KPOP is here to stay…It’s now on Broadway!
KPOP on Broadway Musical
I wanted to write a post about KPOP and how I recently got to experience first hand how it has evolved and grown so much here in the States. For those who do not know me personally, I am Korean-American. My parents immigrated to the States along time ago and thankfully, gave birth to me here in the United States. But enough about my personal biography, this post is about how KPOP has grown so much from my viewpoint and how I saw it even more first hand through a recent night out with my lovable Misses (maybe soon to be Mrs. 😍?) in the City that never sleeps, New York.
To be frank, I am proud to say I have witnessed the many endeavors of the KPOP industry trying to penetrate the covetable holy grail music market that is the United States. From JYP Entertainment (one of the big 3 record labels in South Korea) to the sudden explosion of one man that suddenly got over a billion views on YouTube for his song “Gangnam Style” named PSY, I have always followed any KPOP artist / record label that has tried to establish a foundation here in the States. Each and every time, I had always rooted for a win and have always been proud of the fact that my cultural heritage was that of being Korean.
As much as PSY was a hit breakthrough, there still seemed to be some stigma with KPOP and its entry into America. As the KPOP industry continued to evolve, I had always felt it would be a matter of time until it really makes its full entry into the States where it becomes more widely adopted. Maybe it was when BTS broke the global charts and became a worldwide phenomenon or some other artist that helped put KPOP further in the minds of the entire world? No matter what anyone may say, one thing I am certain of is this: it definitely has become a worldwide category. KPOP songs are played on national radio stations. Conventions dedicated to KPOP artists with concerts are held across the nation. Thousands upon thousands are fans across all 50 states, forming cliques and parties, arguing with one another on which artist is the best (of course in a friendly manner). I’ll still never forget the day when I was sipping coffee in Bryant Park a few years ago (PRE COVID) in NYC after grabbing some lunch. I was minding my own business when I randomly overheard a conversation between 3 women sitting behind me. They were talking about who their favorite was within BTS. I couldn’t help myself and just had to casually peek at them, as I just assumed they may have been Korean. WRONG – they were not Korean, in fact, they were not Asian at all. I literally could not help but be amazed at the fact that KPOP was being so broadly discussed in the open public.
Now to the even juicier stuff. Fast forward to 2022. KPOP is NOW ON BROADWAY. Broadway…the world famous venue where stars, celebs and others alike gather to participate in musicals and theatrical performances. My girlfriend somehow was offered 2 free tickets to a performance of a Broadway musical. Turns out, that Broadway Show was titled “KPOP ON BROADWAY – THE MUSICAL.” To be honest, I couldn’t believe my ears. There was an actual Broadway Show dedicated to a story about KPOP? I’ll confess, I was intrigued. Not because I am KPOP fanatic, but more because I was interested to see what the general audience was going to be like. I was interested to see what their reactions may be like. Who was actually there to see the show. Would it be more fan boys/girls? Would it be more Koreans in attendance versus others? Either way, I was grateful to have the opportunity to see a Broadway Musical.
As soon as we arrived, I was blown away by the amount of people standing outside waiting to get their tickets. Were all these people here to see the same performance as we were? The answer: YES. The audience was diverse and the atmosphere was exhilarating. As we walked inside the venue and made our way into the main stage area towards our seats, I noticed how the entire stage was decorated a setup nicely. We then sat in our seats and got settled. I couldn’t help but notice how there must have been over 200 people in attendance and was just in awe. I won’t go too much into detail about the performance itself, as I highly recommend you watch it for yourself and come to your own conclusion. What I can say is give you my own personal perspective of the show. It was exciting, the actors & actresses were all truly skilled and performed spectacularly. What was even more inspirational and fun was that the performance itself had a mixture of English AND Korean for various lines and scenes throughout. It was truly a fun time to see the audience laugh and follow along and understanding Korean even if they were non-native speakers. By the way, if you are a fan of Korean Culture & KPOP, especially watching epic dance routines, this show will not disappoint you.
Overall, I really enjoyed watching the show and congratulations to the writer/producer of the musical! I truly couldn’t help but think – KPOP is here to stay.
Additional details about the Broadway Musical and ticket info can be found here.
geeky_yang 