Kim's Convenience NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (108)
See it if you have lived the comic insanity of family relations. Even if you are not Korean their hilarious interactions will touch your heart.
Don't see it if realistic family dramomedy makes you uncomfortable. Parents of grown children coming to terms with the people they have raised.
See it if you want to laugh, think and feel; excellently written, acted, directed. Two generations fight out being in a new country - lovingly.
Don't see it if empathizing with the idea of being a foreigner in a strange new world isn't your cup of Korean tea. Read more
See it if you enjoy sit-com style fast, clever repartee, related to intergenerational conflict, are a parent or a child, or have faced tough choices.
Don't see it if You dislike comedy, TV-style sit-com pace and humor, prefer classic themes to modern ones
See it if Touching family drama with many funny moments, beautifully performed. Several audience members were in tears.
Don't see it if You are not interested in the impact of the immigrant experience across generations.
See it if you like a play that is: both funny and poignant; about struggles within a family;and is one of Canada's most popular shows ever.
Don't see it if you don't like a play about struggles of an immigrant family, the Korean culture and assimilation, or isn't edgy or political.
See it if You like family stories. You like immigrant stories. You like finding familiarities in plays. You like to laugh.
Don't see it if You just don't get the immigrant stories. You don't know how to connect with people.
See it if curious about new dramas that focus on the Korean-American experience; like short and plucky pieces that are well-written and performed.
Don't see it if you dislike dramas about the American Dream and/or immigrant & first-generation people; aren't one for family dramas; need a lot of action. Read more
See it if a fan of resonant, relatable family dynamics, portrayed with palpable warmth & slow burn; multifaceted immigrant vs adopted country tale
Don't see it if you need fast pace, snappy dialogue, elaborate set or costumes; this is a quiet drama that unfolds with heart, affection & hard-won insights Read more
Critic Reviews (23)
“The play is a well-written episode of a sitcom replete with ethnic, sexist, and racist encumbrances...Under Mengesha’s astute direction, the ensemble cast tackles their characters with a high level of believability…If sitcom is something an audience member likes, then ‘Kim’s Convenience’ works as likable product. If one is looking for something a bit more serious related to generation gaps and cultural conflicts, one might find oneself wondering what all the hooting and hollering is all about.”
Read more
“A funny but glib comedy…It offers many laugh lines…‘Kim’s Convenience’ has less in common with any authentic-feeling glimpses into the life of new immigrants than it does with ‘All in the Family’…By the end almost all the conflicts and tensions are resolved, in ways that are more humorous or sentimental than realistic. You laugh, you smile, you might even sigh, but you leave knowing that the happy endings in ‘Kim’s Convenience’ are too convenient to be wholly satisfying.”
Read more
"The early scenes are hilarious...Lee is a force of nature as Appa. Simon captures all the right notes for the daughter...There are many objective grounds on which I could find fault, but the play overcame them all with its heartwarming, universal look at the immigrant family experience and intergenerational conflicts. The situations occasionally veer close to sitcom humor and become predictable, but the execution is so flawless that resistance is futile. I had a good time."
Read more
"A beautifully written (and frequently insightful) family dramedy...The production remains fresh and warmly funny with its original cast intact...Choi balances his upbeat view of the relations between Blacks and Asians with a few reminders of the reality of life running a bodega...This is not a weighty play. There is lots of humor in its 90 minutes. The play’s main weakness is the underdeveloped characters of the mother and the son...Nevertheless, the play is worth seeing."
Read more
"A funny and poignant play...There is no mention of gentrification, yet it is palpably present in this scenario. In fact, change and cultural/generational differences and misunderstandings are a big part of the humor and heart. The set is fully stocked, all the details of a corner store compactly and intricately laid out. Under Weyni Mengesha’s adroit direction, 'Kim’s Convenience' holds our regard."
Read more
"Its themes are universal, touching on our relationships with the people around us...The play illustrates the ways in which we do or don’t communicate our expectations of one another to each other...The play...alternates between the comedic and the dramatic, keeping the piece from getting maudlin, and moving it along nicely. Choi has a good ear for the way people really talk, and the cast of five is very strong, keeping you engaged all the way through."
Read more
"Handles heavy issues with sharp humor and heart...And unlike the majority of comedies featuring minorities, it feels like the audience is laughing with the Kims, not at them, which is refreshing...It’s not a perfect play...It would be nice for the women to be just a bit more involved...Overall though, 'Kim’s Convenience' is a fantastic and timely play...The gifted cast brings to life Choi’s intelligent play. 'Kim’s Convenience' is thoughtful, heartwarming and gut-bustingly funny all at once."
Read more
"A hilariously poignant play...Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, as Appa, leads the comedic pack by becoming the central figure of the play’s laughs and drama...Simon is so bright and intelligent on stage...Set designed perfectly by Ken MacKenzie, in this little, variety store, an audience laughed and cried with the fullness of their heart. Hence, Ins Choi deserves all the success of his now sitcom/play because not every writer can give you every clear emotion to humanity. "
Read more