25/8 Maybe Happy Ending Wins 2025 Tony Award for Best Musical

New York, June 2025 (Yonhap) — Maybe Happy Ending has finally found its own happy ending. The romantic musical comedy, which made its long-awaited Broadway debut this season, captured the 2025 Tony Award for Best Musical.

Starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen in her Broadway debut, the show tells an offbeat and captivating story of two obsolete robots learning that even machines can fall in love. Directed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden, the production features scenic design by Dane Laffrey and music, lyrics, and book by the acclaimed duo Will Aronson and Hue Park, recipients of the Richard Rodgers Award.

A Story About Robots — and Humanity

Set in a one-room apartment in Seoul, the musical follows Oliver, a Helperbot-3 long past his warranty date, who lives quietly with jazz records and his favorite plant. His monotonous life changes when he meets Claire, a fellow Helperbot who comes by to borrow a charger. What begins as a simple encounter soon sparks an unexpected connection and the possibility of a second chance at life — even for robots.

From Seoul to Broadway

The show’s journey to Broadway has been nearly a decade in the making. Maybe Happy Ending premiered at Lifeway Hall in Seoul in 2016 before traveling to Japan, China, and Atlanta. It earned “Musical of the Year” at the 2019 Korean Musical Awards. Originally written in both Korean and English under the title What I Learned From People, the musical was first introduced to New York audiences in a 2016 workshop presented by the Wooran Cultural Foundation.

Now, with Broadway audiences swept off their feet, Maybe Happy Ending has secured its place as one of the season’s most celebrated productions. The Tony win marks a major milestone for Korean musical theater on the global stage.

발행일 2025-08-15

reporter : Martin Seo