Maybe Happy Ending
| Maybe Happy Ending | |
|---|---|
| Music | Will Aronson |
| Lyrics | Hue Park |
| Book | Will Aronson |
| Setting | Future Seoul, Jeju Island |
| Productions |
|
| Awards |
|
Maybe Happy Ending (Korean: 어쩌면 해피엔딩) is a 2015 Korean musical composed by Will Aronson, lyrics written by Hue Park, and book written by Aronson and Park. It is their first original musical and second work together after Musical Bungee Jumping.
In 2014, Hue Park visited a coffee shop in Brooklyn and heard the song “Everyday Robots” by Damon Albarn (front man of the rock bands Blur and Gorillaz). Albarn’s former band, Blur, had been popular in Korea when Park was growing up in the 1990s, and the lyrics caught his attention: ‘We are everyday robots in the process of getting home,’ and thought, what if he wrote a show about robots?
Park sent an email to his friend Will Aronson. Park had recently ended a long-term relationship himself, which led him to think about the closing of a chapter. Aronson was intrigued and latched onto that idea as well and they started to write the story together.”
Set in Seoul in the near future, it told the story of two helper robots who have become abandoned and live alone. The futuristic subject of 'the daily life of abandoned helper-robots in the 21st century' has been well received by analog sensibility through jazz melodies and acoustic props and music flowing from the turntable. This musical harmonizes delicate scripts, jazz and classical music, warm directing, and solid performances by actors. It makes us look back on the meaning of intimacy and the value of love.[1]
Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, The show won six Korean Musical Awards, including Best Director, Best Music, Lyrics and Book.[2] Kim said, "'Maybe Happy Ending' received a lot of love. After (the Musical) receiving the awards as both a writer and a composer, it makes me feel a little reassured to receive the award."[3]
Plot
Oliver and Claire are helper robots that look completely human-like. Both were abandoned and lives alone. The two met each other by chance and gradually became closer. As they go on an unexpected journey in search of fireflies, they learn the feeling of love. But the deeper the love, the more you learn the sadness that love brings.
In the near future Seoul Metropolitan Korea, there is an apartment where abandoned helperbots live. The HelperBot 5 model, Oliver, stayed here for a long time, waiting for his old master, James, who promised to come to pick him up.
One day, while Oliver was living the same life every day waiting for James, Claire, a helperbot 6 female model living in the same apartment, knocks on Oliver's door. Her charger was broken, so Claire knocked on the doors of every nearby house to ask for help, but there was no answer, and then finally came to Oliver's house. At first, Oliver also tried to turn her away, but he sees Claire, whose battery had run out, left alone in the hallway. He finally brought her inside. He learn that Claire is a newer model than him, So Oliver need to make somekind of adaptor to be able to charge her.
Claire, who has been charged, starts working again soon, but Oliver is dissatisfied that Claire is a helperbot 6, a more advanced model than himself. Oliver childishly mentioned advantaged features of HelperBot 5.
Offended by this, Claire goes back to her house and tries to fix her own charger, but it only gets worse, and her other friend, John the helper bots, are also unable to come to help due. At this time, Claire, seemed to be very concerned about it, so Oliver knocks on the door of Claire's house and leaves the paper cup phone behind. Oliver's suggestion over the paper cup phone was that he would lend her his portable charger if she came at a set time each day, at one o’clock to borrow the charger and return it at 5 o Clock. Claire accepts the offer and goes to Oliver's house twice a day. Meanwhile, while making fun of each other and exchanging simple gifts, Oliver implicitly accepts Claire's knock into his daily life.
Then one day, Claire does not come as usual. Oliver, who has been waiting for Claire, visits Claire's house. At that time, Claire goes out with her friend, John the helperbot, who already repaired her charger. Oliver, who is trying to get back in hastily, is caught by Claire in the hallway because his ankle part breaks down. When he returns home, Oliver is relieved that he doesn’t have to see her anymore, but somehow he feels strange.
After a little longer that day, Claire visits Oliver with flowers, and looks around things in Oliver's house. Then, Claire saw a yellow raincoat hanging on a hanger. Seeing this, Claire remembers the 'a robot that picks up bottles in a yellow raincoat' She once saw, and learns that Oliver is collecting and selling bottles to make money. Oliver is saving money for a trip to Jeju Island, to go see James. When Claire asks if James will be surprised if he visits, Oliver says, "Of course he'll be surprised, and he'll be proud of it."
After listening to Oliver's story, Claire suggests that he don't waste a anymore times saving money and why not go to Jeju Island with her now. Claire also wanted to go to Jeju Island, to see the rare fireflies that remain in the forests of Jeju Island. Claire says that she's renting a car from a friend to drive, so she goes to Jeju Island with Oliver with a portable charger. At first, Oliver, who was reluctant to change his plans, eventually agreed, and the two pack their bags and leave for Jeju Island.
On a trip to Jeju Island, the two decide to pretend to be a human couple, and while running on the road, sharing all kinds of jokes, they stop at a motel to recharge. While watching Terminator 2 together, Claire realizes that Oliver has become more precious to her than she thought, and asks Oliver to promise that he will not fall in love with her.
After spending one night in a motel, they set off again, and the two finally arrive on Jeju Island. Oliver wanders around and finds James' house. Claire stops Oliver and says, “The reason James hasn't contacted you until now is because he abandoned you.” Angry at Claire's words, Oliver says, “You're jealous of me, who has an owner,” and goes to James's house.
Looking at Oliver like that, Claire recalls her past. Before being abandoned, Claire was originally a couple's helperbots. At first, the two masters loved each other deeply and affectionately, but their relationship began to grow farther and farther apart, and the woman of the two masters gradually suffered from loneliness. Claire watched the process of breaking the hearts of the owners as they changed, and came to believe that the human heart is not eternal.
When Claire is feeling sorry for Oliver, remembering that memory, Oliver returns. James had already died a year ago, and James's family laughed at the fact that Oliver had visited and said, “The new helperbot at home wouldn't have run away like that.” The thought that the mind is not eternal discourages Oliver. However, when Claire saw that James had left Oliver a record of the piano that he had played himself before he died, Claire realizes that She was wrong, saying, "I've never seen a human who left a gift for a helperbot before he died." He admits that James really regards Oliver as his friend.
Thinking of Claire's comfort and the meaning of James' gift, Oliver accepts that James thought of him to the end but he is no longer in the world, and goes with Claire to the forest of fireflies. The two return to their apartment in Seoul, leaving behind the beautiful appearance of the fireflies that fill the forest as memories. When Oliver and Claire return to think of each other, they realize that each other's existence has already grown out of control for them, and eventually confess that they have not kept their promise that they will not love each other, and they kiss in the hallway of their apartment.
The two become lovers, sharing what they like with their partner, and mimicking human couple fights, and they get along. However, that was only for a short time, and Claire, who was weak in durability, was becoming more and more irreparably broken, and Oliver, who could endure it for a long time, had no choice but to watch it. At first, Oliver said that it would be okay to join her, but Claire, who couldn't stand Oliver's concern as her body started to deteriorate more and more, suggests that the two should end their relationship. However, even after arranging the relationship, the two feel longing for each other, and eventually decide to erase the memories of the time they spent together. It's sad to erase the memories that were so beautiful and precious, but Oliver and Claire go to their respective houses saying they have no choice but to go through the videos of the two together like a lantern.
After that, Oliver is living every day as before. And Claire knocks on the door again saying her charger is broken. Oliver kindly opens the door this time and lends Claire a charger. While charging with Oliver's charger, Claire asks, "Are you okay?" asked Oliver, "Maybe." , leaving the play open ending.
Casts and Characters
Character
| Character | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Claire | Female helperbot type 6, upgraded to be closer to human appearance. Claire is cynical about 'relationship' due to watching the breakup process of her former owners. | |
| Oliver | Male helperbot type 5. He patiently waits for his old owner James. Oliver likes analog because it resembles the taste of its former owner. He is obsessed with jazz. He naturally has his favorite artists and recordings, such as Bill Evans, Chet Baker, and Otis Redding, as well as a subscription to a monthly jazz magazine. He even gives regular lectures to HwaBoon, his plant-roommate. He has made jazz a part of his daily life, reading Jazz magazines and listening to his LP collection daily. | |
| Multiman | James | Oliver's former owner, a gentlemen with vintage taste. He treated Oliver well and promised to pick him up. |
| Postman | Postman who sent package to helperbot apartment. | |
| John | John, male helperbot type 6, Claire’s friend. | |
| Motel Clerk | Motel Clerk of motel in Jeju. | |
| James’s Son | James’s Son who lived in Jeju. | |
| Very Old Man | Very old man Claire and Oliver met in their journey. | |
| Additional Characters (English Version) |
Gill Brentel | One of Jazz singer that Oliver love. In Korean version Jazz Singer has no name and is part of multi-man role. In recent english version, a jazz singer is cast for the role. |
| Ji-yeon | A couple that were former owner of Claire. At first, the two loved each other deeply and affectionately, but their relationship began to grow farther and farther apart, and the woman of the two masters gradually suffered from loneliness. They are appeared in video flashback in the english version. In Korean version, this couple only allude not shown, and their names weren’t mentioned. | |
| Su-han | ||
Casts of South Korean Performances
| Character | Workshop and Try-out Performance (2015) | Premiere Performance (2016–2017) | Encore Performance (2017) | 2nd Season Performance (2018) | 3rd Season Performance (2020) | 4th Season Performance (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claire | Jeon Mi-do | Jeon Mi-do | ||||
| K.A. | Choi So-jin | Han Jae-ah | ||||
| K.A. | Lee Ji-sook | Kang Hye-in | Hong Ji-hee | |||
| K.A. | Park Ji-yeon | Hana | ||||
| Oliver | Jung Uk-jin | Jeon Seong-woo | Jung Uk-jin | |||
| K.A. | Jung Moon-sung | Moon Tae-yu | Jung Moon-sung | Shin Sung-min | ||
| K.A. | Kim Jae-bum | Yang Hee-jun | ||||
| K.A. | Shin Joo-hyeop | Lim Jun-hyeok | ||||
| James (multi man) | Go Hoon-jung | Lee Seon-geun | ||||
| K.A. | Seong Jong-wan | |||||
Productions History
Development
Park pitched his idea for Maybe Happy Ending to a producer at the Wooran Foundation, a nonprofit in Seoul that supports young artists. The producer was sold. Since fall of 2014, It was develop further through a development program in Wooran Foundation such as SEEYA STUDIO, SEEYA PLAY, and SEEYA STAGE.
Director Kim Dong-yeon, who worked together with them in Musical Carmen, joined the project. Actress Jeon Mi-do and actor Jeon Uck-jin also came aboard. They did a reading, followed by a three-night tryout production at Project Box Seeya in Wooran Cultural Foundation in 2015.[4] At the try-out concert in September 2015, tickets were sold out within 3 minutes of opening.
It was followed by a reading performance in New York in 2016, as the first overseas development supported by the Wooran Foundation. The show was written in both Korean and English-language versions. The English version was performed at a workshop or reading performance in front of Broadway officials. As the result, the English-language version of "Maybe Happy Ending" was awarded the 2017 Richard Rodgers Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.[5]
Premiere
In 2017, it Maybe Happy Ending selected for SEEYA STAGE[note 1] and the performance was held by the Daemyung Cultural Factory. It was premiered at Lifeway Hall in DCF Daemyung Cultural Factory 2nd Building on December 20, 2016 to March 5, 2017, and ran for 51 performances.[6] Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, the music director was Joo Yeon-jo and sound engineer was Kwon Ji-hwi. Stage designer Nam Kyung-sik was collaborating with lighting designer Lee Dong-jin. Makeup design by Kim Min-kyung and costumes was by Doyeon. The original cast featured Jung Moon-sung, Kim Jae-bum, and Jung Uk-jin as Oliver; Jeon Mi-do and Choi Soo-jin as Claire; Ko Hoon-jung and Jong Wan-seong as James.[7]
Encore
A year later, An Encore performance was performed at the Lifeway Hall in DCF Daemyung Cultural Factory 2nd Building from October 23, 2017, to November 12, 2017, at the same venue. All casts and creative teams were the same with the premiere. The 30 additional encore performances sold out within 5 minutes of ticket opening.
Japan Tour 2017
The Japanese premiere of Maybe Happy Ending took place on the stage of Sunshine City Theater, Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan from May 19 to 28, 2017. This stage, produced by Synthwave, consists of a new production and cast, and found the Japanese audience with a different charm than the domestic premiere. Synthwave is a global content production company that introduce creative Korean musicals such as On Air, Run to You! and Interview to the Japanese stage.
This performance was produced in a with new direction and stage design, excluding the script and music, to better adapt to the local market. The production team consist of Kim Ji-ho, a young director who led Agatha, Deathtrap, and Old Wicked Song; Park Ji-hoon, who was the music director when the Wooran Foundation developed the work; Choreographer Im Jin-ho and others.
Oliver in this performance is composed of actors from idols, Choi Dong-wook (Seven), Seong-je (Supernova) and former U-Kiss member Kevin (Woo Seong-hyun). Actresses Kim Bo-kyung and Song Sang-eun were double-casts as Claire. Actor Rajun played a one-cast role for multi roles including James.[8]
2018 Second Season
Musical Maybe Happy Ending 2018 was performed in Vivaldi Park Hall, Daemyung Cultural Factory Building 1, Seoul from November 13, 2018, to February 10, 2019. Directed by: Kim Dong-yeon and Music Director: Joo Joo-yeon.
In 'Helper Bot 5 Oliver Station', Kim Jae-beom from Season 1 once again stands on stage and perform alternately with three newly cast actors were Moon Tae-yu, Jeon Seong-woo, and Shin Joo-hyeop. Choi Su-jin from premiere show joined by Park Ji-yeon and Kang Hye-in as Claire. Meanwhile, James were triple-casts by Sung Jong-wan, Yang Seung-ri, Kwon Dong-ho.[9]
2018 Japan Tour
Due to its successful premiere back in 2017, Synthwave produced encore Performance of Musical Maybe Happy Ending. It were held in two cities: the main hall of the Yokohama Pacifico Yokohama Conference Center, from May 3 to 6, 2018 and the Morinomiya Piroti Hall in Osaka from May 10 to 13, 2018.
Super Junior Yesung, who confirmed his potential as a musical actor beyond an idol singer was cast as Oliver, joined two previous Japan premiere idol-actors SE7EN and Supernova member Seong-je. The premiere actors Song Sang-eun back as Claire and Ra Jun back as James. Kim Joo-yeon also was cast as Claire and actor Kim Nam-ho joined the show as James.
International Production
US Production
In 2020, "Maybe Happy Ending" makes its English-language debut at Coca-Cola Stage the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta from Jan 18–Feb 2020.[10] The US production have Broadway power-couple Michael Arden as Director and Andy Mientus as associate director. On the creative team are Tony Award®-nominated Scenic Designer Dane Laffrey, Tony Award®-winning Costume Designer Clint Ramos, Emmy Award-winning Lighting Designer Travis Hagenbuch, Tony Award®-nominated Projections Designer Sven Ortel, Tony Award®-nominated Sound Designer Peter Hylenski and Music Director Deborah K. Abramson.[11]
"Maybe Happy Ending" featured Kenny Tran as Oliver, Cathy Ang as Claire, Dez Duron (TV: The Voice) as Gil Brentley, and John D. Haggerty as James.
Japanese Production
The first Japanese cast version was performed in Japan following the performance in the United States. Kenji Urai was cast as Oliver. In addition to Urai, Shoko Nakagawa and Kana Hanazawa were double-cast as Claire. Kenji Sakamoto and Shinji Saito will also appear in this work as James. The musical "Maybe Happy Ending" was performed at Theater Creation in Tokyo from August 11 (Tuesday) to August 30 (Sunday), 2020.[12][13]
Chinese Production
The Chinese version of the award-winning South Korean musical "Maybe Happy Ending" is staging its premiere round of performances at Theater Above through Sunday before hitting the road for a national tour. It performed at July 1-2, 2021 and July 3, 2021. Following the premiere in Shanghai, the musical moves on to Chengdu, Xiamen, Nanjing and Hangzhou in August, Wuxi in September and Tianjin in November.
Maybe Happy Ending" is the fourth self-produced musical by SAIC Shanghai Culture Square. Despite the travel inconvenience caused by the pandemic, South Korean director Kim Dong-yeon came to Shanghai to join the production of the musical's Chinese version.[14]
2020 Performance (3rd Season)
the 2020 season, when CJ E&M (Double K Film & Theater) took charge of the production for the first time and stood at the center of the topic with a solid casting and a new stage. It met the audience at Yes 24 Stage 1, Daehangno, from June 30 to September 13, 2020.
In the new stage, the band including the piano conductor is placed on the second floor of the stage, and the door that opens and closes in the center of the stage with the introduction of a running set. Changes in the space are freely expressed, a rising floor is added to the stage space used as the main acting space, and the overall use of video has been increased.
Jung Moon-sung from premiere, Jeon Seong-woo, and Yang Hee-jun were cast for the role of Oliver. Jeon Mi-do was also back as Claire, joined by actress Kang Hye-in, and Han Jae-ah. Seong Jong-wan and Lee Seon-geun joined the role of James. In this Season, artificial feeling was added to the acting style and vocal tone of the actors to clarify the identity of the robot character.
2021 Performance (4th Season)
The musical was returning with its fourth season. It will open on June 22 at Yes24 Stage 1, Daehangno, Seoul, and meet the audience until September 5. Shin Sung-min and Lim Jun-hyeok join the role, and Jung Uk-jin, one of Oliver from the lead premiere of this work, gone on stage again. Hong Ji-hee and Hana were newly cast for Claire, and Han Jae-ah, who won the Best New Actress Award at the Korea Musical Awards for this work last year, reappeared. Seong Jong-wan and Lee Seon-geun play the role of Oliver's former owner, James.[15]
Musical Numbers
This Musical’s length is 110 Minutes with no intermission. These are list of songs in the original South Korean version.
- "Why We Loved" — James
- "In My Room " — Oliver
- "It's Not The End" — Claire & Company
- "Thank You, Oliver" — Oliver & James
- "Good Luck" — Oliver & Claire
- "Goodbye, My Room" — Oliver & Claire
- "Good Luck, Part II" — Oliver & Claire
- " My Favorite Love Story" — Oliver & Claire
- " Old Love Songs" — James
- " More Than You Think, More Than You Think" — Claire
- " Driving" — Oliver & Claire
- " What I Learned from People" — Claire
- "Why We Loved" (Piano Solo) — James
- "To the Fireflies" — Oliver & Claire
- "What Is Love" — Oliver & Claire
- "My First Time Being in Love" — Oliver & Claire
- "Nevertheless" — Oliver & Claire
- "In My Room & Goodbye My Room" (Reprise) — Oliver & Claire
- "You Can Remember That" — Oliver & Claire
- "Why We Loved" (Reprise) — James
- Finale — "What is Love, Maybe" — James & Company
US version have different lists of Song.
Awards and Nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Kategorie | Winner | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th E-Daily Culture Awards | 2021 | Grand Prize | Maybe Happy Ending | Won | [16] |
| 2nd Korea Musical Awards | 2018 | Musical of The Year (Small Theater) | Maybe Happy Ending | Won | [17][18] |
| Screenwriter/Lyricist | Hue Park & Will Aronson | Won | |||
| Composer | Will Aronson | Won | |||
| Best Actress | Jeon Mi-do | Won | |||
| Best Director | Kim Dong-yeon | Won | |||
| 6th Yegreen Musical Award | 2017 | Musical of the Year | Maybe Happy Ending | Won | [19] |
| Music Award | Will Aronson | Won | |||
| Female Popularity Award | Jeon Mi-do | Won | |||
| Best Director | Kim Dong-yeon | Won | [20] | ||
| Richard Rodgers Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters | 2017 | Production Award | What I Learned from People (Maybe Happy Ending English Version) | Won | [5] |
Note
- ^ SEEYA STAGE is a program that supports development potential by selecting some of the performance/exhibition personnel and contents who have participated in various programs of the Wooran Foundation. It was designed to provide opportunities for performances or overseas training at home and abroad to human resources and contents judged to be able to secure artistic and commercial competitiveness in Korea, and to support people and contents who have gone through the Wooran Foundation to have cultural competitiveness.
References
- ^ "창작 뮤지컬 '어쩌면 해피엔딩' 제2회 한국뮤지컬어워즈 6관왕 쾌거". Newsen. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "제2회 한국뮤지컬어워즈 수상작(자) – 한국뮤지컬어워즈".
- ^ "[한국뮤지컬어워즈] '어쩌면 해피엔딩' 김동연, 연출상 수상". n.news.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-05-15.
- ^ "우란문화재단". www.wooranfdn.org (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-05-20.
- ^ a b "Musical wins 2017 Richard Rodgers Award – American Academy of Arts and Letters".
- ^ "싸니까 믿으니까 인터파크 티켓".
- ^ "더뮤지컬". www.themusical.co.kr. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "[MINI SPECIAL] 일본 초연[NO.165]". www.themusical.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-06-19.
- ^ "'어쩌면 해피엔딩' 11월 13일 개막, 김재범·박지연 출연". 뉴데일리 (in Korean). 2018-09-17. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "Maybe Happy Ending // Jan 21–Feb 16, 2020 // Coca-Cola Stage // Alliance Theatre".
- ^ "5 Reasons to see Maybe Happy Ending | Alliance Theatre". alliancetheatre.org. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "浦井健治主演ミュージカル『メイビー、ハッピーエンディング』メインビジュアル公開│エンタステージ". enterstage.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "ミュージカル『メイビー、ハッピーエンディング』". www.tohostage.com. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "Play explores whether love exists between robots". SHINE. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
- ^ "해외로 뻗어나간 국내 뮤지컬 `어쩌면 해피엔딩` 6월 개막". m.wowtv.co.kr (in Korean). 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "뮤지컬 '어쩌면 해피엔딩'…이데일리문화대상에서 '영예의 대상'". e대한경제 (in Korean). 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ "'어쩌면 해피엔딩' 제2회 한국뮤지컬어워즈 6관왕". 서울문화투데이 (in Korean). 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
- ^ "모두가 기다려 온 이유가 있다! 창작 뮤지컬의 신화 's History". 네이버 블로그 | CJ ENM MUSICAL (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-05-15.
- ^ "예그린뮤지컬어워드 어쩌면 해피엔딩 4관왕". KBS 뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-06-19.
- ^ 기사입력: 2017-11-20 21:05 (2017-11-20). "[예그린뮤지컬어워드]'어쩌면 해피엔딩' 김동연, 연출상 수상". 비즈엔터. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
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