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Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- 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 Set in a near-future Seoul, 'Maybe Happy Ending' follows the story of Oliver and Claire — two outdated HelperBot androids discarded by their human owners — who find each other and form a bond neither expected.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
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Maybe Happy Ending' clinches Drama League and Critics' Circle awards
With the Tony Awards still ahead, the musical's winning streak may be far from over. In a landmark season for Korean theater on the international stage, 'Maybe Happy Ending' added two more accolades on Friday to its growing list of honors at the 91st Annual Drama League Awards. The Broadway adaptation of the beloved South Korean musical won outstanding production of a musical, and director Michael Arden was awarded outstanding direction of a musical. The wins mark another significant milestone in the show's journey from intimate Seoul theaters to Broadway's spotlight. Earlier this month, "Maybe Happy Ending" was also named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics' Circle, the second-oldest theater award in the U.S. after the Pulitzer Prize. The musical secured the majority vote on the first ballot, with 15 out of 23 New York-area drama critics backing the production. And the musical's winning streak may be far from over. It has garnered 10 nominations at the upcoming 78th Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical for Arden, and Best Actor in a Musical for Darren Criss. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 8. Set in a near-futuristic 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 is the result of a long-standing collaboration between Korean playwright and lyricist Park Chun-hue, also known as Hue Park, and American composer Will Aronson. Together, they are nominated for three Tony Awards: best musical, best original score and best book of a musical. Aronson also received a separate nomination for best orchestrations, making him the most-nominated individual at this year's Tony Awards. The show's origins trace back to 2014, when it was first developed with support from Korea's Wooran Foundation. It premiered in Seoul in 2016 and ran for five seasons in intimate theaters, winning over audiences with its tender storytelling and cross-cultural musicality. Its English-language adaptation was first workshopped in New York in 2016 before finally reaching Broadway. Directed by Michael Arden, with orchestrations by Kim Scharnberg, the Broadway production opened at the Belasco Theatre in November 2024. As of late April, the production had surpassed 200 performances and $20.89 million in total box office revenue. Its run has been extended through January 17, 2026. Marking the 10th anniversary of its creation, the original Korean-language version of "Maybe Happy Ending" will return to the stage in Seoul this October.
Korea Herald
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Maybe Happy Ending' earns 10 Tony nominations
The first English-language production of the hit Korean musical by Park Chun-hue and Will Aronson touches hearts in New York theater scene 'Maybe Happy Ending,' a Broadway adaptation of the beloved South Korean musical, has earned 10 nominations at the 78th annual Tony Awards, including best musical, best direction of a musical for Michael Arden, and best actor in a musical for Darren Criss. This achievement places it alongside "Buena Vista Social Club" and "Death Becomes Her" as one of the most-nominated shows of the year. The winners will be announced at the ceremony on June 8. Set in a near-futuristic Seoul, "Maybe Happy Ending" tells the quietly moving story of Oliver and Claire — two outdated HelperBot androids who forge an unexpected emotional connection after being discarded by their human owners. Criss stars as Oliver, with Broadway newcomer Helen J Shen portraying Claire. The musical was originally written in Korean by playwright and lyricist Park Chun-hue, also known as Hue Park, with music by Will Aronson — longtime collaborators on bilingual productions. Park and Aronson are nominated together for three Tony Awards — best musical, best original score and best book of a musical — while Aronson also picked up a fourth nomination for best orchestrations, making him this year's most-nominated individual at the Tonys. The duo's recent project, "Il Tenore," which premiered in Seoul in 2023, also won top honors including the grand prize and composition award at a major Korean musical awards ceremony. First developed with support from Korea's Wooran Foundation in 2014, "Maybe Happy Ending" premiered in Seoul in 2016 following a series of readings and tryouts. It became a beloved hit over five seasons in 300-to-400-seat theaters. The English-language adaptation was first workshopped in New York in 2016. On Broadway, director Michael Arden and orchestrator Kim Scharnberg have brought the show to a wider international audience without sacrificing the work's emotional subtlety. Since opening at Broadway's Belasco Theatre in November 2024, "Maybe Happy Ending" has become a commercial and critical success. During the final week of December, it grossed over $1 million in ticket sales, with a seat occupancy rate of 99.52%, according to Its strong performance led to an extension through Jan. 17, 2026. As of late April, the show has surpassed 200 performances and grossed over $20.89 million. In addition to its Tony nominations, 'Maybe Happy Ending' has been nominated for four Drama League Awards, including outstanding production of a musical, outstanding direction, and distinguished performance. Marking the 10th anniversary of its creation, the original Korean-language version of "Maybe Happy Ending" will return to the stage in Seoul this October.
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
What the Tony nominations got right — and wrong
Pity poor Jake Gyllenhaal. Rich, original and cliché-free, his riveting, Tony Award-worthy Iago was, in fact, as dynamic and distinctive a Shakespearean performance as Broadway has seen in years. And yet the show that surrounded him, 'Othello' starring Denzel Washington, was so otherwise dismal that Tony nominators could not see beyond the noise and confusion to find the one living, breathing reason to spend the big bucks at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. A cautionary tale: Do great work in a bad production and Tony nominators likely will pass you by. But the reverse can be true, too. The number one reason the Tony-nominated 'Maybe Happy Ending, ' a sweet and deeply thoughtful romance between two retired robots, was such a sleeper hit was the achingly vulnerable performance of Helen J. Shen. Guess who did not get a Tony nomination. Darren Criss was impressive in that show, too, but his was a stylized and somewhat self-protected performance that relied on his well-honed technique. Playing a robot with abandonment issues, Shen laid out her heart at the Belasco Theatre. There's no question Nicole Scherzinger produced the most astonishing musical performance of the Broadway season. But the second best? Shen's work, for sure. Pity David Foster, too. Here you have an enormously accomplished, 75-year-old composer — 16 Grammy Awards, co-writing credits on megahits like Earth Wind and Fire's 'After the Love Has Gone,' Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing' and Chicago's 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry,' to name but three — who dreamed up a delightful and fully accessible score for 'Boop! The Musical.' This lush, dreamy and string-heavy affair is so instantly pleasing to the ear that director Jerry Mitchell is able to persuade the audience to enthusiastically sing along with a number, 'Why Look Around the Corner,' they'd heard for the first time just a few minutes earlier. Foster, who also penned one of the season's best new songs in 'Where I Wanna Be,' lost out on the nomination list to the cheerfully rudimentary score for 'Real Women Have Curves.' I doubt many who had been in that show's audience could tell you the name of a single song one day later. But Foster, a Canadian who has worked mostly in Hollywood, has never been a Broadway insider and no nomination came for him. An egregious omission. 'Death Becomes Her' is a very entertaining show, score included, but it's a lively pastiche. The music in 'Boop!' is far superior to that, too. Tony nominations are complicated affairs: Since the competitive field is different in every category, some illogicalities are inevitable. Director David Cromer's work on 'Good Night, and Good Luck' was far more complex, and yet more impressive, than his work on 'Dead Outlaw,' a fine and worthy show but very much in his pre-existing wheelhouse. The Tony nomination went to the wrong one; the same was true for lighting designer Heather Gilbert, whose work on the George Clooney CBS studio extravaganza was simply astonishing. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' 'Purpose' rightly enjoyed many nominations, but the most complicated performance on that stage, the one from Alana Arenas, was missed. And both Michael McKean and Bill Barr were better than Bob Odenkirk in 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' which is no knock on Odenkirk; he just wasn't cast in the best role for him. To their credit, the Tony nominators did indeed nominate the best five new plays of the year, and I have few quibbles with nominators' choices for best leading actor and actress in either play or musical. It was good to see Danya Taymor nominated for her remarkable direction of 'John Proctor is the Villain,' a work of such craft that she made a mostly predictable and overpraised play feel exciting and spontaneous. Precisely how Brooks Ashmanskas could be considered a featured performer in 'Smash,' — despite seeming to be present at every moment in a problematic musical he basically held together by sheer force of personality — is a mystery to me. But he deserves some nod for that feat of endurance, anyway. Nominators flipped far more than me for 'Buena Vista Social Club,' a formulaic musical in every way except for the excitement generated by its music. And while I greatly enjoyed 'Death Becomes Her,' a show that survived a very quiet change in its lead producer, its whopping 10 nominations perhaps go too far. Award slates are always going to start arguments, of course. But the painful truth in a spring where few of the new musicals are grossing enough to cover their weekly running costs is that shows beyond the Best Musical nominees are going to struggle to survive the summer. We'll have to see how much audiences agree with the Tony nominations; sometimes they pick different favorites. Originally Published: May 2, 2025 at 10:47 AM CDT
