"KPOP" made history as the first Broadway musical centered on Korean pop culture and with songs from the first female Asian composer on Broadway. But nine days after opening to mixed reviews, the show's producers surprisingly announced that it will take its final bow this coming Sunday, after just 44 preview performances and 17 regular performances.
What went wrong? How could a high-energy spectacle set amid a global phenomenon fail to find an audience? And did the New York Times' negative review, which the producers described as "casual racism," ultimately have a hand in ending its run?
The day after the show's closing announcement, the Los Angeles Times spoke exclusively with composer Helen Park, book writer Jason Kim and producers Tim Forbes and Joey Parnes about why opening an original musical is particularly difficult at this time, how a 2017 iteration may have affected its Broadway reception, and where the production might pop up next. The following are edited excerpts from these conversations.
