South Koreans are celebrating their first win in the Tony Awards, which they say highlights their country’s status as a cultural powerhouse.
The acclaimed Broadway production of Maybe Happy Ending, which debuted in South Korea almost a decade ago, won six Tonys, including best musical.
Maybe Happy Ending is about the romance between two humanoid robots living in an apartment building on the outskirts of Seoul.
First directed by Kim Dong-yeon, Maybe Happy Ending premiered in Seoul in 2016 to much critical acclaim.
It has since been revived several times in South Korea and abroad – in both Korean and English.
South Koreans are celebrating their first Tony Award victory, which they claim demonstrates their nation’s standing as a cultural powerhouse.
Six Tony Awards, including best musical, were won by the critically acclaimed Broadway production of Maybe Happy Ending, which made its debut in South Korea nearly ten years ago.
Perhaps Happy Ending tells the story of the romance between two humanoid robots who live in an apartment complex outside of Seoul. With ten nominations, it went into the awards ceremony on Sunday evening.
Now that South Koreans have won the Tonys, they have taken home the four most coveted honors in American entertainment. Parasite won four Oscars in 2020, while Squid Game took home an Emmy in 2022. In 1993, soprano Sumi Jo received a Grammy.
American composer Will Aronson and South Korean lyricist Hue Park won best original score and best book of a musical Tony Awards on Sunday.
The two met while attending New York University and wrote the musical in both Korean and English before embarking on their Broadway debut in 2024 with Maybe Happy Ending.
According to one Threads post, “This is amazing!”. “I’d heard that the Broadway version was even better. Korea’s rise to prominence as a cultural powerhouse makes me incredibly proud. “..”.
“For the Korean Wave, this feels like a dream come true,” another post says. “I’m as ecstatic as I was when Han Kang won the Nobel Prize, Squid Game won the Emmys, and Parasite won the Oscars. “,”.
The award for best lead actor in a musical went to Darren Criss, a former Glee star who portrayed Oliver, one of the robots. His first Tony award was this one.
This awards season, the musical—which also features Helen J. Shen as the robot Claire—was already enjoying success.
This year, it won several of the top honors at the Drama League Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Maybe Happy Ending was first helmed by Kim Dong-yeon and debuted to widespread praise in Seoul in 2016. Since then, it has been resurrected multiple times in South Korea and overseas, both in Korean and English.
The success of Happy Ending may be attributed to South Korean performers continuing to make waves in the entertainment industry, particularly in light of the recent dominance of K-pop acts like BTS and Blackpink.
Additionally, some social media users claim that it provides a window into Korean culture.
“It’s incredible that Korean elements like fireflies, Jeju Island, and hwabun (a plant pot) were preserved in the Broadway version as well,” one Threads post says.
“The local audience’s enthusiastic response made it even more memorable, even though I was already proud to see it nominated. “..”.
