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'Maybe Happy Ending' returns to Korea for 10th anniversary

Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 14:49 Updated: 08 Sep. 2025, 16:49

The cast and crew of ″Maybe Happy Ending″ accept the award for best musical for during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. [AP/YONHAP]

The musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” winner of six Tony Awards in the United States, will return to the stage in Korea for its 10th anniversary. Actors Jeon Mi-do and Kim Jae-bum, who played the lead roles during its premiere, will again respectively play Clair and Oliver.

On Monday, production company NHN Link announced the final cast for the show, which runs from Oct. 30 to Jan. 25 at Doosan Art Center’s Yeongang Hall in central Seoul.

Five actors will alternate the role of Claire, the female lead. Jeon Mi-do and Choi Soo-jin, who portrayed the role during the show’s premiere, are included in the cast. Actor Park Ji-yeon, who played the role in the 2018 return of the show, will also make a return for the anniversary run. Actors Park Jin-joo and Bang Min-ah have also been cast to play Claire.

Helen J Shen and Darren Criss perform a number from ″Maybe Happy Ending″ at the 78th Annual Tony Awards in New York City, U.S., June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid

For the lead male character Oliver, actors Kim Jae-bum, who played the role in the premiere, along with Shin Sung-min, Jeon Sung-woo and Jung Hwi will alternate the role. The role of James will be played by Lee Si-an, Ko Hun-jung and Park Se-hoon.

Creators Will Aronson and Hue Park said in a statement that “it feels like a small miracle that the show has continued for so long. We hope the story and music will bring comfort and encouragement to new audiences.”

They also revealed plans to stage a Korean version of the Broadway production after this run.

“Maybe Happy Ending” is set in near-future Seoul. It follows Oliver and Claire, helper robots who discover love. The show premiered in Korea and made its U.S. debut on Broadway last year with an international cast and crew. At this year’s Tony Awards, it became the first Korean original musical to win six awards, including Best Musical, Best Actor, and Best Score.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI MIN-JI [[email protected]]