Maybe  Happy  Ending  Is  a  Beautiful
Reflection on Life, Love, and Mortality

The tour of Maybe Happy Ending stars Claire Kwon and Steven Huynh (photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Maybe Happy Ending, onstage now at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), is an innovative musical, set in a futuristic Korea, that explores some big themes. And yet it all starts in one very small room. That room belongs to Oliver (Steven Huynh), a loyal Helperbot-3, who is passing his days in a one-room apartment for retired Helperbots.

According to Oliver, he’s not really "retired" at all. He’s simply waiting for his beloved owner, James (James Seol), to return, so that they can continue their happy lives together. Oliver’s wait, though, is a long one, and the audience watches and listens as 12 years pass in a single song.

The clean, orderly room that once seemed so full of sparkle and promise suddenly starts to seem much smaller and bleaker, especially when it’s revealed that Helperbot replacement parts are being discontinued. This subtle-but-sharp change in tone is just the first of many twists in store. From beginning to end, this compact little musical never fails to surprise, enlighten, or entertain.

The North American Tour of Maybe Happy Ending stars Claire Kwon and Steven Huynh (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Directed by Michael Arden and featuring a book, music, and lyrics by Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending spans only around 100 minutes, but still manages to take viewers on an emotional journey of highs and lows that mirrors life itself. What’s funny about that is that neither of the main characters -- the aforementioned Oliver or Claire (Claire Kwon), the Helperbot-5 who disrupts his humdrum existence -- is living, at least not in the traditional sense. In fact, the only living thing in their presence for the bulk of the show is HwaBoon, Oliver’s much-loved plant. HwaBoon, though, serves as a smart plot device, one that begs important questions about what it truly means to be alive.

That question comes up quite a bit as Claire and Oliver break all the rules and embark on a forbidden journey to Jeju Island. Though they both have different goals -- Oliver longs to reconnect with James while Claire wants to see the almost-extinct fireflies -- they ultimately discover that they have more in common -- and more capacity to feel and love -- than they ever thought possible.

Their story of connection and possibility is told in a surprisingly simple, streamlined way. There’s no distractingly flashy tech involved here. That’s not to say, however, that the production doesn’t utilize impressive effects. Rooms slide neatly into view, expanding and shrinking to focus attention, digital displays track the passage of time, and video projections allow us to peek into Oliver and Claire’s imaginations and stored memories. These impressive effects, made possible by George Reeve’s video design and Dane Laffrey’s scenic and additional video design, always feel natural and innate to the story. They are integrated subtly, in a way that never overpowers the very human, heartfelt tone that is so central to this tale.

The tour of Maybe Happy Ending stars Claire Kwon and Steven Huynh (photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

That seamless, natural quality also extends to both costumes and movement, lending a pleasantly clean, cohesive feel to the production. Costume designer Clint Ramos keeps the robot characters clad in simple "uniforms" with small pops of color, and, while there’s no traditional choreographer, Arden’s direction does feature flowing, lyrical movements.

When Oliver and James sing "Where You Belong," a song about the life that they shared together, their gestures and steps are beautifully mirrored, hinting at their interdependent, symbiotic relationship. This same smart staging is repeated with Claire and Oliver in the "Good-bye My Room" number, a song that gently asks viewers to think about their own relationships with inanimate objects.

Speaking of Claire and Oliver, both characters are brought fully to life through richly characterized performances. Huynh’s Oliver brims with squeaky clean energy and a childlike innocence, while Kwon’s Claire is more guarded and cautious. Even their rooms, from Oliver’s perfectly placed pillows to Claire’s flickering light and scruffy beanbag chair, showcase their differences. When they come together, though, they share a sweet, soothing chemistry that evokes all the confusion and wonder of first love.

The North American Tour of Maybe Happy Ending stars Steven Huynh and James Seol (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Although they are the definite stars of the show, James Seol steals many a moment in his gentle portrayal of James and, then later, as the jaded, embittered Junseo. Likewise, Francisco Javier González sparkles as Gil Brentley, the jazz-singing, mood-setting apparition that allows Oliver to express his feelings.

Character and memory intertwine in beautiful, delicate ways as Oliver and Claire slowly make their way to one truly joyful moment. Immersed in a forest of fireflies, they deliver the show’s most hauntingly poignant song: "Never Fly Away." This scene, which features flickering lights floating against the darkest sky, is arguably the most gorgeous in the show and serves as an important reminder of one of its most central themes: "the ending’s not the most important part."

Maybe Happy Ending ponders the many meanings of mortality and asks some tough questions about love, connection, and what makes a feeling "real." It does so, however, in a way that’s reminiscent of staring up at a night sky, considering the big questions, and realizing how lucky you are to consider them at all. It’s an inventive, original, and thoroughly mesmerizing musical that will leave you touched and contemplative long after the curtain closes.

The North American Tour of Maybe Happy Ending stars Francisco Javier González (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Will Aronson and Hue Park's MAYBE HAPPY ENDING (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14-18), directed by Michael Arden, with musical direction by Josh Tatsuo Cullen; starring Steven Huynh as Oliver, Claire Kwon as Claire, James Seol as James, Junseo, & Others, Francisco Javier González as Gil Brentley, and HwaBoon as HwaBoon, plus Standbys that include Bryan Chan, Erica Durham, Kennedy Kanagawa, and Mia Nicole Nelson; and presented locally as part of Broadway at DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/dpac0/docs/maybe_happy_ending. DPAC TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Slz6Mon8E. MHE VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/@MHEMusical. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://www.tiktok.com/@dpacnc, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_Performing_Arts_Center, https://x.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/@DPACLive. 2026-27 BROADWAY AT DPAC: https://www.dpacnc.com/broadway-at-dpac/season/broadway-at-dpacs-2026-2027-season. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. ACCESSIBILITY: Click here for information about DPAC's accessible seating and accessibility services, such as audio description and sign-language interpretation. For more details and questions, e-mail AccessibleServices@DPACnc.com. THE TOUR (Sept. 13, 2026-Present): https://tour.maybehappyending.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/maybe-happy-ending--546485, https://www.facebook.com/MHEmusical/, https://www.instagram.com/maybehappyending/, https://www.tiktok.com/@maybehappyendingbway, https://x.com/mhemusical, and https://www.youtube.com/@MHEMusical. MAYBE HAPPY ENDING (2024 Broadway musical): https://www.maybehappyending.com/, https://www.willaronson.com/mhe-main, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/maybe-happy-ending-539777, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maybe_Happy_Ending. THE SCRIPT: https://www.maybehappyending.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MHE-111949-022148-TonyNoms-Script_M2_FULLREFERENCE_5.13.pdf. STUDY GUIDE: https://docslib.org/doc/4549988/study-guide-maybe-happy-ending-created-as-part-of-the-alliance. WILL ARONSON (New Haven, CT-born composer, lyricist, and playwright): https://www.willaronson.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/will-aronson-539784, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7168726/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Aronson. HUE PARK (Seoul, South Korea-born lyricist and playwright, nee Park Chun-hue): https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/hue-park-539785, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm17640262/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hue_Park. RUN TIME: 100 minutes. CONTENT ADVISORY: DPAC cautions, "... Maybe Happy Ending ... is NOT recommended for anyone under the age of 8. Extra caution should be taken before bringing any child ... under the noted age." NOTE: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and sign-language interpret the show's 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17th, performance. TICKETS: $55 and up, plus taxes. Click here to buy tickets. (Note 1: DPAC has $30 Student Rush tickets for students with ID. Click here for details. Note 2: DPAC also has a $40-per-ticket digital lottery. Click here for details.) GROUPS (10+ tickets): 919-680-2787, Groups@DPACnc.com, and https://www.dpacnc.com/events/groups-services. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Nancy Gardner Rich's Triangle Review Review Permalink. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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