Maybe Happy Ending facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maybe Happy Ending
Korean theatre poster (2021 revival)
Music	Will Aronson
Lyrics	Hue Park Will Aronson
Book	Hue Park Will Aronson
Productions	2016 Seoul 2020 Atlanta US 2024 Broadway
Awards	Korean Musical Award – Musical of the Year (2019) Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Original Score Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical

Maybe Happy Ending is a popular musical from South Korea. The story is about two human-like robots, called helper-bots, named Oliver and Claire. They live in Seoul in the near future. After their owners no longer need them, they meet in their apartment building and form a special connection. The musical explores friendship, love, and what it means to be alive.

The show was first performed in Seoul in 2016 and was a huge hit. It won six Korean Musical Awards, including Best Musical. Maybe Happy Ending later came to Broadway in 2024, where it also received amazing reviews. It won six Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical.

How the Musical Was Created

The idea for Maybe Happy Ending began in a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York. In 2014, writer Hue Park heard the song "Everyday Robots" by Damon Albarn. A line in the song, "We are everyday robots in the process of getting home," made him imagine a world of lonely robots that looked and felt like people. At the time, Park was thinking about goodbyes in his own life. He realized that love means opening your heart, even if you know you might feel sad when it ends.

Park shared his idea with his friend, composer Will Aronson. They began writing the story together. They first created the show in both Korean and English. A small performance in Seoul in 2015 sold out in just three minutes. The English version of the show was later developed for an American audience and has some differences from the Korean version.

One interesting fact is that the writers left the ending open to interpretation. It's not clear if Claire truly erases her memories of Oliver. In Korea, the actresses playing Claire can decide for themselves each night.

The World of the Musical

The story is set in the near future, around the 2060s, in Seoul. Oliver and Claire are helper-bots who were made to help humans. Now, they live in a special apartment building for retired bots.

• Oliver is an older Helperbot-3 model. He is very durable but doesn't have the newest features.
• Claire is a newer Helperbot-5 model. She has many functions but uses up her battery power quickly.

The creators imagined a future where people are distant from each other. In this world, the older robots are the ones who are just discovering feelings and connections for the first time.

The Story of the Musical

A Robot's Lonely Life

Oliver, a Helperbot-3, lives a quiet life in his apartment. He spends his days listening to old jazz records, taking care of his houseplant, and waiting for his owner, James, to come back from a trip. Years pass, but Oliver keeps his faith that James will return ("World Within My Room").

One day, his neighbor Claire, a Helperbot-5, knocks on his door. Her charger is broken, and she needs to borrow his. Oliver is a bit grumpy but agrees. This starts a daily routine where Claire borrows his charger ("Charger Exchange Ballet").

An Unexpected Trip

One day, Claire doesn't show up. Oliver finds out she has fixed her charger. He also learns that her battery is starting to fail. Claire sees that Oliver has been saving up money to visit James on Jeju Island. Claire wants to go to Jeju Island too, because it's the only place left to see fireflies. She suggests they travel together in her car, and Oliver agrees ("Hitting the Road").

Since it's illegal for retired helper-bots to be out on their own, they pretend to be a human couple. They even make up a story about how they met ("The Rainy Day We Met").

Discovering New Feelings

On their way to the ferry, Claire's battery runs low. They stop at a motel for the night. While there, they watch the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day and laugh at how robots are shown in films. Claire starts to realize she enjoys being with Oliver ("How to Be Not Alone").

While Oliver is powered down, Claire looks at his memories. She discovers that James never planned to come back for Oliver. The next day, she tries to warn Oliver that he might be heartbroken ("What I Learned from People"). When they arrive at James's house, they meet James's son, Junseo. He tells them that James passed away years ago. Junseo gives Oliver a record that James left for him, showing that James did care.

Fireflies and Falling in Love

Even though he is sad, Oliver decides they should still go see the fireflies. In the forest, they are amazed by the sight of thousands of glowing bugs ("Chasing Fireflies").

When they return to Seoul, they realize they have fallen in love ("When You're in Love"). They know their time together is limited because Claire's body is starting to fail. They try to enjoy their time as a couple, but the thought of saying goodbye is always there.

A Bittersweet Ending

Claire's condition gets worse. She has maybe a year left, while the durable Oliver could live much longer. To save each other from future pain, they decide to use their administrative passwords to erase their memories of each other. They believe this is not a sad ending, but a "maybe happy ending," because the happy moments they shared still happened ("Maybe Happy Ending").

Sometime later, Claire knocks on Oliver's door again, asking to borrow his charger. He lets her in. As she talks, he whispers to his plant, "Don't tell her," hinting that he may have kept his memories. The musical ends with a feeling of hope, as they get a second chance to meet.

Main Characters and Casts

Productions Around the World

South Korea

Maybe Happy Ending first opened in Seoul in 2016 and was a huge success. Tickets sold out quickly, and it set a box office record. The show has been brought back to the stage in Korea many times, in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2024. A fifth revival is planned for 2025.

United States

Playbill cover for the Broadway production

The musical had its first English-language production in Atlanta in 2020. This version was directed by Michael Arden.

In 2024, the show opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theater, also directed by Michael Arden. Darren Criss starred as Oliver and Helen J. Shen as Claire. The show received wonderful reviews from critics. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical. A U.S. national tour is planned to begin in 2026.

Other Countries

Maybe Happy Ending has also been performed in other countries.

• Japan: The first Japanese production was in Tokyo in 2017. It has been staged in Japan several times since then.
• China: A Chinese version of the musical toured several cities in 2021.

Musical Numbers

The show is filled with beautiful songs that tell the story of Oliver and Claire.

• "Why Love?" – Gil Brentley
• "World Within My Room" – Oliver
• "The Way That It Has to Be" – Claire & Company
• "Where You Belong" – Oliver & James
• "Hitting the Road, Part 1" – Oliver & Claire
• "The Rainy Day We Met" – Oliver & Claire
• "How To Be Not Alone" – Claire
• "What I Learned from People" – Claire
• "Never Fly Away" – Oliver, Claire
• "When You're in Love" – Oliver & Claire
• "Then I Can Let You Go" † – Oliver, Claire & Gil Brentley
• "Maybe Happy Ending" † – Oliver & Claire
• "Finale" – Company

† Added for the English version.

Awards

Maybe Happy Ending has won many major awards in both South Korea and the United States.

• Korean Musical Awards:
  • Musical of The Year
  • Best Actress (Jeon Mi-do)
  • Best Director
  • Best Composer, Screenwriter, and Lyricist

• Tony Awards:
  • Best Musical
  • Best Book of a Musical
  • Best Original Score
  • Best Actor in a Musical (Darren Criss)
  • Best Direction of a Musical
  • Best Scenic Design of a Musical

• Drama Desk Awards:
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Music, Lyrics, and Book