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	Korea Musical Award – Best Musical: Small Theater (2018) Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Original Score Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical

Maybe Happy Ending (Lua error in Module:Korean at line 109: attempt to call field '_xlit' (a nil value).) is a musical from South Korea. It was created by Hue Park (who wrote the lyrics) and Will Aronson (who wrote the music). Both Park and Aronson also wrote the story, called the "book."

The musical tells the story of two special helper-robots, Oliver and Claire. They live in Seoul in the future. These robots look and act very much like humans. They meet and start to form a deep connection. Their journey makes them think about what is possible for them, exploring ideas of friendship, love, and life itself. The show is performed without a break.

Maybe Happy Ending first opened in Seoul in 2016. It was directed by Kim Dong-yeon. The musical quickly became very popular and received great reviews. It won many awards, including "Best Musical: Small Theatre" at the Korea Musical Awards. It also won "Musical of the Year" at the Yegreen Musical Awards. The show has been performed many times in Korea and in other countries. A new production even opened on Broadway in 2024, which also got excellent reviews. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical.

How the Musical Was Created

The Idea Behind the Story

The idea for Maybe Happy Ending came to Hue Park in 2014. He was in a coffee shop in New York when he heard a song called "Everyday Robots." The song made him think about robots that look just like people. He imagined a world where these human-like robots are left alone and feel lonely.

At the time, Park was going through a difficult period in his own life. He had recently ended a long relationship. He realized that loving someone means opening your heart, even if you know there might be pain later. This feeling became a big part of the musical's message.

Working Together

Park shared his ideas with his friend, Will Aronson. Aronson was very interested, and they started writing the story together in early 2014. They presented their idea to the Wooran Cultural Foundation in Seoul. This foundation helps young artists. The musical was accepted into one of their programs, which helped them develop it further.

Kim Dong-yeon joined the team as the director. He had worked with Park and Aronson before. In September 2015, Maybe Happy Ending had a special three-night tryout performance. All the tickets sold out in just three minutes!

Korean and English Versions

The musical was written in both Korean and English. Aronson wrote the first draft in English, and Park translated it into Korean. Both versions were shown in New York City in 2016. The English version, which was first called What I Learned from People, won an important award called the Richard Rodgers Award in 2017.

When the full English production was made for Broadway, the creators used the first English script. This means the Broadway version has some small differences from the Korean version. For example, the ending of the musical is a bit unclear. It's not fully revealed if Claire keeps her memories, like Oliver does. In the Korean version, the actresses playing Claire can choose how they want to end it each night. For the Broadway show, the director and actress decided on their own interpretation.

Where the Story Takes Place

The musical is set in the near future, in the city of Seoul, South Korea. Oliver and Claire are robots that were made to help people. They live in an apartment building for helper-bots whose owners have left them.

Oliver is an older model of helper-bot. He is very strong and lasts a long time, but he doesn't have many social skills. Claire is a newer model with more features, but her battery runs out quickly. Will Aronson, one of the creators, said the story probably takes place around the 2060s. He explained that people in the future might become more isolated because of technology. But these first-generation robots are just discovering the world and learning things that humans might have forgotten.

The Story of Oliver and Claire

A Lonely Start

The musical begins with Oliver, a Helperbot-3 model, waking up in his apartment. He lives in a place called Helperbot Yards, which is for retired helper-bots in Seoul. Every day, he listens to jazz music, takes care of his plant named HwaBoon, and waits for his owner, James, to return from a long trip to Jeju Island.

Years pass, and Oliver's replacement parts are no longer made. But he still believes James will come back ("World Within My Room").

A New Friend

One day, Claire, a Helperbot-5 who lives nearby, knocks on Oliver's door. Her charger is broken, and she needs help. Oliver is not very friendly at first. He brags about how much better his older model is compared to her newer one. Claire is upset and tries to fix her charger herself, but she can't.

Eventually, Oliver offers to let her use his charger, but only if she follows a strict schedule. They start a routine of sharing the charger ("Charger Exchange Ballet").

The Trip to Jeju Island

One day, Claire doesn't show up. Oliver checks on her and finds she has found another way to get power. He pretends he wasn't worried. Claire then discovers her own battery is failing. She visits Oliver again and learns he has been saving money to go to Jeju Island to find James ("Where You Belong").

Claire mentions that Jeju Island is the only place left to see fireflies. She suggests they go together in her car. Oliver agrees, and they get ready for their trip ("Hitting the Road, Part 1"). Since it's against the rules for retired helper-bots to be out alone, they plan to pretend they are a human couple on vacation. They even make up a story about how they met ("The Rainy Day We Met"). Claire makes Oliver promise they won't fall in love, remembering her former owners' difficult relationship.

Discovering Truths

On their way to the ferry, Claire's battery starts to run low. They stop at a motel to charge. While there, they watch a movie and start to feel closer ("How to Be Not Alone"). While Oliver is charging, Claire looks at his memories. She discovers that James had lied to Oliver. James had moved to Jeju Island permanently because he was sick, and Oliver was retired for good.

The next day, Claire worries about telling Oliver the truth. When they arrive at James's house, Claire tries to warn Oliver. She shows him her own sad memories of her owner leaving her. Then, James's son, Junseo, arrives. Junseo tells Oliver that James died years ago. He also admits he was jealous of Oliver and made James leave him behind. Junseo gives Oliver a record that James left for him.

Oliver is heartbroken, but Claire points out that James leaving a gift shows he truly cared. Even though they are sad, Oliver suggests they go see the fireflies. They walk into the forest, and the fireflies appear ("Chasing Fireflies"). They are amazed and even catch one in a jar ("Never Fly Away").

A Bittersweet Ending

When they return to Seoul, Oliver and Claire realize their feelings for each other have changed. They have fallen in love ("When You're in Love") and share a kiss. They know their relationship has a time limit because Claire's battery is failing. She has less than a year left, while Oliver can last much longer.

To avoid future pain, they try to end their relationship, but they can't stop thinking about each other. Later, Junseo visits Oliver to get some good memories of his father. They talk about how important it is to share happy memories, even if they might bring some pain. This makes Oliver realize he can't just forget Claire. Junseo gives Oliver his special password.

Since both Oliver and Claire now have their passwords, they can erase their memories of each other. They decide this is the best way, calling it a "kind of happy ending" because their experiences still happened ("Maybe Happy Ending"). They get rid of things that remind them of their time together, including the firefly.

Sometime later, Oliver wakes up in his apartment and starts his daily routine. Claire knocks on his door, asking to borrow his charger. Oliver lets her in and gives her the charger. He then whispers to his plant, HwaBoon, "Don't tell her." Claire makes conversation, saying things she said when they first met. Oliver responds with his usual bragging about his model. But then, he admits some good things about the newer models, listing things Claire helped him with before. Claire asks, "Do you think it'll be okay?" Oliver replies that he hopes so ("Finale").

Differences in Versions

The English version of Maybe Happy Ending mostly follows the same story as the Korean version. However, some songs were added to the English version. Also, in the Korean version, Oliver is a Helperbot-5 and Claire is a Helperbot-6. In the English version, a character named Gil Brentley appears on stage, but in the Korean version, he is part of another character's role. Some characters and small story details are also different between the two versions. For example, the English version is about 10 minutes shorter.

Main Cast Members

Productions Around the World

In Korea

Maybe Happy Ending first premiered in Seoul in December 2016 and ran until March 2017. It was very successful, selling out many performances and setting a new record for original musicals. The creators even donated some of the money from the soundtrack to help other artists.

The original cast held a reunion concert in June 2017. The show has been brought back to Seoul several times since then, in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2024. The 2021 production was even filmed and streamed online for people to watch. Another production is planned for October 2025 in Seoul.

In the United States

Before Broadway

Parts of the musical were first shown in English in New York City in 2016. At that time, it was called What I Learned from People. Josh Dela Cruz and Ashley Park performed some of the songs. They also recorded an English album of the songs.

The English version of Maybe Happy Ending had its first full performance in Atlanta, Georgia, from January to February 2020. This production was directed by Michael Arden. The cast included Kenny Tran as Oliver and Cathy Ang as Claire. Critics praised the show for having many Asian-American actors.

Broadway (2024)

Playbill cover, Broadway

The Broadway production of Maybe Happy Ending opened on November 12, 2024, at the Belasco Theater in New York City. It was also directed by Michael Arden. Darren Criss played Oliver, and Helen J. Shen played Claire.

The show faced some challenges before opening, like delays with the set and some investors pulling out. But it opened to very positive reviews. Even though it struggled financially at first, the good reviews and word-of-mouth helped it become more successful.

The musical was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. It also won six Drama Desk Awards and several other important theater awards.

Future US Tour (2026)

A tour of the musical across the United States is expected to start in late 2026.

Other Countries

The first Japanese production of Maybe Happy Ending took place in Tokyo in May 2017. It featured a new cast and team. This version was also performed in Yokohama and Osaka in 2018, and again in Tokyo in 2020.

A Chinese production was staged in 2021. The original director, Kim Dong-yeon, traveled to Shanghai to direct it despite travel difficulties. The Chinese tour visited several cities, including Shanghai, Chengdu, and Tianjin.

Musical Songs

Awards and Nominations

Maybe Happy Ending has won many awards for its story, music, and performances.

Film Version

A movie version of the musical, called My Favorite Love Story, was made in 2023. It has not been released in movie theaters yet.