First Korean-origin musical to take home a Tony Award for Best Book
🎭 A Historic First for Korean Musicals on Broadway
The Korean original musical Maybe Happy Ending made history at the 78th Annual Tony Awards. Held at Radio City Music Hall in New York on June 9 (KST), the musical scored three major wins:
- Best Book of a Musical
- Best Original Score
- Best Scenic Design in a Musical
This marks the first time a Korean-created musical that premiered in Korea has ever won a Tony for Best Book. The honor went to Korean writer Park Cheon-hyoo, co-winning with U.S. composer Will Aronson.
🏅 10 Nominations, 3 Wins—A Global Achievement
Maybe Happy Ending was the most-nominated musical of the 2024–2025 season, with 10 nominations including:
- Best Musical
- Best Direction
- Best Book
- Best Score
- Best Orchestrations
- Best Lead Actor
- Best Scenic Design
- Best Costume Design
- Best Lighting Design
- Best Sound Design
Set in near-future Seoul, the show tells the story of two obsolete helper robots, Oliver and Claire, who discover emotions and love—despite their programming.
🌟 From Seoul to Broadway—A Decade in the Making
First premiered in South Korea in 2016, Maybe Happy Ending has completed five successful seasons. It made its Broadway debut in November 2024, performed in English for international audiences.
Since opening on Broadway, the show has swept awards including:
- Outstanding Musical by the New York Drama Critics' Circle
- Best Musical & Best Direction at the Drama League Awards
- Multiple wins from the Outer Critics Circle Awards
- Additional honors at the Drama Desk Awards and more
🎉 Returning Home This October
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Maybe Happy Ending will return to South Korea this October with a special commemorative run—bringing the Tony-winning production back to where it all began.
[Photo Credit: CJ ENM, NHN]
