The National Theatre is now home to the North American National Tour of the critically acclaimed, six-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical Maybe Happy Ending — a charmingly clever show that offers an innovative take on the bittersweet nature of life and love.
Originally premiering in Seoul, South Korea, in 2016 and then at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in 2020, the whimsical musical was crafted by acclaimed South Korean playwright and lyricist Hue Park (who made theater history as the first Korean national to win a Tony Award for writing a Broadway musical) and three-time Tony Award-winning American composer, writer, and orchestrator Will Aronson. It seamlessly transitioned to Broadway and launched a 33-city tour last month, imaginatively exploring the connection between two domestic robots, or “helperbots.”
Cinematically directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Arden, the story is set in a retro-futuristic, 21st-century Seoul. There, Oliver (Steven Huynh) and Claire (Claire Kwon) — two obsolete helperbot androids — are living solitary lives in a retirement complex. This setting is hyper-visualized by sliding modular set pieces featuring hundreds of built-in video tiles and projection (brought to life by Tony Award-winning design duo Dane Laffrey and George Reeve and two-time Tony Award-nominated lighting designer Ben Stanton).
Though Oliver and Claire are helperbots of different generations — Oliver is a rigid model 3, and Claire is a more advanced, sharper model 5 — they have both been deemed obsolete and reside as neighbors. They meet when Claire knocks on Oliver’s door, needing to charge her battery before she freezes up. As their initially snarky friendship evolves, the two head off together on a road trip to Jeju Island, where Oliver optimistically expects to be reunited with his previous owner, James (James Seol).
As they navigate the human world, stay at a motel, and experience nature, Oliver and Claire’s advanced artificial intelligence progresses, and the pair experiences deep emotions and eventually falls in love.
Huynh’s portrayal of Oliver is notably gentle, sweet, yet nuanced, balancing his naivety with his innocent realization of love and mortality. His physicality in portraying Oliver is masterful: he steadily blends crisp, robotic stiffness with more fluid human movements as Oliver’s internal programming evolves. Moreover, his vocals and diction are smooth, clear, and well tailored to the emotional beats of the score. This was exemplified in his delivery of “Where You Belong,” where he demonstrates his jazz-tinged vocal texture and emotional control.
Likewise, Kwon showcases her vocal power and commanding agency in her embodiment of Claire. Her impressive multi-octave range is underscored in her performance of “When You’re in Love” and “The Rainy Day We Met.” Both songs demonstrate her ability to transition effortlessly from a delicate, conversational tone to an emotionally charged belt.
Seol excels in the dual roles of Oliver’s former owner James and James’ estranged human son, Junseo. Seol’s duet with Huynh on the track “Where You Belong” exquisitely captures the bittersweet love and history between a human and his loyal robot companion.
Rounding out the talented cast, Francisco Javier Gonzalez‘s Gil Brentley serves as a specialized musical anchor, stepping in to comment on the storyline through song across several pivotal scenes. For example, in the musical’s opening number, “Why Love,” he sings and poses the show’s central dilemma: if all love — whether between humans, robots, or friends — is transient and destined to end in heartbreak, loss, or death, why bother?
Beautifully bittersweet, Maybe Happy Ending serves as a delightful nudge to step out, venture from predictable routines, and take the leap to make a connection.
Running Time: One hour and 40 minutes, no intermission.
Maybe Happy Ending plays through October 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
