DC Theatre Scene: KPOP, the wildly (and loudly) entertaining immersive theater piece offering the audience a tour of a Korean pop music factory, begins and ends with 15-minute concerts by the Korean boy group F8 and girl group Special K, dressed in Olympic-style jumpsuits or sexy black leather outfits, as well as the solo artist MwE, clad in sultry gowns.
2 comments:
This is such a fun idea! The concept for the show itself is super immersive, but the idea of making a production that explores something so sensational and foreign to Americans like K-Pop and really diving into it, giving it drama and introducing the audience to a new genre at the same time, are really interesting. I also think that the concept is super unique, something that's never been done before - to explore a genre of music through its groups in a way that's more than just a concert or a cabaret of songs and dances and adding personal narratives to it to give it depth and even audience interaction with the plot. For the performers, too, it must be a whole new experience, and one that combines culture, music, and theater in an interesting and experimental way.
I really want to go see it when I get back home, and if/when I do I'll report back on it!
I wish the review elaborated more on the issues that the KPOP industry brings on the stage rather than the immersive performance and songs made for the production. I'm wondering maybe the audience members were distracted from the social issues and drama involved with the industry because one entire industry was compressed into one production, and also apparently by the singing and dancing. For example, it is evident that the author did not understand why the fleeting scene between a member of the boy band and another member of the girl group was put in there because he describes it as an extramarital affair. To a person who knows the industry and how it feeds on the extreme fandom, the scene (most likely) depicts how a romantic/sexual relationship is not allowed for the members of the boy band and girl groups because it breaks the 'image' of the members they are trying to sell. If it is the case, the production may be serving as a great introduction to the K-pop industry to the people who are not familiar with it. In addition, I would like to know what the production can do to people who knows the industry.
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