Comfort Women: A New Musical revolves around a young Korean woman, Goeun, who was promised a job in Japan, but is soon transported to Indonesia as one of the Comfort Women – women who were sold as sex slaves for the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII. The story explores how such a tragedy can permanently and painfully transform the life of a young woman. As the first ever all-Asian Off-Broadway cast led by an East Asian director, the show sold out in 2015. It was also nominated for Best Off-Broadway Musical by BroadwayWorld.

Comfort Women: A Musical is in its second run in New York after premiering in 2015. The musical tells the true story of women enslaved during World War II as sex slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army. Written and directed by Dimo Hyun Jun Kim, it is the first Off-Broadway show with an all-Asian cast and an East Asian director. Costars Roni Shelley Perez and Emily Su, along with co-producer Matthew Thomas Burda, shared some insights on their experiences working on such an intense, emotional production.   Roni Shelley Perez (Goeun Kim) What drew you to be part of Comfort Women: A Musical? I saw the listing on Playbill.com and auditioned. I did some more research about the topic after submitting [my headshot and resume] and thought that this would be an amazing story to tell and inform the general public. How did you first learn of it? I honestly knew nothing until I saw the listing and did my own personal research of the overall topic. After I told my cousin about the show, she told me that her great-great-grandmother had loved ones who were comfort women. What do you hope the audience thinks about after seeing the show? I hope the audience is informed more about this issue, tha …Read more