Break Out!

Podcast
idc-break-out 

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Break Out!

I had high expectations for “Break Out” because last spring I had seen the show “Jump” which was produced by the same producers. “Jump” was a comical performance based on martial arts and when I learned that “Break Out” was something similar I really wanted to see it. I was more excited about this one because it is a hip-hop dance comedy and I was happy to see that it fulfilled my expectations. The show was great! I do not remember laughing that hard in months! Although I loved the show, I have to say that there are aspects of the show that can alienate certain groups of people.

“Break Out” is a slapstick comedy where the characters do not speak verbally and they only speak through body language. Although we can still fully understand the story, understanding the plot is not important in getting all the funny moments. The plot is about 5 prisoners that escape from jail. They all have different characteristics that make them funny. There is an old man that is the leader, a perverted man that makes jokes, a clumsy and dumb man who causes trouble, a flirty man who flirts with the females and a really strong man who does all the hard work. The funniest character was the clumsy one because he could not understand what was going on and would do stupid acts. The other characters include the guard who chases after them throughout the play and three females who change from guards, to nurses and then to nuns.

The best part about the play besides the comedy was the dancing. Everyone was so skilled. Their moves were very complex but the dancers made it look so easy that it awed the audience. The characters would randomly break out into dancing in different parts of the story and each time the dancing was amazing.

Although I had a great night, this show probably will not be as popular to the public. The humor is very funny but, it is basic slap-stick humor and people who prefer more “sophisticated” performances may find the show childish. Also the show has a Korean origin and sometimes the humor is very different from the humor we are used to. Lots of Koreans I know have seen it and loved the show. Being Korean, I found everything funny. But like when I watched “Jump”, I could not help but that the humor would not be funny to many people that have not really been exposed to it before. At the show, I could see that a vast majority of the audience was Korean. This shows how limited the show is. For Koreans, it is a great fun show that they will totally understand. But for other ethnicities some jokes may be confusing.

Some people will have their stress relieved and will be laughing until their stomach hurts watching “Break Out”. But others will be bored and think the show is immature. If the producer’s target audience was Koreans they did a great job but if they were targeting everyone, they seem to have failed. It is up to the individual to decide whether they like it or not. But my decision is that it is a hilarious and incredible show!