'Maybe Happy Ending' is an original Korean musical that began in a small theater in Daehangno. On June 8th, at the 78th Tony Awards held at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the musical made history by winning six awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Direction, Best Actor, and Best Scenic Design.
Park explained, "Since I started writing 'Maybe Happy Ending' in 2014, I've been refining it with Will Aronson to enhance its quality until its Broadway premiere last fall." Will Aronson, an American composer, collaborated with Park on the musical and also won the Best Score award at the Tonys. The duo has been working together for over a decade since 2014, even before the musical's premiere in 2016.
Park described Will as not just a 'composer' in Korea but as a 'writer' in the U.S., emphasizing their collaborative process in crafting the story and music. "Even if I come up with an idea first, we build the story together, determine the emotional tone and texture of the music, and share countless conversations," Park said.
He added, "Before being collaborators, we've been very close friends for 17 years. We share similar values and emotions in viewing the world and have mutual respect for each other's artistic perspectives. This trust allows us to work organically without distinguishing between my tasks and yours, and we experience growth together with each project."
'Maybe Happy Ending' is set in the future and tells the story of 'outdated helper robots' Oliver and Claire, who fall in love. After being abandoned by their owners, they meet in the same apartment complex. Initially awkward and clumsy, they open up to each other over time, learning human emotions like love, friendship, loneliness, and separation. The robots embark on a journey to discover the meaning of their existence and what a happy ending truly is.
The unique element of robots experiencing love, the delicate portrayal of human emotions, and the questions posed to the audience created a harmonious blend that led to an encore performance just seven months after its premiere. The musical was tailored for American audiences with significant changes in direction and stage design.
Park noted, "There were major changes in direction and stage design due to the different scale of the Broadway production. The number of actors and orchestra instruments increased, and scenes that were only implied in the Korean version were added in the Broadway production."
Despite some condensed or omitted lines and numbers, Park and Will's continuous refinement was a dedicated effort to maximize the musical's quality.
Beyond 'Maybe Happy Ending,' Park has worked on other projects set in Korea, such as 'Ghost Bakery.' He explained, "As a writer, I naturally want to create stories from the world and emotions most familiar to me." Having moved to the U.S. for studies at 25, Park still occasionally speaks with a Korean accent and has reflected more on his Korean identity while living in New York.
Park expressed his desire to present a world that is familiar yet intriguingly unfamiliar to Korean audiences by utilizing the 1930s setting of 'Il Tenore' and the 1970s setting of 'Ghost Bakery.' He also aims to offer a world that is unfamiliar yet strangely relatable to international audiences.
Despite winning six awards at the Tony Awards, the most prestigious event in the American musical theater industry, Park seemed to view it as just another milestone. Regarding his future plans, he said, "As long as the impulse and desire to tell stories and music continue, I want to remain a consistent and sincere creator."
He added, "Having spent almost equal time in Seoul and New York, I want to create stories that resonate with many people and hold meaning, while offering a slightly different perspective as a creator navigating between two cultures and languages."
Reporter: Da-yeon Jeong, TenAsia light@tenasia.co.kr