[Correspondent Column] The Musical Six Sweeping Broadway and K-Pop

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The biggest night on New York Broadway has come to an end. This is the story of the 'Tony Awards,' considered the highest honor in the American theater and musical field.

On the night of Sunday the 12th (local time), the 75th Tony Awards returned to Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York, after about three years, and the final celebration stage was decorated by the musical SIX. The work, which became a hot topic for portraying the six queens who were the ex-wives of England's Henry VIII each holding a microphone and reclaiming their own identity rather than being 'just one of someone's wives' in the form of a pop concert.

The musical SIX has no fancy stage props that change with each scene, nor a huge orchestra. The six queens stand on stage with a small band and share their stories with the audience.

A story of divorces, beheadings, deaths, divorces, beheadings, and survival. In short, it is a kind of battle over who suffered the most because of Henry VIII, with the theme of 'I have the most tragic life.' Each character and number is inspired by famous pop singers, so from Catherine of Aragon, who experienced a so-called 'serial divorce,' you can see Beyonc?, and from the charming Catherine Howard, Ariana Grande's image is glimpsed.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

It might have been a natural decision that the musical SIX, which feels like a concert, closed the celebration stage. This work was nominated in eight categories including Best Musical. Although the honor of Best Musical went to 'Strange Loop' that night, SIX won two awards for Best Original Score (composition) and Best Costume Design.

Two Cambridge University students wrote the script and composed songs for SIX during their final semester before graduation, squeezing time between final exams. Even after success in London's West End, they were not confident about entering Broadway. Lucy Moss revealed in an interview with a British daily, "We were worried whether (American audiences) would understand," and "We didn't know how much they knew about British history or how interested they were in Henry VIII."

However, they placed their hopes on the fact that the musical SIX is a 'pop concert' style that anyone around the world can enjoy. It is the power of music that transcends borders, races, and cultural differences. About a week before the Tony Awards, the SIX performance venue was filled with audiences of various ages, from young children who had not yet studied British history to middle and high school students and elderly people. There is also a passionate fandom for the musical SIX, called the 'Queendom.'

On March 30 (local time), attendees are taking a commemorative photo at the press conference for the Broadway debut of the musical 'K-pop' held at the Korean Cultural Center New York in New York City, USA. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Seeing the musical SIX, which reconstructs British history, being loved like this on American Broadway, one feels a cautious sense of expectation. In the upcoming second half of the year, the musical 'K-POP,' which deals with Korean pop music and the entertainment industry behind it, will premiere on New York Broadway for the first time.

Second-generation Korean-American playwright Jason Kim wrote the script, and Korean-American Helen Park and Max Vernon jointly composed and wrote the lyrics. It is also the Broadway debut work of Luna, a musical actress formerly of the girl group f(x). Previously, it was verified by sweeping major awards in Off-Broadway in 2017, known as the proving ground for Broadway entry.

Due to the rising status and popularity of K-POP in recent years, such as BTS visiting the White House, K-POP parties held everywhere, and sold-out local concerts, it is attracting much attention locally. We sincerely hope that this fall K-POP will heat up the New York Broadway theater district.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.