Maybe   Happy   Ending   at   DPAC   Is   a
Breathtakingly Tender, High-Tech Triumph

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

The North American tour of the 2025 Tony Award®-winning Best Musical a href="https://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/maybe-happy-ending-2026">Maybe Happy Ending has arrived at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)! Triangle theatergoers are in for an absolute marvel. What could easily feel detached in its futuristic premise instead emerges as a deeply moving, beautifully intimate, and visually spectacular theatrical event.

Helmed by visionary Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden, this production masterfully proves that a story about obsolete helper robots can hold the biggest, most vibrant human heart.

The collaboration of Will Aronson (book, lyrics, music) and Hue Park (book, lyrics) is a masterclass of how to turn minimalist restraint into emotional power. They have crafted a crisp, honest story that trades grand spectacle for quiet intimacy. By leaning into the mechanical minds of their characters, their lyrics unlock a sweet vulnerability that resonates more deeply than the loudest Broadway blockbusters.

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

The technical execution of this touring production is nothing short of wizardry. The tour adapts perfectly to DPAC's expansive stage while maintaining a delicate, character-driven intimacy.

Tony Award-winner Dane Laffrey delivers a stunningly clever set that seamlessly shifts between isolated apartments and expansive external worlds.

Ben Stanton's atmospheric lighting design operates in perfect harmony with George Reeve's video design and Laffrey's set elements. The show relies on an innovative projection and masking system that frames the stage with tight smartphone-like screens, and then expands dynamically alongside the characters' emotional awakenings.

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

Stepping into the spotlight, Steven Huynh (Oliver) and Claire Kwon (Claire) lead the cast with a staggering, effortless chemistry. In "The Rainy Day We Met" they perform a sparky duet as they recount conflicting, rom-com-inspired memories of how their original owners met, interweaving snappy dialogue with a charming melody.

Steven Huynh infuses Oliver -- a jazz-loving Helperbot 3, who fastidiously tends to his vintage record collection -- with an adorable earnestness. His crisp, precise, mechanical physicality is mesmerizing to watch.

Claire Kwon is an absolute revelation as Claire, a spirited Helperbot 5. Her vocal performance is stunning, delivering soaring melodies with flawless control while perfectly tracking her character's transformation from a simple machine into a vulnerable, feeling being.

From the Original Broadway Cast, HwaBoon reprises the role of Oliver's organic buddy in the national tour debut! He can be followed on Instagram @thereal_hwaboon.

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

Francisco Javier González infuses retro-flair into the narrator figure, Gil Brentley. Guiding the stage action like a musical conductor, he applies a gorgeous tenor voice to lush, big-band orchestrations. His song "Why Love" serves as the thematic anchor of the show, exploring the concept of human affection from an outside perspective:

Why love? Why did we bother to try love?
Why did we foolishly stop to say hello instead of going our ways?
But your heart was free and mine was on my sleeve.
Were we brave? Or were we just naive?"

Actor James Seol brings immense warmth and a bittersweet gravity to Oliver's former owner, James, especially in the song "Where You Belong."

The tour of Maybe Happy Ending stars James Seol (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Another standout moment in the show is "Never Fly Away," a whimsical, lighthearted number when the characters experience a forest full of fireflies. It features beautiful, fluttering vocal harmonies that capture the magic of the characters discovering the natural world for the first time.

Under the meticulous musical direction of Josh Tatsuo Cullen (with music supervision by Deborah Abramson), the soaring score is exceptionally rich. The touring production treats the audience to a breathtaking, surprise staging element where the orchestra is visually revealed on stage during the pivotal forest scene, marrying the live music directly to the emotional peaks of the story.

Clocking in at an uninterrupted 100 minutes, Maybe Happy Ending is easily one of the most unique, stylish, and heartwarming things that you'll see on stage this year.

The tour of Maybe Happy Ending stars Claire Kwon and Steven Huynh (photo by Matthew Murphy and 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. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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