KPOP has officially hit Broadway!
The new musical celebrated its opening night on the Great White Way on Sunday at the Circle in the Square Theatre. (Its official press opening was pushed back to Nov. 27 following positive COVID cases last week among the cast.)
In exclusive photos shared with PEOPLE from Sunday night's red-carpet event, the show's stars can be seen getting ready to usher in the new musical, which boasts 18 Broadway debuts.
The original musical, which celebrates Korean culture, follows multiple K-pop stars as they put on a special one-night-only concert, while facing personal and cultural challenges that threaten "to dismantle one of the industry's hottest labels," according to a press release from the production.
The musical combines "pulse-pounding" music and "electrifying" choreography to tell a story exploring the discipline, ambition and talent behind what it takes to be a successful K-pop star.
The show's lead, MwE, is played by Luna — who has her own fair share of knowledge of the K-pop industry, having shot to fame as one of the members of the popular Korean girl group f(x).
K-pop artists making their Broadway debut include BoHyung, from the group SPICA and one half of the duo KEEMBO, Min from Miss A and Kevin Woo from U-KISS. Similar to their real life, they step into the roles of K-pop idols, per Playbill.
The KPOP cast also includes Julia Abueva, Major Curda, Jinwoo Jung, Jiho Kang, Amy Keum, James Kho, Marina Kondo, Eddy Lee, Joshua Lee, Jully Lee, Lina Rose Lee, Timothy H. Lee, Abraham Lim, Kate Mina Lin, Aubie Merrylees, Patrick Park, Zachary Noah Piser and John Yi.
On Sunday, stars of the new show walked the red carpet for the opening celebration and prepared for a special performance for a packed house that included musical theater star Lea Salonga (the first actress of Asian descent to win a Tony Award), Hamilton's Phillipa Soo and her husband Steven Pasquale, and Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang.
Also on hand were Tony Award winner Judith Light, Glee alum Telly Leung, former Dear Evan Hansen star Andrew Barth Feldman and more.
KPOP features music, lyrics, music production and arrangements by Helen Park, who made history as the first female Asian composer on Broadway.
The show initially opened Off-Broadway in 2017 at Ars Nova and received a sold-out extended run, becoming the most-nominated show of the 2017-2018 season, per Park's website.
The show is directed by Teddy Bergman with choreography by Jennifer Weber and music and lyrics by Max Vernon.
KPOP opens on Nov. 27 at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre.
