The national tour of the hit Broadway musical Maybe Happy Ending plays at the National Theatre October 6 to 11. Winner of six Tony Awards (including Best Musical), the play follows two retired helper bots, Claire and Oliver. The pair fall in love and embark on an enlightening road trip to South Korea’s Jeju Island. Maybe Happy Ending is directed by Michael Arden, with book, music, and lyrics by Will Aronson and Hue Park. Ahead of the musical’s highly anticipated run at the National Theatre, DC Theater Arts’ Julia Tucker caught up with Mia Nicole Nelson (standby for Claire and Gil Brentley), who is making her national tour debut in the production. (This interview has been edited for clarity, length, and flow.)
Julia Tucker: You are making your national tour debut in Maybe Happy Ending, which is very exciting! How did this opportunity come about, and what does it mean to you to be making your national tour debut in such a celebrated production?
Mia Nicole Nelson: I just feel so honored. It came about when I got a request at school, because I was in my sophomore year at Shenandoah University at the time. I went through a series of in-person and Zoom work sessions and happened to get the role through that. It’s just been a dream come true getting to create our new version of the show. Now, we’re at our third city, and so it’s been very special to get to see how it’s been affecting audiences in not just New York.
Where were you when you found out you were cast, and what was that moment like?
It’s actually a really funny story. I was in a production of A Chorus Line in Colorado at the time, and we were in tech rehearsals. I was watching “The Music and the Mirror,” and I happened to pick up my phone. I saw that I had a missed call and an email, and I found out that I booked it through that. I rushed outside, and I just started crying. It was just an amazing moment.
You are currently a junior Musical Theatre student at Shenandoah Conservatory. How do you balance your studies with performing on a national tour, and what have been the greatest challenges and rewards of this adventure?
Honestly, it’s still something that I’m learning and growing with every day as I try to figure out this schedule. I think designating a certain time of the day to really sit and work on everything has been a challenge because it’s been so crazy, and we’re really in the thick of it with our standby work right now. I think once we get past that and really settle into the roles, it’s going to be much easier. But it’s been rewarding because I get to take everything I’ve learned from the past two years and use it in the room and with the show — I feel like I’m constantly learning so much. It’s been a very rewarding process, but it can be a little crazy at times knowing that I have an assignment coming up and I’m doing the show.
As the standby for both Claire and Gil Brentley, you have the unique challenge of being prepared to step into two very different roles, sometimes on short notice. How has this experience shaped you as an artist, and what have you learned from preparing for these contrasting characters?
I think I’ve learned a lot. I started with Claire, and she’s just a beast. It’s been so much fun, but we’ve had great leaders, and they’ve given us a great amount of time to work on this. I think what I’ve learned from both Claire and Gil is the importance of making the role your own. I think what makes the show so special is that it’s different no matter the pairing and no matter who you see in the role. I’ve seen the show with three different Claires and Olivers, and it’s been so different every time. I think it’s inspired me to really make it my own, both as Claire and Gil. Kind of getting to create my own Gil has been a whole different experience, and I can’t wait to get to go on and perform with whoever I get to see as Oliver.
You were a semifinalist at the 2023 Jimmy Awards. How did your experience at the Jimmys help prepare you for the Maybe Happy Ending opportunity and your broader professional career?
I feel so fortunate to say I’ve gotten to go to the Jimmy Awards — I think that it’s set me up very well. It was a very intense, but very rewarding process. In those 10 days or so that we got to be there, they really set us up for what it is to be professional in the room, and I think I’ve carried that through college and through now — it’s something that just stuck with me. I feel really lucky to say that I’ve gotten to learn that early — to learn how things work in the room and how to make connections.
What advice would you give to aspiring performers who are hoping to pursue a career in musical theaterr, and what do you hope audiences take away from Maybe Happy Ending?
The advice I would give is to trust your instincts and trust yourself, because I think that’s something I would’ve always liked to hear. I’m someone who’s really hard on myself, and I know that’s a thing — especially with actors in this business. But you know what you’re doing, and you should trust that you know what you’re doing and that you’re there for a reason. My mom saw the show the other day, and she said something that I think I’m excited for all audiences across America to get to feel. She said that it’s a show that just sticks with you, and it’s a show that makes you feel, and you can’t stop thinking about it for a while. I’m excited for audiences to get to have that part of Maybe Happy Ending, because I’m sure a lot of people don’t even know what it’s about or what to expect. I’m really excited for us to get to share this special show with them.
Running Time: One hour and 40 minutes, no intermission.
Maybe Happy Ending plays October 4 to 11, 2028, at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC. Performances are Tuesday–Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($87–$239) are available online or by calling Broadway at The National at (202) 628-6161.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Cast and creative credits for the national tour are available here.
Maybe Happy Ending
Directed by Michael Arden
Book, music, and lyrics by Will Aronson and Hue Park
