Dimo Kim Musical Theatre Factory Announces The Cast Of COMFORT WOMEN: A New Musical

 

Dimo Kim Musical Theatre Factory, a theatre company based in NYC providing more roles for Asian American actors has announced the cast of COMFORT WOMEN: A NEW MUSICAL written by Dimo Hyun Jun Kim, Osker David Aguirre, and Joann Malory Miese with music by Bryan Michaels and TaeHo Park.

Featured in the new musical are:Abigail Choi Arader, Lyndon Adolf Manuel Apostol, Jennifer Sun Bell, John Bernos, Emma Magbanua, Eunice Ye-In Lee, Gena Baek, Anna Kaskeeva, Tenzin Yeshi Tim Jim Lim, Brandon English, Maddie Lucas, Joy Yang and Jiwon Jeon. Show opens on Thursday, August 15th and the production will run through Sunday, August 25th in the Los Angeles Theatre Center at 514 S Spring St.

COMFORT WOMEN: A NEW MUSICAL first premiered at Theatre at St. Clements in 2015, revived the Off-Broadway production at Peter Jay Sharp Theatre in 2018 and was nominated for Best Off-Broadway Musical by BroadwayWorld and has received critical acclaim for shedding a light on the horrific story of 'comfort women' and featured the first all-Asian Off-Broadway cast led by an East Asian native.

Set in Korea under Japanese colonial rule, COMFORT WOMEN tells the story of a Korean teenage girl named Goeun who embarks on a journey to Tokyo to make money for her family, but ends up at a 'comfort station' in Indonesia, where hundreds of teenage girls were abducted and forced to become sex slaves, also known as 'comfort women,' for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. The musical revolves around the stories of Goeun and other 'comfort women,' and the audience witnesses how such a tragedy can permanently and painfully transform the life of a young woman.

Based on true war crimes committed by the Japanese Imperial Army, 'comfort women' included girls as young as 14, who were promised with well-paying jobs abroad but instead were taken to islands in Indonesia to forcefully serve as sex slaves for 50 to 100 soldiers a day. Many died from the horrendous mistreatments, and the small number of survivors still alive today are scarred forever, living in shame and reluctant to speak out about what happened to them.

It is an important and relevant story crafted by Asian American director Dimo Kim, who wishes the world to better understand how such a tragedy permanently and painfully transformed the lives of so many Korean women. To this day, the Korean community around the world continues to work on raising awareness and recognition of these atrocities committed during WWII. In 2017, the City of Glendale even became involved in this issue when they raised a statue that honors women who were forced to become comfort women. Ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case calling for the removal of the statue, reaffirming Glendale's right to erect the statue.

COMFORT WOMEN: A NEW MUSICAL features Director Dimo Hyun Jun Kim, choreography by Natanal Hyun Kim and music direction by Wani Han, set design by Choul Lee, lighting design by Byung Chul Lee, sound design by Tae Jong Park. Production Stage Manager is Courtney Rhodes, Assistant Stage Managers are Denise Kah and Beth Scorzato. Assistant Director Yuri Kwag and Company Manager Emi Chun.

This production is hosted by Steve Chun, producer of MOIM Foundation.

Performances are on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:00 PM with matinees on Saturdays at 2 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. There are also Sunday evening performances at 7 PM.

Tickets $29.99-$44.99 www.comfortwomenmusical-la.org

 

 

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