“Maybe Happy Ending” became the first Korean-originated production to win a Tony award on Sunday, taking home honors in four categories including the Best Book of a Musical.
At the 78th Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the show earned awards for Best Book of a Musical; Best Direction of a Musical; Best Original Score (Music and/Or Lyrics); and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.
The musical, which was nominated in 10 categories including Best Musical, follows two abandoned helper robots — Oliver and Claire — who fell unexpectedly in love in late 21st-century Seoul.
Maybe Happy Ending is the brainchild of Korean playwright Park Chun-hue, also known by his English name Hue Park, and US composer Will Aronson, who met as students at New York University.
It first premiered in a 300-seat Daehakro theater in Seoul in 2016 and enjoyed five successful seasons through 2023.
After presenting a showcase in New York in 2016, Maybe Happy Ending entered full-scale production after partnering with prominent Broadway producer Jeffrey Richard
The musical officially opened in November at the 1,000-seat Belasco Theatre. Since its Broadway debut, the show has grossed $25.99 million with an average occupancy rate of 93.8%.
While Korean talent has previously been recognized at the Tonys — last year when “The Great Gatsby” won for costume design — this marks the first time a Korean-written musical has received a Tony award.
Maybe Happy Ending has swept several major accolades in recent months, including the Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Alongside the Academy Awards for film and the Emmy Awards for television, the Tonys are considered one of the most prestigious honors in the arts and entertainment industry.
(Updated throughout)
By Se-Min Huh
semin@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.
