Everything you need to know about 'Maybe Happy Ending' on Broadway

Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen lead this musical about a robotic romance, which successfully played across Asia before earning praise at the Belasco Theatre.

Set in the near future in Seoul, Korea, the endearing new musical Maybe Happy Ending follows outdated robots Oliver and Claire as they navigate loneliness and strive for connection in a world that has left them behind. Call it a Seoul search!

Designed to serve humans, the bots, played by Emmy Award winner Darren Criss and Broadway newcomer Helen J. Shen, form an unexpected bond as they independently explore friendship and love in this show tenderly created by Will Aronson and Hue Park and directed by Michael Arden.

So, make your own connection with the irresistible crowd-pleaser Maybe Happy Ending at the Belasco Theatre. Before you do, read more about the show that's ignited a spark on Broadway.

Get Maybe Happy Ending tickets now.

What is Maybe Happy Ending about?

Maybe Happy Ending is a musical set in near-futuristic Seoul, where two outdated, human-like machines called HelperBots forge a profound bond. Starting when Claire asks her neighbor, Oliver, to borrow her charger and continuing as they take a road trip to South Korea's Jeju Island, the pair go from strangers to friends to lovers.

As Oliver and Claire, explore companionship and romance, they grapple with their limitations and the human emotions they’re discovering. It’s a moving tale of embracing change and finding humanity in unexpected places.

Where is Maybe Happy Ending playing?

Maybe Happy Ending is playing at the Belasco Theatre, located at 111 West 44th St. between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Originally called the Stuyvesant Theatre, it opened in 1907.

The venue was designed by George Keister for impresario David Belasco, who renamed the theatre for himself in 1910. Recent plays and musicals at the theatre include Appropriate, How to Dance in Ohio, and Good Night, Oscar.

How long is Maybe Happy Ending?

Maybe Happy Ending runs 1 hour and 40 minutes without an intermission. The typical length of a Broadway musical is between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours, and some include a 15- or 20-minute intermission.

What days is Maybe Happy Ending playing?

Maybe Happy Ending plays Tuesday through Sunday, with two performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays and no performances on Mondays. This standard schedule is subject to occasional variations; check the Maybe Happy Ending page for the most up-to-date showtimes.

When did Maybe Happy Ending premiere?

Maybe Happy Ending debuted on Broadway in October 2024. First, the show’s original Korean-language version premiered in 2016 in Seoul at the Daemyung Cultural Factory. Subsequent presentations of the show were staged in Seoul and various cities in Japan and China.

In 2020, the English-language version of the show ran at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Maybe Happy Ending played its first Broadway performance on October 16, 2024, and officially opened November 12.

Who wrote Maybe Happy Ending?

American composer Will Aronson and South Korean-born lyricist Hue Park created Maybe Happy Ending. They co-wrote the book for the show, which marks their Broadway debuts.

The pair met as students at New York University and have collaborated on musical theatre projects for over a decade. Their other shows include Il Tenore and Ghost Bakery.

Outside their collaboration, Aronson wrote other musicals including My Scary Girl, and Park writes K-pop lyrics and has translated shows like The Phantom of the Opera for the Korean stage.

Maybe Happy Ending characters

Principal characters in the show include the main HelperBots, one of the bot’s ex-owners, and a jazz singer.

• Oliver: A disused early-model HelperBot who seeks purpose and connection after his owner no longer has use for him. Emmy Award winner Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Glee) originates the role.
• Claire: An outdated, later-model HelperBot whose unexpected bond with Oliver changes both their lives after she, too, is deemed obsolete. Helen J. Shen originates the role in her Broadway debut.
• James: Oliver’s former owner who shared his love for jazz with the faithful HelperBot. Marcus Choi originates the role and plays other supporting parts.
• Gil Brentley: An old-school crooner whom James — and as a result, Oliver — loves. His music underscores the main action. Dez Duron (The Voice) oriignates the role.
• Additional characters include Claire's former owners (who only appear as projections, voiced from off stage) James's son, and strangers Oliver and Claire encounter on their trip.

Maybe Happy Ending songs

With its easygoing, jazzy score, the show dives into themes of humanity, obsolescence, companionship, and, bracingly, love. Aronson and Park’s songs boast charm, humor, and melodies that stick in your head. The below songs, which include four italicized orchestral interludes, appear in the Broadway version of the show.

• “Why Love”
• “World Within My Room”
• “The Way That It Has to Be”
• “Charger Exchange Ballet”
• “Where You Belong”
• “Hitting the Road, Part 1”
• “Goodbye, My Room”
• “Hitting the Road, Part 2”
• “The Rainy Day We Met”
• “Jenny”
• “How to Be Not Alone”
• “Hitting the Road, Part 3”
• “What I Learned from People”
• “Chasing Fireflies”
• “Never Fly Away”
• “A Sentimental Person”
• “When You're in Love”
• “Touch Sequence”
• “Then I Can Let You Go”
• “Goodbye, My Room” (Reprise)
• “Maybe Happy Ending”
• “Memory Sequence”
• “Why Love” (Reprise)
• “Finale”

What awards has Maybe Happy Ending won?

Maybe Happy Ending premiered on Broadway in October, so it hasn’t received any New York-based awards yet. The show will be in the running for the 2024-25 season’s upcoming honors, including Tony Awards. It has received widespread critical acclaim in the meantime; New York Theatre Guide's Maybe Happy Ending review reads, “No maybe about it — Maybe Happy Ending has theatrical magic.”

In 2019, the show won all six of its nominations at the Korean Musical Awards, including Musical of the Year. In 2017, the English-language production won the Richard Rodgers Award, which honors and provides funding for emerging musical theatre artists.

Major productions of Maybe Happy Ending

Maybe Happy Ending premiered on Broadway in October 2024, but a Korean-language version had a long life in Asia before that. Here are the major productions of Maybe Happy Ending — so far — from around the world.

• 2016 world premiere: The original Korean-language version of Maybe Happy Ending premiered at the Daemyung Cultural Factory in Seoul, South Korea. That engagement led to Seoul revivals in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2024.
• 2017 Japanese premiere: Maybe Happy Ending went on tour throughout Japan in 2017 and 2018, both times with Korean actors. A 2020 production with a Japanese cast followed, due to the earlier tours' success.
• 2020 North American premiere: The English-language version of Maybe Happy Ending played a pre-Broadway run at Atlanta, Georgia's Alliance Theatre from January to February of 2020.
• 2021 Chinese premiere: Maybe Happy Ending debuted in China in 2021, touring to various cities throughout the country. Kim Dong-yeon, who directed the world premiere, also staged this production.
• 2024 Broadway premiere: Following pandemic-related delays, Maybe Happy Ending finally transferred to Broadway in October 2024. New cast members Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen joined Dez Duron, who played Gil Brentley in Atlanta, and Marcus Choi, who played James in workshops of the show.

Fun facts about Maybe Happy Ending

Learn more about the show’s conception, a silent key character, and more about the nuts and bolts that make up Maybe Happy Ending.

• Hue Park got the idea for the show in 2014 after hearing Damon Albarn’s song “Everyday Robots” in a Brooklyn coffee shop.
• A potted plant named HwaBoon is much more than a prop; it's a friend and confidant to Oliver, its owner, and a fan-favorite character with its own Instagram account. (In Korean, "hwa boon" means "flower pot.")
• A 2023 film adaptation of the Korean-language version of the musical called My Favorite Love Story is reportedly unreleased.
• Darren Criss makes his Broadway debut as a producer with Maybe Happy Ending. He told JoySauce that, as an actor, he relates to playing a robot, programmed to help: “I always say I’m in the service industry.”
• Criss also originates a role on Broadway for the first time in Maybe Happy Ending. He previously appeared in revivals of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and American Buffalo.

Get tickets to Maybe Happy Ending

As Oliver and Claire grapple with their programmed limitations, Maybe Happy Ending offers an uplifting musical look at what it means to truly live and love with the time you have.

Get Maybe Happy Ending tickets now.

Photo credit: Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway. (Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)