Making History By Making ‘KPOP’ Bops
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Park and Vernon recognized that KPOP was an ideal showcase for their hybrid style, but they worried about the storytelling. “You want it to feel like pop music, but there’s limitations in how much you can push story, how much you can really get into character development,” Vernon explains. “People are not going to sing their emotions in soliloquy in a pop song.”
Their solution was inspired by musicals like Dreamgirls in which the characters sing diegetic pop music. Within the reality of the show, they are performing songs, but the numbers are packed with insightful subtext.
Park points to “Wind Up Doll” in KPOP as an example. On the surface, it’s a love song performed by rising star MwE (played by real-life K-pop idol Luna). But it also explores the pressure she feels to be perfect. Similarly, “Halfway,” sung by Brad (Zachary Noah Piser) from the fictional boy band F8, is superficially about a commitment-phobic lover. But underneath, the character is struggling with being a mixed-race man.
Park views KPOP as an exploration of dualities: Korean versus American identities, pop music versus show tunes, the machine of stardom versus having a life. The score, with its bilingual lyrics and layered meanings, enhances those themes.
That last development in particular fueled Park’s desire to share authentic Asian representation on stage. “A lot of the Asian hate sentiment was because people haven’t seen much of the diversity and the depth and the complexity of Asian people, which helps create empathy,” she says. “I think our show, hopefully, is opening people’s hearts to the Asian community.”
Perfectionism is a big issue in the show as well as in South Korean culture. Park describes her native country as a divided nation with a history of being invaded and a strong survival instinct. Kim-Ramsey, who was also born in South Korea, agrees. “Since I was very young, I was always taught: You have to win. You have to be perfect,” she says.
In KPOP, MwE trains to become a K-pop idol from a young age, which impacts her relationships with loved ones. As mothers of young children, Park and Kim-Ramsey understand what that’s like as their musical baby takes up so much of their time. But along with the struggle and sacrifices comes elation.
“I wanted to capture the striving for excellence that is so prominent in the actual K-pop machine and industry,” Park says. “I didn’t want to make it seem like I’m commenting on it in a negative light. That desire, that ambition, it can be both very joyous and tortuous.”
“What I’m doing makes my voice unique, and I can be proud of that,” she says. “I think that’s what I would want to say to myself from ten years ago: Believe in yourself and don’t compare yourself with others.”
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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for KPOP. Go here to browse all theatre, dance and music offers.
Sarah Rebell (she/her) is an arts journalist and musical theatre writer. Bylines include American Theatre, Hey Alma, Howlround, The Interval and TheaterMania. She is a National Critics Institute Fellow. Follow her at @SarahRebell. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.
Top image: the cast of KPOP. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
Sarah Rebell (she/her) is an arts journalist and musical theatre writer. Bylines include American Theatre, Hey Alma, Howlround, The Interval and TheaterMania. She is a National Critics Institute Fellow. Follow her at @SarahRebell.