'Maybe Happy Ending' triumphs with 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical
Broadway hit adapted from a Korean musical caps winning streak at Tonys
This year's Tony Awards marked a milestone for the tender and ingenious musical "Maybe Happy Ending," a heartwarming South Korean robot romance that began its Broadway life at the Belasco Theatre in November 2024.
Despite being a newcomer, the production emerged as one of the evening's most celebrated winners, taking home six awards, including best musical, best book of a musical and best original score for longtime collaborators playwright and lyricist Park Chun-hue — also known as Hue Park — and composer Will Aronson.
The musical gained momentum by winning best book and best original score during the pre-show ceremony, then added best scenic design of a musical once the broadcast began. Director Michael Arden claimed best direction of a musical, further solidifying the show's creative achievement. Darren Criss, who plays Oliver, also won best leading actor in a musical, completing a triumphant night for the production.
Set in a near-future Seoul, 'Maybe Happy Ending' follows the story of Oliver and Claire — two outdated HelperBot androids discarded by their human owners — who find each other and form a bond neither expected. Starring Darren Criss as Oliver and Broadway newcomer Helen J. Shen as Claire, the show blends science fiction with poignant emotional realism, bringing to life themes of connection, obsolescence and hope.
"The musical's win marks the first successful transition of a small-scale Korean production from Seoul's Daehangno theater district to a major Broadway stage, earning recognition for both its artistic excellence and commercial viability. It also stands as a historic milestone, as it is the first time a Korean creator has won Tony Awards in the musical categories for best book and best score," Choi Seung-youn, a South Korean musical critic and professor, told The Korea Herald on Monday.
The sweep by "Maybe Happy Ending" came as little surprise, as the season had already been a remarkable winning streak for the musical, originally written in Korean by playwright and lyricist Park Chun-hue -- also known as Hue Park -- with music by longtime collaborator Will Aronson.
The duo, known for their bilingual productions, saw their work earn six honors at the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards, including outstanding musical. The show was also named best musical by the 89th New York Drama Critics' Circle and secured two major awards at the 91st Annual Drama League Awards: outstanding production of a musical and outstanding direction of a musical.
Formula for success
Experts say the success of "Maybe Happy Ending" is largely driven by its powerful universal themes.
Speaking last week at a conference at K-Musical Market, an annual showcase of Korean musicals, Sean Patrick Flahaven, chief theatricals executive of Concord Theatricals, remarked on the show's strength in the licensing market: 'It's not so much dependent on being a Korean story as it's a more universal story. So I think that's an important aspect to have — that a compelling specific story can have universality as well — and that kind of universality speaks to success in future licensing.'
The musical critic Choi shared that view. 'This achievement owes much to the show's universal themes. The story's portrayal of love and friendship between soon-to-be obsolete beings resonates deeply with audience members,' Choi said.
Choi also emphasized the impact of Will Aronson's refined and delicate score, particularly his enhancement of jazz numbers to give the music a distinctly 'American' resonance for Broadway audiences. 'Equally important were the meticulous scenic design and direction, which carefully rendered a digital world tailored to the emotional arc of the story,' she said.
'In the end, every element of the production came together in harmony to create a work of great beauty. And as a musical with a distinctly Korean identity, it also contributed meaningfully to Broadway's ongoing conversation around diversity and representation,' she added.
The show's origins go back to 2014, when it was developed with funding from Korea's Wooran Foundation. It premiered in Seoul in 2016 and ran for five seasons in small theaters in Daehangno, before its English-language adaptation made it to New York's Belasco Theatre in November 2024.
Marking the 10th anniversary of its creation, the original Korean-language version of "Maybe Happy Ending" will return to the stage in Seoul in October.
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