'Maybe Happy Ending' continues its Broadway ascent with Drama Desk sweep
Winning streak fuels Tony Award hopes
'Maybe Happy Ending,' the Broadway adaptation of the beloved South Korean musical, added to its accolades on Sunday, taking home six honors at the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards in New York.
Among the night's biggest winners, the show claimed outstanding musical and outstanding director for Michael Arden. Writers Will Aronson and Park Chun-hue, also known as Hue Park, achieved a sweep in the musical writing categories, winning outstanding music, lyrics, and book of a musical.
These wins mark a major milestone in the show's remarkable journey from small theaters in Seoul to the heart of Broadway. Last month, 'Maybe Happy Ending' was also named best musical by the New York Drama Critics' Circle — America's second-oldest theater award after the Pulitzer Prize.
Sunday's win fuels hopes for the show's prospects at the upcoming Tony Awards, for which the musical earned 10 nominations, including best musical, best direction for Arden and best actor in a musical for Darren Criss. The winners will be announced at the 78th Annual Tony Awards on June 8.
Set in a near-future Seoul, 'Maybe Happy Ending' follows the story of Oliver and Claire — two outdated HelperBot androids discarded by their human owners — who find each other and form a bond neither expected.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 themes of connection, obsolescence and hope to life.
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 Daehagno, 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.
gypark@heraldcorp.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
dotmill, Korean immersive content specialist, creates content for the Las Vegas Sphere
- Content direction and production for the world's largest spherical LED display, the Sphere - Co-produced with Galaxy Corporation, demonstrating Korea's immersive content capabilities on the global stage SEOUL, South Korea, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- South Korea's immersive content specialist dotmill participated in the content direction and production for the world's largest spherical LED display, the Sphere, located in Las Vegas, USA. This project was carried out in partnership with Galaxy Corporation, making dotmill the first Korean company to directly produce content for the Sphere. The Sphere is an ultra-large spherical media façade measuring 157 meters in diameter and 111 meters in height. It stands as the world's only immersive LED screen capable of a full 360-degree panoramic display. Due to its enveloping structure and curved surface, the platform demands sophisticated graphic design and spatial analysis, making it an iconic stage accessible to only a few global content producers. dotmill collaborated closely with Galaxy Corporation across the entire project spectrum—from planning and direction to production—crafting a new form of immersive content optimized for the Sphere's structural characteristics and immersive environment. The final content serves as part of a major Korean financial group's brand campaign. It opens with a scene where the "Daisy" motif and logo, symbolic of the brand's model, visually converge in outer space. Viewers are then immersed in the brand message through expressive digital artwork and cinematic production techniques. "The Sphere is not merely a colossal screen but a platform that requires an entirely new approach to content, both in terms of its physical structure and viewing environment. This project demanded technical interpretation and visual strategies vastly different from traditional video production processes, and we believe it is highly meaningful that we were able to meet those challenges successfully. Through our collaboration with Galaxy Corporation, we were able to demonstrate that dotmill's technological prowess and creativity are truly competitive on the global stage," a dotmill spokesperson commented. dotmill is a South Korean media-tech firm specializing in immersive content, including extended reality (XR), interactive media, and production and operations of theme attractions powered by digital twin technology. With a strong portfolio spanning major exhibition halls, urban content, and multi-purpose cultural spaces, the company plans to further solidify its global market position following the Sphere project. - About dotmill (KRX: 464580 KQ) Founded in 2015, dotmill is a leading South Korean immersive content specialist that plans, produces, and operates content based on extended reality (XR), interactive media, and digital twin technologies. With a unique blend of technical expertise and creative storytelling, dotmill is driving innovation in the global immersive content industry. The company has built a strong global reputation through a diverse portfolio of high-profile projects. These include content production for BLACKPINK's debut stage in 2016, holographic stage direction for BTS at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), immersive content production for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and the planning and production of the BTS exhibition series from 2023 to 2024. More recently, dotmill directed content for Samsung Electronics' THE WALL showcased at ISE 2025 and participated in the Las Vegas Sphere content project in 2025—further cementing its position as a pioneer in immersive media on the global stage. In addition to commissioned works, dotmill develops and operates its own immersive attraction IPs, including Lunafall, OPCI, Glow Safari, and Waterworld, offering innovative experiences that seamlessly blend physical spaces with digital content. Headquartered in Seoul, dotmill was listed on the KOSDAQ in 2024 and continues to expand globally with the vision of transforming the immersive content landscape—from planning and production to promotion and marketing.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
'Maybe Happy Ending' continues its Broadway ascent with Drama Desk sweep
Winning streak fuels Tony Award hopes 'Maybe Happy Ending,' the Broadway adaptation of the beloved South Korean musical, added to its accolades on Sunday, taking home six honors at the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards in New York. Among the night's biggest winners, the show claimed outstanding musical and outstanding director for Michael Arden. Writers Will Aronson and Park Chun-hue, also known as Hue Park, achieved a sweep in the musical writing categories, winning outstanding music, lyrics, and book of a musical. These wins mark a major milestone in the show's remarkable journey from small theaters in Seoul to the heart of Broadway. Last month, 'Maybe Happy Ending' was also named best musical by the New York Drama Critics' Circle — America's second-oldest theater award after the Pulitzer Prize. Sunday's win fuels hopes for the show's prospects at the upcoming Tony Awards, for which the musical earned 10 nominations, including best musical, best direction for Arden and best actor in a musical for Darren Criss. The winners will be announced at the 78th Annual Tony Awards on June 8. 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 themes of connection, obsolescence and hope to life. 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 Daehagno, 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. gypark@
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
K-Musical Market opens with focus on global collaboration, financial sustainability
The fifth edition of the K-Musical Market kicked off Monday in Daehangno, Seoul's vibrant small theater district, launching a weeklong program aimed at strengthening Korea's position in the global musical theater ecosystem. Opening with a forum titled 'Evolving Factors Behind Box Office Success in the Global Musical Market,' the event brought together leading producers, licensing executives and cultural policymakers from Korea, the US, the UK, Japan and China to exchange insights on international trends and sustainable growth strategies. 'Korea has been a growing territory for at least 20 years and we look forward to more growth here. We look forward to learning more about unique Korean musicals that can find a wider audience in the rest of the world and we look forward to representing more,' said Sean Patrick Flahaven, chief theatricals executive of Concord Theatricals. He also emphasized the qualities that make musicals successful in licensing markets, with the example of 'Maybe Happy Ending,' a Tony-nominated musical adapted from the original Korean work. 'It's not so much dependent on being a Korean story as it is 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.' Erica Lynn Schwartz, vice president of theatrical programming for ATG Entertainment, echoed the need for a broader vision by sharing her experience in producing "Moulin Rouge" at Colonial Theatre in Boston about 10 years ago. "The interest really was coming from the UK and Asia," she said, opening her eyes beyond Broadway. Both Flahaven and Schwartz acknowledged the financial challenges on Broadway, leading many producers to seek opportunities beyond Broadway. Referencing "Moulin Rouge" and "Suffs," she said, 'What I'm looking for is: What is the actual market to where we're going to be able to take these shows beyond Broadway … so it has to have a life on Broadway, but it also has to have a life beyond Broadway, or at least an audience where I know that there will be a sustainable financial model.' Presentations from Japan by ePlus and China by Star Space highlighted their unique musical markets. In his presentation, Daisuke Yokoyama, a senior executive from Japan's largest ticket platform ePlus, pointed out both structural differences and emerging synergies between the Japanese and Korean musical theater markets. He noted Japan's unique strength in producing "2.5-dimensional musicals" — shows adapted from anime, manga or games — which now make up about one-third of Japan's musical market and resonate especially with younger audiences. Meanwhile, original Korean musicals are gaining momentum in Japan, particularly in midsized venues of around 1,000 seats, aided by the global popularity of Korean content, including webtoons and streaming content. He proposed that Korean dynamism and Japanese delicacy in direction could lead to powerful co-productions, especially if paired with Broadway and West End business know-how. In a presentation on China's performing arts infrastructure, Jai Xuening, vice general manager of Shanghai Star Space Theater Management, introduced an ambitious, government-supported initiative that transforms commercial buildings and historic sites into clusters of small, modular theaters. Since its 2020 launch, flagship complexes like the Asia Mansion have housed up to 19 theaters under one roof, attracting over 70,000 ticketed audience members annually. Beyond presentations, the K-Musical Market includes musical pitching sessions, showcases, global meetings and over 300 business appointments, running through Friday. The K-Musical Market is presented by the Korea Arts Management Service and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
