NEW YORK, NY.- Helen Park was tucked in bed in her New Jersey home when her talent agent texted her news of her Tony Award nomination. Park, the first Asian American female composer on Broadway, was nominated in the best score category for the Korean- and English-language musical “KPOP,” which follows three K-pop acts challenged by strict routines and personal struggles as they prepare for a U.S. concert tour.

“It was great to wake up to the news,” said Park, who wrote the show’s score and lyrics with Max Vernon. The production also received nominations for best choreography and costume design of a musical.

The Tonys recognition was significant given that “KPOP” struggled at the box office and closed after only 44 preview performances and 17 regular performances.

In an interview on Tuesday, Park reflected on her Broadway experience and the importance of productions that embrace the Asian American experience. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q: How does it feel to be nominated next to other members of the “KPOP” creative team?

A: A lot of us have been working on this show for eight years and for people to be recognized, it really feels like a celebration and recognition of the hard work that everybody put in.

Q: In a Playbill guest essay, you mentioned taking your son to see “KPOP” and how his favorite song was “Halfway,” sung by the biracial character Brad. How have Asian and Asian American audience members responded to the show?

A: Our show really spoke for them, the experience of being an immigrant and being in between cultures. I’m surrounded by those people. I am one of those people. My son is biracial. I belong to both American culture and Korean culture, and I speak both languages and sometimes I feel like I have no language of my own.

Q: How have you felt since it closed?

A: I’m still struggling with the closure of the show, because I do think that everyone who came to see the show really enjoyed it. It was a celebration of the genre and the diverse stories within the community of K-pop stars and Korean people.

We saw the potential and the growth of love toward the show after we opened. The fact that it was still too late to sustain the show — that was very painful.

Q: Will “KPOP” come back to Broadway?

A: I certainly won’t say no if anyone wants to bring it back! But, it feels like one step forward.

There are reasons K-pop is beloved across languages and cultures, and we wanted to capture that. This recognition definitely feels like an encouragement to continue. The more authentic we are to our respective cultures and stories, the richer the Broadway soundscape and landscape will be.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.