The Tony Award-winning Best Musical “Maybe Happy Ending” comes to Detroit Oct. 20 through Nov. 1 at the Fisher Theater, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., with Steven Huynh (left) as Oliver and Claire Kwon as Claire, two futuristic robots who discover a connection, adventure and maybe human-like love. For tickets and more information, go to us.atgtickets.com/events/maybe-happy-ending/fisher-theatre.
“Maybe Happy Ending,” a six-time Tony Award-winner, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score, performs in Detroit Oct. 20 to Nov. 1 at the Fisher Theater, 3011 W. Grand Blvd.
The South Korean musical, with lyrics by Hue Park, music by Will Aronson, and book by Park and Aronson, follows two human-like helper robots, Oliver and Claire, who meet and develop a friendship, then set off on an adventure that leads to them developing human-like feelings of love.
The two obsolete, abandoned Helper-bots meet in a retirement facility in the late 21st century, where they share a chance encounter over a borrowed charger, which leads to an impulsive road trip. During the journey, their connection builds.
The music is a blend of jazz, classical and modern musical theater style songs.
The show opened in Seoul in 2016, with its first English-language production in 2020 at Atlanta’s Alliance Theater. In 2024, it opened on Broadway.
Oliver, a retired Helperbot-3 model, goes through his daily cycle in a facility for retired robots, waiting for his owner to return from an extended trip. He meets Claire, a retired Helperbot-5 model and a neighbor, whose charger has broken. As he reluctantly lends her his, on a fixed daily schedule, they become a part of each other’s daily routine.
Oliver admits to Claire that he wants to travel to Jeju Island to find his owner and to see its famed fireflies. The two prepare to take a trip, which is illegal for retired robots, so they must pretend to be a human couple.
Oliver learns from his owner’s son that the man has passed away. The son, who had been jealous of his father’s relationship with Oliver, nonetheless gives him a special jazz record that his father had bequeathed to him.
Claire and Oliver see the island’s famed fireflies, then return to Seoul, where they realize that their dynamic has changed, and that they have fallen in love. However, Claire realizes that her irreplaceable battery is failing, and she may only have a year left. They both plan to erase their memories of each other to ease the pain of parting – but will both of them do so?
The story explores connections, relationships, love and mortality.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20 to Oct. 24, and Oct. 27 to 31, and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, with 2 p.m. Oct. 24 and 31 and 1 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 matinees.
For tickets and more information, go to us.atgtickets.com/events/maybe-happy-ending/fisher-theatre.