NEW YORK — The pandemic was not kind to “KPOP,” the new Broadway show that aims to do for South Korean popular music much of what “Dreamgirls” did, and did not do, for Motown.
Not only did the off-Broadway hit lose much of the momentum from its 2017 run at Ars Nova in New York, taking some five years to reach a changed Broadway, but lingering health effects resulted in an official opening delayed to Sunday night and a challenging preview period that surely intruded on the ability of a talented cast to relax, go to it and have the kind of confident fun that can ignite an audience ready for a good time.
In essence, “KPOP” is a backstage story that wants both to celebrate the Korean pop music industry, known for its tight harmonies, its blending of disco, techno, house and funk, its incursions into hip hop, and its good-looking young performers, and also critique its rigorous regimentation and stifling authoritarianism in artist training, preparation and repertory.
