First Korean winner of a Tony award on his Broadway musical and being single

Hue Park, co-writer of the multi-Tony Award-winning musical Maybe Happy Ending, is living through whirlwind days just weeks after making history as the first Korean national to win Broadway’s highest honour. Park describes seeing his two Tony trophies – for best original score and best book of a musical – sitting on his New York kitchen table as surreal, and a daily reminder of the responsibility he now carries. “I haven’t found a proper place for them, so I just put them on the table. I had breakfast looking at them. It’s still strange to me that these symbolic trophies are now in my humble home,” Park says. Maybe Happy Ending is a musical about two Helperbots in near-future Seoul who discover fireflies, love and the meaning of goodbye. It was first staged in Korea in 2016 and made its Broadway debut in November 2024. In total, it scooped six prizes at the 2025 Tony Awards, held earlier this month. Park’s recent visit to Korea, initially intended as a quiet family reunion, quickly turned into a media frenzy as congratulations poured in for the historic achievement. Park and composer Will Aronson kept their expectations low during the awards season, fearing disappointment, likening their mindset to Claire, the Helperbot character in their musical who resists love out of fear of heartbreak. “Even after we were nominated, we thought, ‘Are we really going to win? Let’s not get our hopes up,’” Park says. The duo came prepared for a speech, mindful of the Tony Awards’ 90-second limit. When they won the best book award, Park playfully said: “I just have to put it out there because people have been asking – we are not a couple. I am very much single.” An hour later, accepting the best original score, he followed up with, “I’m still single,” prompting laughter and turning the line into a meme. “We’ve been working together for 17 years and we’re close, but Will is happily married and I’m very single. I didn’t want that misunderstanding to block my chances,” Park says. The joke lived on at the Tony after-party. “Even strangers came up to me asking, ‘Are you still single?’” Park says. “It was a surreal and special experience.” Park and Aronson began creating Maybe Happy Ending in 2014 with support from Korea’s Wooran Foundation. The show premiered in 2016 following a tryout the year before. Producer Han Kyung-sook, who initially led the production under Daemyung Culture Factory and now with NHN Link Corporation, recalls being instantly drawn to the project. “I saw the tryout and immediately inquired about licensing. I heard there was a lot of interest, so I felt lucky to be part of its first full production,” Han says. Han, who also appeared on the Tony stage as one of the musical’s producers, describes the show’s success as deeply meaningful. “We were approached unexpectedly for investment in the Broadway production, but many on our team had already seen Maybe Happy Ending, so the decision wasn’t difficult,” she says. “It was our first time investing in an overseas project, challenging but rewarding. I’m thrilled to bring this show back to Korean audiences.” The upcoming Korean production, scheduled for October at Doosan Art Centre, in Seoul, will preserve the original Korean script and music without the changes made for Broadway, such as new songs or the jazz singer character, Gil Brentley. “The original script and music are already perfect,” Han says. “Our task is to maintain the musical’s sentiments while adapting to a larger venue.” Park concurs: “We don’t feel the need to change something that already works. It’s been 10 years and I’m excited to share the same emotional essence of the show with Korean audiences again.” Han hints that the technically elaborate Broadway version could also eventually reach Korean audiences, possibly by 2028, if they find a suitable venue. While Maybe Happy Ending is being celebrated as a global milestone for K-musicals, Park is cautious about using the label. “‘K-musical’ isn’t a widely used term yet like K-pop,” he says. “But if international audiences find our musical attractive partly because it comes from Korea and Korean culture adds to its appeal, I’m proud. Then maybe it’s OK to call it a K-musical.” Park is currently preparing for the Korean revivals of his other original works with Aronson, Il Tenore and Ghost Bakery, while also planning English-language versions. Both will require new partnerships and thoughtful adaptation to US stages. His ultimate dream is to stage Il Tenore – a story featuring 24 Asian actors set in 1930s Korea – at the Lincoln Centre, envisioning it as a 21st-century counterpart to The King and I. “It might seem ambitious, but it’s one of the things I’d love to achieve in my lifetime,” he says. While the two Tony Awards sit on his table, Park is careful not to let the weight of expectation discourage his creative process. “I’d be lying if I said there’s no pressure,” he says. “But I’m lucky to have a creative partner like Will and we’ll keep complementing each other and moving forward.” Read the original story at The Korea Times.

First Korean winner of a Tony award on his Broadway musical and being single

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hue Park, co-writer of Maybe Happy Ending, talks about bringing the production back home to Korea, his big dream and the ‘K-musical’ label

Hue Park, co-writer of Maybe Happy Ending, talks about bringing the production back home to Korea, his big dream and the ‘K-musical’ label