Koreans Never Fail to Amuse Me.

I arrived at the Union Square Theater with low expectations for Break Out. After all, “it was not funny or entertaining,” claims one reviewer. Another critic asserts that those with impeccable taste in theater would not enjoy this show. In that case, I do not have impeccable taste–this Korean dance comedy had me laughing hysterically! Break Out, a nonverbal dance comedy, is a humorous 75-minute laugh riot filled with entertaining humor and dance.

Break Out tells the story of five men who are desperate to escape prison. Upon the arrival of a holy text, the group attempts to ‘break out.’ They enjoy a brief moment of freedom before they are rounded up by police officers. During their run from the authorities, they encounter nurses and flirt with nuns, giving the audience plenty of reasons to laugh.

Break Out’s humor can best be described as family-friendly slapstick. Its corny style is often a bit childish and silly. In one instance, the five men goof off and mock their uncompromising and buffoonish security guards. One poor lad gets caught repeatedly, resulting in several rather humorous beatings. After escaping from the guards, the motley crew eventually runs to a hospital. Hilarity ensues as one of the comedy’s protagonists winds up in bed with another man. At this point, one little girl in front of me turned to her mother and said, “I don’t get it, mommy.” Let’s hope she won’t understand for a few more years.

The dance aspect of the show also successfully delivered. At various moments throughout the performance, the dancers would burst out break-dancing. They swung their legs around their bodies without letting their legs touch the ground and rolled around in circles on their shoulders. The dancing was amazing, to say the least. However, it would’ve been markedly better if the show included more dance segments as opposed to the occasional five-minute performances. In addition, two of the three female performers are presented in a very sexist way. They dance in a Britney Spears-like fashion with tiny skirts and are unable to perform the same moves as the men.

Break Out’s interaction with the audience was superb and entertaining. At various points throughout the show, the guards would shine a flashlight upon one member of the audience (always the same one) and tell him he looked like a frog. The audience laughed as the guards hopped away while “ribbiting.” Furthermore, one lucky audience member is invited on stage to portray a terrorist carrying a grenade. The chosen lucky lady stood upon the stage with a frightened look, holding a sign above her head that read, “Do not try this at home,” while grenades were wrapped around her waist.

Overall, Break Out was a silly yet comical show that left one in awe of the immense talents of the performers. The show was so great that I went to see it twice!