As an original South Korean musical, Maybe Happy Ending tied for the most Tony-nominated musical alongside Death Becomes Her and Buena Vista Social Club. At this year’s Tony Awards, Maybe Happy Ending stole the show by winning six out of the 10 nomination categories. Some of the notable categories won by the musical include Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Musical. Here’s why Maybe Happy Ending is the most Tony-Awarded Musical of 2025.
The creation and writing of the musical was done by South Korean lyricist and theater writer Hue Park alongside American composer and writer Will Aronson. The Korean version of Maybe Happy Ending initially premiered in Seoul at the Daemyung Cultural Factory in 2016. Later, the English version was first performed in Atlanta at the Alliance Theater in 2020. Eventually, the musical made its way to Broadway, where it premiered in 2024 at the Belasco Theater.
Heartfelt and Comedic Writing
The writing, which is the foundation of the entire musical, really set the tone for the positive reception of Maybe Happy Ending. The story is set in a futuristic version of Seoul and follows two helper bots named Oliver (Darren Criss) and Claire (Helen J. Shen). As outdated helper bots whose owners have abandoned them, the two navigate the theme of love in the face of becoming obsolete. Their journey as strangers to friends, who eventually form a romantic bond, interrogates human identity and their role beyond being of service to their owners.
For a Broadway musical, Maybe Happy Ending has a small cast size, with the story centering mainly on Oliver and Claire. Despite the limited characters, the dialogue is brilliant at keeping you engaged throughout the entire performance. As a romantic comedy musical, a lot of the banter between the two characters is comedic and heartfelt. Oliver and Claire’s interactions feel authentic for helper bots cosplaying being humans. In addition, the music score effectively elevates the dialogue by helping us understand the thought process behind each character’s decision. Due to their outstanding script, both Park and Aronson won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.
Impeccable Acting and Intentional Directing
Criss and Shen carried a lot of the weight of the show since Maybe Happy Ending doesn’t have an intermission. This makes them the primary characters you see on stage from the beginning to the end of the musical. The acting shines through with Criss’ robotic expressions and facial features as the helper bot 3 model. Shen, who plays a more advanced helper bot 5 model, is more human-like in expression, subtly indicating the distinct features between the two helper bots.
The foundation of Oliver and Claire’s romance is friendship, which allows you to witness their heartfelt transition to lovers. The actors give emotionally gripping performances that pull at your heartstrings. Watching naïve helper bots who don’t quite understand human behavior attempt to mimic said behavior is fun to experience through the actors. Half the comedic relief was through the body language and facial expressions of the actors. The act of making you laugh while evoking deep emotions within you is a balancing act that the actors in Maybe Happy Ending mastered.
We cannot talk about the amazing acting without mentioning the intentional directing by actor and theater director Michael Arden. His vision for the Maybe Happy Ending is actualized not only through his direction of the actors, but the holistic alignment of this entire musical production. The cohesiveness of the storytelling through the cast, music score, costume design, set design, and light design reflects his intentionality as a director. This is proven by his Tony Award win for Best Direction of a Musical.
Stunning Set and Lighting Design
One of the biggest highlights of Maybe Happy Ending is the scenic set design that is elevated by the enchanting lighting effects. The mechanics of experiencing a moving set create a dynamic viewing experience for you as an audience member. As the predominant set throughout the musical, Oliver and Claire’s bedrooms are placed side by side. They are contrasted by Claire’s pink background and Oliver’s blue background, whose colors are magnetic in display. Having access to both moving sets allows you to experience both characters individually and together with ease. Bypassing the need to change the set design after each scene is time-effective—it keeps the story progressing without losing your attention.
It is on brand for a musical about helper bots to incorporate technological effects using pre-recorded videos and animations in the background of the stage. Whenever the characters are tapping into the archive of their memories, a video display is projected on the stage. In a scene where Claire is explaining fireflies to Oliver, a digital projection of a firefly is displayed using captivating imagery that immerses you into the minds of the helper bots.
Eventually, when Claire and Oliver both experience fireflies in person, you’re immersed in an enchanting experience. With a practically dark stage, you slowly witness many dotted bright lights shine throughout the stage. As a viewer, you feel like one of the characters on stage due to the experience of being fully immersed in the story. Maybe Happy Ending creates a unique viewership experience that effectively incorporates technology through the traditional medium of a theater production.
Despite the uphill battle of getting this musical to Broadway, its triumphant success affirms the value of quality theater productions. It is a reminder that even with only two characters, strong writing can be elevated into a transformative musical production. Ultimately, Maybe Happy Ending proves that we need more original musicals and plays on Broadway.
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