KIM’S CONVENIENCE
First things first—this play is absolutely hilarious!!! Go see it! Dot, dash, end of story.
Well, not really the end of the story because you might like to know a bit more about Kim’s Convenience, the comedy that just opened at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown LA earlier this week.
(L–R) Brandon McKnight, Ins Choi, and Kelly Seo. Photo by Dahlia Katz, as is the one above.
On top of the humor, Kim’s Convenience is a very worthwhile and high-quality production. It began as a play in Canada in 2011, and then became the basis for an eponymous five-season sitcom in that country. That CBC TV series later went on to Netflix, (which means that we can see it in the States.) But…I had never even heard of it before I learned about this new production at the Ahmanson! That may be because, although Mr. X and I have two television systems, (featuring about a thousand channels, including all of the streaming ones,) I’m strictly a network girl.
So, in case you join me in my nescience, let me tell you the premise of the play. A Korean immigrant couple, the Kims, own a convenience store in Toronto. And they have two grown children—a son and daughter. And we’re seeing one significant day in their basic lives. In that brief time, they take us on quite the journey. Not only is it a laugh riot, but it gets pretty emotional in a few spots. And all of that in only seventy-five minutes!!! (The program says it’s ninety minutes, but I clocked it at seventy-five.)
The five-person cast—Kelly Seo, Brandon McKnight, Esther Chung, and Ryan Jinn, led by the playwright, Ins Choi, as Mr. Kim—is excellent. My favorite was actually Brandon, who plays a trio of characters, and makes them so distinct that I wasn’t sure if they were all the same actor! Or maybe triplets.
Kelly Seo and Brandon McKnight. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
There’s a section in the middle of the play where the father explains to the daughter how to tell who will steal from a store. I thought I was going to need oxygen from laughing so much.
To get serious for a moment, I know that there are many societal aspects to this play, but I don’t feel qualified to discuss them. All I know about Korea these days is their superior skincare! However, in theatre in general, I feel that there’s a dearth of stories about Asian immigrants, especially funny ones. And, not to get political here, but with all the evil being perpetrated by ICE, I’m extra-happy to see an all-minority-characters show. I really didn’t even think about any of that while I was chuckling, (and crying,) my butt off, so I’m suggesting that you, too, just enjoy the performance, and leave the analysis until later.
There’s actually so much interesting history to Kim’s Convenience, both the inspiration behind it and the several productions themselves. But since my thoughts here are a review of the current production, and not a term paper, I heavily suggest you research it all for yourselves if you’re curious.
However, I do have to add one tiny memory of my own that this show happily brought to the surface. (Of course I do! Have you met me?) It’s that my great-uncle Aaron owned the General Store in Penn’s Neck, New Jersey, when I was a kid. My family and I visited only once a year, but it made such a major impression on me. (Obvi!) I still know where so many items were stocked, especially the chocolate milk. He always told us to take anything we wanted!!! He made us the most delicious fresh sandwiches for lunch, and we just snacked away all day. I cannot even convey how magical it was.
Most of the set of Kim’s Convenience. Photo by Karen Salkin.
So when I saw the set for Kim’s Convenience, I wanted to jump right up on the stage and help myself again! I can confirm from that long-ago experience, (and from my current little neighborhood market that we all get a kick out of,) that this is a very authentic, perfect set. (I’m still wondering if the boxes and bags are filled, or if the set designer, Joanna You, was able to get all those food companies to send them empty boxes.) I also admired the clever way a church was indicated for one scene, (aided by Nicole Eun-Ju Bell’s colorful projections and Wen-Ling Liao’s lighting design,) without having to move anything around.
Esther Chung and Ryan Jinn in the scene at a church. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
On another little personal note, I enjoyed hearing mention of different streets and areas in Toronto because Mr. X and I have spent a lot of time in that city over the years. Whenever he’s starred in plays or musicals there, I’ve used most of my free time to shop all over town, so trust me when I tell you I know that city. And love it!
One last thought on the Opening Night of Kim’s Convenience at the Ahmanson, of something I really appreciated. There was more upbeat pre-show buzz there than ever! The place was absolutely humming with happiness! I bumped into people I had never seen at a theatre before, too. It was all really wonderful.
The entire evening reminded me of a valuable lesson Mr. X taught me years ago. We used to be regulars at very private weekly industry screenings, always of a famous current film. As most “important” movies are, the ones we saw there were somewhat heavy. Then after Toy Story 2, he pointed-out to me that, unlike the usual quick exits everyone made, the entire assemblage was hanging around, conversing very exuberantly with each other. I had not been a part of anything like that since then, until Kim’s Convenience opening night. Audience members were still in both lobbies for at least another half hour, chatting and smiling away!!! In all my years of attending the shows there, I have rarely seen that phenomenon. That’s what a wonderful play will do for you.
So it looks like now I’ll have to watch Netflix. Or better yet, just pay another visit to the Ahmanson in the next month. I hope to see you all there!
Kim’s Convenience running through April 19, 2026
Ahmanson Theatre 135 N. Grand Avenue
213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org
