worth seeing, I'd happily try it. My point is none of thats happening.

PipingHotPiccolo said: "Wait wha? I'm not a Neil Diamond fan, so I'm not planning on seeing the Neil Diamond musical. I am a big Green Day fan, so I saw American Idiot three times. I wouldn't spend a cent to support the Jackson Estate, but MJ is based on a very popular catalogue that has literally billions of fans.
Without recognizable pop music that fans are eager to hear live, you need to sell patrons on a story, or celebrity, or something else to hook them in. K-Pop does none of that, it just announces that it consists of K-pop music, something I have absolutely no interest in. Now, of course, a review/word of mouth that tells me that despite my lack of familiarity with this genre, I should see it anyway because XYZ... The producers seem to have gambled on the existence of K-pop being enough to sell tickets; I think that gamble has clearly not paid off."

This is precisely why this is getting mixed reviews. I totally agree with you. You can't just slap a fun genre into a theatre and call it a Broadway show, that's like if somebody saw the discography of Twenty One Pilots, made a musical called "Alternative Music, the musical" and created music inspired by the genre (Not by any specific alternative artist) and then had a plot about the struggles of a small band growing in the alternative scene in the USA. The plot is far too flimsy, it doesn't make sense and even if the music is good it'll never save the book. I'm glad the reviews are mixed but the writing is on the wall, this won't survive to the Tony's without convincing real kpop fans or traditional audiences to see this.