In March, I had the pleasure of watching the Broadway edition of the musical Maybe Happy Ending in New York City. The show centers around two humanistic “helperbots” in the future, Oliver and Claire, who set out on a journey from Seoul to Jeju Island, South Korea, in order to find Oliver’s owner and watch the fireflies there. Eventually, the two helperbots fall in love. 

Oliver is played by Darren Criss, and Claire is played by Claire Kwon. The other two main characters, Gil Brentley and James, are played by Dez Duron and Marcus Choi respectively, and Choi also plays two minor characters featured briefly. Originally, the show was created and shown in South Korea in 2016, and in 2024 the English version was brought to Broadway. Maybe Happy Ending then won six well-deserved Tony Awards in 2025.

Despite the fact that the two main characters are technically robots, they are relatable and humanistic. The storyline was meaningful and interesting, and I felt empathetic towards Oliver and Claire. It highlighted the importance of accepting the hard truths of life, as well as the struggles and beauty of love, but it also had more humor than I had expected. 

I do wish the show dove into the development of the relationship between Oliver and Claire a little more deeply. All of the actors beautifully expressed their characters, and Criss embodied the robotic nature of Oliver’s movements, while Kwon almost had a free pass, as her character was a newer model of the helperbots. 

The stage design elevated the performance significantly. There was a screen often covering part of the stage that was routinely adjusted in size to highlight certain parts of the stage. For example, many scenes showed Claire and Oliver’s rooms side by side, much like a dollhouse. But, the screen was also adjusted in size to frame the stage and cover up one room when the scene only included one character. 

There were also brief scenes in which projections were used to show Claire and Oliver’s memories, which added to the futuristic touch of the show, but did not overshadow the stagework. The rooms on stage could also move: during the song “Where You Belong,” the stage spun around slowly at certain parts as Oliver reminisced on the days in the past with his owner, James, and imagined his future reunion with him, and walking through the different rooms of his home.

I have seen a few people say that the show’s music did not leave much of an impression. However, I could not feel more differently. I thought the music was beautiful, and, even though there were not many intense or belted sections, in contrast with most musicals, the songs left a mark in a different way. 

Instead, the music highlighted the soft side of the actors’ vocals more, but there were still plenty of upbeat parts. After listening to the soundtrack for the first time, I found the songs stuck in my head constantly, and it only intensified after I watched the show. Criss’s voice was crystal clear, and I was surprised at how he sounded exactly like the soundtrack. 

Criss used very little vibrato, but in a way that worked. Each note was spot on, and it helped express the robotic aspect of his character. When I watched the show, Claire was played by Hannah Kevitt. Her voice was sweet and clear, reminiscent of a Disney princess. Duron’s voice was velvety smooth and jazzy, similar to Michael Bublé. Choi also had a strong voice, which was showcased best through his lower notes.

My rating for Maybe Happy Ending is a 10 out of 10. The music, actors, and stagework were all beautiful, and the show had a meaningful message with a futuristic twist. 

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Featured photo by Asghar Mohmand for The Muse.