While Broadway debuts can often be daunting, KPOP's Luna, Min, BoHyung, and Kevin Woo may have a bit of an advantage as they step into their roles as fictional K-pop superstars. All four actors first began their careers onstage as teen singers in real-life K-pop music groups.
KPOP brings the music and world of Korean pop music and culture to Broadway through the storylines of one solo artist and two music groups brought together for a one-night-only concert. The performance, however, comes at a price as the characters risk everything and face personal struggles that threaten their careers.
Check out some of the famous cast's K-pop tracks in the videos below.
Originally discovered by talent agents at 13-years-old in 2006, Luna started her K-pop music career as lead singer of girl group f(x) in 2009. The group released four albums and two extended plays by 2016, and was among the first K-pop groups to perform at South by Southwest. "4 Walls," the title track from f(x)'s fourth studio album of the same name, is one of the group's most popular hits. In 2016, f(x) halted group promotions in favor of embarking on individual careers. Now Luna make hers Broadway debut as MwE, KPOP's solo artist battling industry executives.
f(x)'s "4 Walls"
KPOP's fictional girl group RTMIS stars BoHyung, who has been on the K-pop scene for 10 years and counting. She got her start in 2012 with SPICA, and remained a part of the group until it broke up in 2016. With another former SPICA member, BoA, BoHyung formed new duo KEEMBO in 2020, though there has been speculation of a future reunion of SPICA, whose most popular track on Spotify is "Tonight." BoHyung makes her theatrical debut as Tiny in the Broadway musical.
SPICA's "Tonight"
Born and raised in California, Kevin Woo moved to South Korea at 15 after being discovered by a South Korean entertainment agency. He then performed for almost a decade from 2008 to 2017 as part of K-pop boy band U-KISS, best known for their hit "330." Following his departure, Woo began a solo career in Japan before returning to the United States, and has previously starred in multiple musicals. He makes his Broadway debut as Jun Hyuk, a member of KPOP's fictional boy band F8.
U-KISS' "330"
Min completes the group of four K-pop stars making their Broadway debuts in the musical. Her music career began with a debut as part of K-pop girl group miss A in 2010. The group's debut single "Bad Girl, Good Girl" made history as the first time a group's debut single topped the Gaon Digital Chart, the Korean equivalent of the Billboard charts. Min departed the group in 2017, following which she made her theatrical debut in the Korean adaptation of Boys Over Flowers The Musical. She makes her Broadway debut as Riya alongside BoHyung in KPOP's fictional girl group RTMIS.
miss A's "Bad Girl, Good Girl"
The musical will open at Circle in the Square Theatre November 20. Conceived by Jason Kim and the Woodshed Collective, KPOP features a book by Kim with music, lyrics, as well as music, lyrics, music production and arrangements by Helen Park, and music and lyrics by Max Vernon. Director Teddy Bergman helms the production, which features choreography by Jennifer Weber, music direction by Sujin Kim-Ramsey, scenic design by Gabriel Hainer Evansohn, costume design by Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, lighting designer Jiyoun Chang, sound designers Peter Fitzgerald and Andrew Keister, projection design by Peter Nigrini, hair and wig design by Mia M. Neal, and makeup designer Suki Tsujimoto.
