Broadway's "KPOP," a groundbreaking musical production that was applauded for its casting and representation of Korean culture, will close just two weeks after opening at the Circle in the Square.
Producers announced Tuesday that the musical will end its run on Dec 11, after 44 previews and 17 regular performances. The final performance will feature a panel discussion celebrating Asian-American and Pacific-Islanders (AAPI) representation on Broadway and there will be 200 complimentary tickets available to members of the AAPI community and youth, according to Billboard.
Panelists include David Henry Hwang, the first Asian-American playwright to win a Tony; Helen Park, who is the first Asian female composer in Broadway history and wrote the music and lyrics for "KPOP"; Korean playwright Hansol Jung; and actor Pun Bandhu.
Producer Joey Parnes acknowledged last month to The Hollywood Reporter that the production had struggled to attract early audiences. At issue is that theatergoers who were already nervous following COVID-19 show disruptions are somewhat reluctant to attend new or unknown work.
"It's not surprising that if they're having to be discerning, they're going to choose something that is more certain," Parnes said.
This trend was apparent in ticket sales — Billboard reported that "KPOP" has often made less than $200,000 a week since it began previews in October, putting it among the lowest-grossing in weekly industry tallies. And while capacity has remained fairly healthy, the show will not benefit from the boost in ticket sales that occurs around the holidays.
There has been some drama surrounding "KPOP," which unfolded earlier this week.
Taking to social media, producers requested via an open letter an apology for the "insensitive and, frankly, offensive" review that appeared in The New York Times. They aired several grievances, especially taking issue with the critic Jesse Greene's reference to the lighting as "squint-inducing" given the show's Asian and Asian-American cast and creative team.
"The job of theater critics is to dissect, analyze and ultimately judge work," the producers' statement added. "We also contend that they have a responsibility to meet a show on its own terms and to be informed enough to know what that even means. Above all, in these troubled times, they have an obligation to do so with cultural sensitivity and absolutely without the casual racist tropes Mr. Green wittingly or not perpetuates."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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