Kim's Convenience NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (108)
See it if you like a story that is universal in scope and yet semi-autobiographical heart felt!
Don't see it if you do not have a heart as this show makes one appreciate parents and sacrifice!
See it if If you want to learn Korean History and culture and you love laughing and a heartfelt moment or two.
Don't see it if If you are prejudice about cultures that differ from your life.
See it if Engrossing - about different generational aspirations and expectations. Excellent cast.
Don't see it if You are not open-minded
See it if you are looking for a great laugh. It's the best pull-at-your-heart-strings, but feel-good 90-ish (non-musical) minutes of the year.
Don't see it if you don't like to laugh, you don't understand Canadian humor or you are not interesting immigrant stories
See it if you want to see a nuanced portrayal of an Asian immigrant parent (the father speaks loudly, but his words have lots of subtext & meaning).
Don't see it if you prefer to see immigrants as caricatures/cliches. You want a heavy drama or only comedy; this has both light & heavy moments. Read more
See it if If you want to see a day in the life of an immigrant couple with their American-raised kids. Very relevant and true to the culture.
Don't see it if You don't enjoy a slice of life type of story or prefer a really exciting, action-apcked story.
See it if you like touching family sagas and raw, realistic narratives about immigration and gentrification. The whole audience laughed and cried.
Don't see it if you want a fluffier show or a spectacle w/ many moving parts. The pacing was also a bit uneven, likely to ease non-immigrants into the story
See it if This show was wonderful. Apparently it's become a Canadian sitcom, with the same actors. Great writing. Heartwarming story. Funny.
Don't see it if you are offended by stereotypes - stereotyping other people (a very funny bit though not PC). Saw it closing. Love it, so reviewed anyway.
Critic Reviews (23)
“Sentimental, familiar and generically feel-good…Even if the setup weren’t so rote, Mr. Choi’s script invites déjà vu with dialogue and behavior that work slight variations on hoary comic templates…But something began to shift for me in ‘Kim’s Convenience’ about two-thirds of the way through…This was not just the magic of the fine performances…The play’s questions of gratitude and ingratitude, and its exploration of the equivocal meanings of starting over, no longer felt rote at all.”
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"A sharply drawn comedy...Choi takes the conventions of immigrant-family sitcoms and deftly inverts them with a few hairpin plot twists, suffusing the 90-minute play with unexpected feeling."
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“The play, while largely grounded in honest realism, does slip into sit-com shortcuts, including a pat, albeit touching, ending that could perhaps be better earned after a longer and deeper examination of the family at its center…As perfectly embodied by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Mr. Kim is a conglomeration of determination, stubbornness, and frustration, all of which the play couches in humor, so that Mr. Kim comes off as a sort of Korean Archie Bunker.”
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"Superbly written, beautifully performed and perfectly staged...The situation comedy elements evolve into a moving family drama. In 85 minutes, playwright Ins Choi achieves the supreme goal of The Theater, making an audience laugh while engaging their emotions...Mengesha’s vital staging tenderly realizes the author’s vision with its steady pace and sensitive performances...Like many of the great works of dramatic literature, the power of 'Kim’s Convenience' lies in its polished simplicity."
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"For all the amusing banter and comic physical shtick, this little play has its more serious side and an endearing, tender heartbeat. Best of all, in just 90 minutes, playwright Ins Choi has managed to juggle and satisfactorily connect a number plot strands...Good as all the performances are, the real star is Ken MacKenzie's terrifically detailed recreation of the store...Do take advantage of this chance to see this human comedy in its live and lively original permutation."
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"One of the most endearing and sincere plays I’ve seen in a while...It’s not often a tight-knit family comedy works so wonderfully...Weyni Mengesha’s direction is flawless, allowing her cast to play with power through calculated volume and movement where it matters...While 'Kim’s Convenience' is a joy to experience, its sentimentality (unlike many sitcoms) isn’t overbearing, maintaining that feel-good quality many plays fail to achieve."
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"A hilarious, heartwarming and poignant look at the immigrant experience...The play touches upon every emotion that one can endeavor to experience in ninety minutes, all real, all empathetic, all profoundly human. It is in its beautiful humanity that Choi’s work shines and captures our hearts...Choi builds the arc of his conflicts so seamlessly that we are gratified at the natural order of resolution...This production is absolutely must-see smashing."
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“Beautifully crafted…A typical but immensely engaging story of first-generation immigrants and their children…This story is universal…It’s profoundly solid ground Choi places these three on with his intricate and simple storytelling and dialogue…It’s real, powerful, funny, and solid, and it is a night at the theater that makes me grateful to Soulpepper for bringing it to New York. In the same way, it feels like it is the perfect time for this tale to be told here in America.”
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