Daily Skimm

May is Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month — a time to learn about and celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. To do just that, we spoke with Helen Park, a co-composer of the Korean- and English-language musical “KPOP.” Not only is she the first Asian female composer on Broadway, but she’s also the first Asian woman with a Tony Award nomination for best original score. Here’s what she had to say about Asian American representation on Broadway, her experience working on “KPOP,” and much more…

Q: An incredibly small percentage of Broadway roles go to Asian American actors. What was it like to navigate the industry?

There’s so many Asian stories, and like any other race or community, there’s so many stories to be told. But there’s been a disconnect between what we see on Broadway and what we see in the real world. Part of the problem with the few shows that have centered on Asians were that they were predominantly written by white men. So I’ve always desired to see shows that felt relatable to me, shows where I felt really seen … But there were basically no opportunities for people like me … When I graduated from NYU’s Musical Theatre Writing Program, there was an off-Broadway theater, Ars Nova, that wanted to do a different kind of musical ... an immersive show based on K-pop. They were looking for composers, so I jumped in with this determination, like I have to grab this opportunity. But even then, I wasn’t thinking of Broadway. I was only focused on making a show that I could be proud of and that I knew was true from the perspective of my people and my culture.

Q: You have a couple “firsts” under your belt now. What message does that send to the Asian community?

Someone interviewed me right before “KPOP” went on Broadway and said, “You’re the first Asian female composer to write for Broadway, right?” ... That’s how I found out ... It’s mind-blowing when you think how late it is. But I feel like now that I have taken the first step, we can’t go back. Me being here proved that there are people who are capable of writing their own stories. And there is no need for other white voices to tell stories for us … Asians are the most populated race in the world. And there’s so many cultures within Asian culture. I never thought of myself as Asian until I [left] Korea. You’re part of this community, but it’s so diverse and so rich and so human. We need more of that.

Q: “KPOP” closed after 17 regular performances. What was that like?

That was definitely hard. I worked on this show for eight years … A lot of theater-goers weren’t familiar with K-pop music, and K-pop fans weren’t familiar with Broadway musicals, so it was unfamiliar territory for both. But by the end of the show, everyone was united and having a blast. Seeing that every day, and then seeing the disconnect of the financial reality of the show was shocking to me … But our three Tony noms speak volumes ... For a lot of our creatives, this was not just another job. For many, it was their Broadway debut. And they had the agency to tell the story of their own culture ... One thing I was afraid of when we closed was the fact it was already hard for Asian creatives to find opportunities on Broadway. I was fearful people might not take another chance on these kinds of stories. But the Tony noms are very encouraging. That’s something that can encourage people to do more — to write, to create, to produce, and to support more Asian-centric stories.

Q: What else can be done to increase representation on Broadway? 

It’s encouraging that people are finally having conversations around representation and inclusivity — that was nonexistent like 10 years ago. But just having Asian bodies on the stage is not going to be enough. Stories are told through words, music, and designs. There’s so many people involved in generating and telling the stories. So on and off stage, there needs to be more diverse voices and representation. Only then will we see truly authentic work.

In honor of APIDA Heritage Month, we spoke to other Asian American women about how they put themselves first. Read those interviews, here.