THE HANGOVER REPORT – The immersive KPOP nearly tops the chart

The company of KPOP

The company of KPOP

Most people who know my taste in theater know that I am a sucker for both musicals and immersive theatrical experiences. Therefore, it was with great anticipation that I approached KPOP, which is currently enjoying a sold-out run via Ars Nova in association with Ma-Yi Theater Company and Woodshed Collective.

This new work, which exposes its audiences to the inner workings of a K-Pop music factory, takes the degree of immersion for a musical to a whole new level. Whereas the productions of Here Lies Love and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (brilliant as they were) were for the most part glorified environmental stagings, Jason Kim’s ambitious musical – elaborately directed by Teddy Bergman – is truly immersive in the way that Sleep No More and Then She Fell are.

I enjoyed quite a bit of KPOP. The elements of immersive theater that I find so irresistible – the ability to control your perspective, the potential for intense personalized encounters with the performers – are all present. I also found Helen Park and Max Vernon’s bubble gum score to be quite accomplished and easy on the ears. Additionally, the appealing cast is, ahem, pitch perfect, beautifully balancing parody and authenticity, and includes the likes of Broadway’s Jason Tam (as the leader of a boyband) and Ashley Park (as K-Pop’s diva-licous Beyonce equivalent). It also features a sensational newcomer in Julia Abueva.

The production could use a little tightening and refining, though. The key to successful immersive experiences like KPOP is seamless presentation; there were just too many dead moments, causing some loss in the musicals forward momentum (the crowd management could be just a little cleaner and more efficient). And although themes of racism and the ill-effects of celebrity culture were touched upon, I felt the “book” scenes were a touch didactic.

Minor quibbles aside though, I heartily applaud the audacity of KPOP. I had a blast overall. 

RECOMMENDED

 

KPOP
Off-Broadway, Musical
Ars Nova in association with Ma-Yi Theater Company and Woodshed Collective
2 hours, 30 minutes (with a few breaks)
Through October 21

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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