Korean musical 'Maybe Happy Ending' clinches top honor, Best Musical, at Tony Awards

SEOUL, 9 June ( BelTA - Yonhap) - The musical "Maybe Happy Ending" won Best Musical at the Tony Awards, a historic first for an original Korean musical, demonstrating the power of a Korean-created show to resonate on the global stage.

The musical brought home the top honor from the 78th annual Tony Awards, celebrating excellence in live Broadway theater, held at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sunday (local time).

A collaboration between writer Park Chun-hue, also known as Hue Park, and composer Will Aronson, the musical also secured wins for Best Direction, Best Book, Best Original Score, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Best Scenic Design out of its 10 nominations.

Starring Darren Criss and Helen J Shen in its Broadway production, the musical follows Oliver and Claire, two obsolete helper-bots living in near-future Seoul, who develop an unlikely connection while exploring the possibilities of their existence.

Originally premiering in Seoul in 2016, this critically acclaimed show has been staged multiple times in Korea due to its popularity.

Directed by Michael Arden, the show opened on Broadway last November at the 1,000-seat Belasco Theatre in Manhattan, New York. It overcame an initial slump in ticket sales to achieve an open run, fueled by rave reviews and positive word-of-mouth.

Last month, the musical also won several key awards: Best Musical from the New York Drama Critics' Circle, and both Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction from the Drama League Awards.