KPOP Sets December 11 Closing Date on Broadway

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:17pm

https://www.playbill.com/article/broadways-kpop-sets-abrupt-closing-date

[MichaelRonca]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:20pm

Damn. Can't say this is shocking, but I was hoping they could turn it around with the holiday tourist rush or try and stick it out until January. I feel really bad for the cast and creative team. The show had its issues but I really enjoyed it!

 

At least there's the cast recording!

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:23pm

WOW! It's like Circle In The Square is cursed or something. Shows just don't seem to last in that venue anymore. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:31pm

Troynow nails it yet again. This show was such a fizzy blast and was the jolt of energy I needed the day I saw it. 

Even Diana played twice the amount of performances this one did…

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:33pm

Before K-Pop, "American Buffalo" played it's whole schedule, "Chicken and Biscuits" did not, "Oklahoma" ran for 8 months, "Once on This Island" ran for over a year, "In Transit" flopped, "Fun Home" ran a year and a half, "The River" sold out every show thanks to Hugh Jackman, "Lady Day" was a huge hit in 2014, so to say the house is cursed is just wrong.

[Phillyguy]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:33pm

They played the race card and misfired. 

[Kad]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:42pm

Even if the Times had raved, it’s doubtful they could’ve turned it around. 
 

It cannot be understated how bad its marketing was. 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:44pm

they should of never released those horrid clips

Updated On: 12/6/22 at 06:44 PM

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:45pm

Kad said: "It cannot be understated how bad its marketing was."

Literally - what marketing? Ugh. My friend who LOVES k-pop bands didn’t even know this was on broadway… and she lives in north jersey. Too bad I didn’t get a chance to see this, it was on my list!

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:48pm

I’m sad because I had a blast at this show, but PLEASE MOVE “FAT HAM” HERE

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:51pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Before K-Pop, "American Buffalo" played it's whole schedule, "Chicken and Biscuits" did not, "Oklahoma" ran for 8 months, "Once on This Island" ran for over a year, "In Transit" flopped, "Fun Home" ran a year and a half, "The River" sold out every show thanks to Hugh Jackman, "Lady Day" was a huge hit in 2014, so to say the house is cursed is just wrong."

Thanks for the clarification Jordan. I forgot American Buffalo made it through its entire run. I remember when Chicken & Biscuits shutting down prematurely due to covid and that's where I got the whole "cursed" idea. My bad. Thanks again for clarifying!

[babyjunegem]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 6:59pm

Brutal. Was the NYT drama cooked up to save the show? I didn't realize that sales were THAT bad

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 7:00pm

Always sad to see any show close, but this is not a surprise. I wish the best to the cast and creatives, they gave it their all, and are all so young, there is much more to come for them all. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 7:00pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Before K-Pop, "American Buffalo" played it's whole schedule, "Chicken and Biscuits" did not, "Oklahoma" ran for 8 months, "Once on This Island" ran for over a year, "In Transit" flopped, "Fun Home" ran a year and a half, "The River" sold out every show thanks to Hugh Jackman, "Lady Day" was a huge hit in 2014, so to say the house is cursed is just wrong."

Exactly. Cursed is the Lyric. No show has ever turned a profit there.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 7:11pm

Next stop should be VEGAS

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 9:31pm

If this had opened in 2018 or 19, you have to wonder how the momentum from Ars Nova might have helped propel it. It took too long, nobody cared anymore by the time it arrived, and the new staging sucked some of the unique magic out of it.

On top of that, a bad title (imagine calling a musical RAP?), a bad ad campaign, lots of Covid pauses, and subject matter that could not translate to sales and couldn’t even activate all of the KPOP fanbase to buy tickets.

Safe to call it the biggest flop of the post-Covid era.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:18pm

It’s devastating for any show to close this early in its run. I’m heartbroken for all involved. I’m so grateful this offered rare Asian representation in musicals. You don’t often see Asian joy onstage, and this had it in spades. It meant a lot to many in the AAPI community. I hope it paves the way for more to come.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:19pm

It's very sad. Not just for the usual people loosing their jobs but I genuinely liked this show. I'm glad I made the executive decision in my group going to NY in October that we would be seeing this because, as I told them, "I want to see it and something tells me if I don't go on this trip, I will not see it at all." My instinct was correct.

I have talked at LENGTH of my group of friends that have all seen it and we all have such strong emotions over it. And all seem to agree that we all really liked it but all of us had our own ideas on how they could have pushed the book further. The show that was Off Broadway and COULD have been was lost in what it ended up being.

I hope they work on it a bit more and take it where it truly belongs, South Korea. A place where they can have an ever revolving cast of genuine Kpop talent, it will take off there.

[akhoya87]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:27pm

quizking101 said: "I’m sad because I had a blast at this show, but PLEASE MOVE “FAT HAM” HERE"

Hasn't Fat Ham already locked down a venue (American Airlines)?  I realize productions do move theatres before opening, but I imagine that carries a giant price tag, and I'm not sure Fat Ham can afford that.  (I'm sure there was a pretty penny paid behind the scenes for the Piano Lesson to move to the Barrymore, and ITW was printing money at the time.)  

That said, I do agree that CITS would be a great venue for Fat Ham.  They can make the stage level (as they did at the Public) and put the lawn seats in... 

I am sad that we are losing KPOP so soon.  In particular, my heart goes out to the incredibly talented cast and crew.  Whatever the structural faults with the show, the marketing, etc., they deserved better.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:40pm

Some salt in the wound to this team –– and a terrific response from the NYT:

"We saw the open letter written about The Times's review of KPOP and quickly convened a discussion among editors and members of our standards department. This group was in agreement that Jesse's review was fair. More importantly, we wholly disagree with the argument that Jesse's criticism is somehow racist. We always welcome feedback and reaction to our journalism, and have conveyed a similar reply to the producers who wrote the open letter."

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:43pm

Really sad this show is going to be remembered more for trying to scapegoat the NYT versus the time and energy this cast and crew put behind trying to make it all work

bad producing from jump street and irresponsible producing at the end. 

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:48pm

The whole thing with the NYT was so random. Sad that so many will be out of work, especially all of those making their debuts. However, I didn't like this show at all. Just a mess.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:54pm

Were they able to invite and get in Tony voters?   Closing so quickly, are they Tony eligible? 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 10:57pm

nominators got in, voters are another question

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/6/22 at 11:14pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "nominators got in, voters are another question"

Meaning: if it gets nominated for anything, those categories will be decided entirely by the few voters who actually saw the show.