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The most celebrated new musical of the 2024-2025 Broadway season is coming to Orange County. Maybe Happy Ending, winner of six 2025 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Direction, arrives at Segerstrom Hall for its Orange County premiere from June 15 through June 27, 2027. This tender, inventive love story set in a near-future Seoul follows two retired helper-bots — Oliver and Claire — who discover that even artificial beings can experience something remarkably close to love. With music and lyrics by Hue Park and a book by Park and Bobby Conte, the show has captivated critics and audiences alike with its gentle humor, aching beauty, and profound meditation on what it means to be alive.
Since opening at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway in October 2024, Maybe Happy Ending has become one of the most talked-about productions in recent memory. Its Tony sweep was the largest for a new musical in years, and the show's deeply human story — told through decidedly non-human characters — has struck a chord with audiences of all ages. The Segerstrom Center engagement features 16 performances over two weeks, giving Southern California theatergoers ample opportunity to experience what The New York Times called one of the most moving new musicals in a generation.
In a future version of Seoul, helper-bots — humanoid robots once designed to assist elderly humans — have been largely retired and forgotten. Oliver, a curmudgeonly bot who prefers solitude, lives in a rundown retirement community for decommissioned robots. When his free-spirited neighbor Claire knocks on his door seeking a battery charger, an unlikely connection begins to form. What follows is a story about two beings learning to open themselves to companionship, vulnerability, and the terrifying possibility of caring about someone when your own days are numbered. The show asks audiences to consider questions about loneliness, connection, and whether love requires a beating heart — and it does so with warmth, wit, and a score that ranges from delicate ballads to joyful, rhythmically inventive numbers rooted in Korean musical traditions.
Composer and lyricist Hue Park's score for Maybe Happy Ending is unlike anything currently on Broadway. Drawing from Korean pop, folk, and classical influences alongside traditional musical theater forms, the music creates a sonic world that feels both futuristic and deeply emotional. Park's melodies have been praised for their ability to convey complex feelings with deceptive simplicity — a quality that earned the score its Tony Award and has made the cast album a streaming favorite. Director Michael Arden's staging uses innovative projections and minimal-yet-evocative scenic design to create the world of the retired bots, while the intimate scale of the production ensures that the emotional core of the story is never overwhelmed by spectacle.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts has built its 2026-2027 Broadway calendar around six Orange County premieres, and Maybe Happy Ending is arguably the crown jewel. As the most decorated new musical of its Broadway season, the show brings significant prestige to the Center's milestone 40th anniversary celebration. Segerstrom Hall's 2,000-seat configuration and superb acoustics are well-suited to a production that relies as much on quiet emotional moments as on larger ensemble numbers. Located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, the Center offers easy access from major freeways, on-site parking, and proximity to dining and shopping at South Coast Plaza.
At the 78th Annual Tony Awards in June 2025, Maybe Happy Ending dominated the ceremony with six wins out of its impressive nomination haul. The show took home awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Michael Arden), Best Orchestrations, and Best Scenic Design. This sweep cemented the production as the defining new musical of its Broadway season and immediately positioned the touring production as one of the most anticipated shows on the national circuit. For audiences at Segerstrom Center, seeing a six-time Tony winner during its initial touring run is a rare and special opportunity — these are the productions that define eras of musical theater.
One of the most celebrated aspects of Maybe Happy Ending is how seamlessly it blends Korean musical and storytelling traditions with the Broadway form. Composer Hue Park grew up immersed in Korean pop and folk music, and those influences permeate the score in subtle but unmistakable ways — from the pentatonic melodies in certain ballads to the rhythmic patterns that echo traditional Korean percussion. The show's setting in Seoul further grounds the story in a specific cultural context, giving American audiences a window into Korean daily life, humor, and values while telling a universal story about connection. This cultural specificity has been widely praised as one of the show's greatest strengths, enriching rather than limiting its emotional appeal.
There's a beautiful irony at the heart of Maybe Happy Ending: by telling a love story through non-human characters, the show manages to be more deeply human than most conventional romances on stage. Oliver and Claire don't have the biological imperatives or societal expectations that complicate human relationships. Their connection is entirely voluntary — built on choice, curiosity, and a growing recognition that companionship makes existence meaningful. This framework strips away the noise and gets at something essential about why people seek each other out, why loneliness hurts, and why the risk of caring about someone is worth taking even when you know your time is limited. It's a perspective that resonates with audiences across every age group and background.
Audiences consistently describe Maybe Happy Ending as one of those rare theatrical experiences that changes the way you see the world when you leave the theater. The show's final moments — which we won't spoil — have been known to leave entire audiences in tears, followed by standing ovations that last several minutes. It's the kind of production that sparks deep conversations over dinner afterward and keeps resurfacing in your thoughts days later. For fans of musical theater seeking something genuinely new, emotionally powerful, and artistically ambitious, this Segerstrom Center engagement is not to be missed.
Maybe Happy Ending runs at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa from June 15 through June 27, 2027. The two-week engagement includes 16 performances with evening and matinee showtimes available throughout the run.
Maybe Happy Ending won six Tony Awards at the 78th Annual Tony Awards in June 2025, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, and Best Scenic Design. It was the most awarded new musical of the 2024-2025 Broadway season.
The show is set in a near-future Seoul and follows two retired helper-bots named Oliver and Claire who live in a rundown retirement community for decommissioned robots. When Claire knocks on Oliver's door looking for a battery charger, an unexpected friendship — and possibly something more — begins to blossom. The story explores themes of loneliness, connection, mortality, and what it truly means to feel alive.
Yes, this Segerstrom Center engagement is the Orange County premiere of Maybe Happy Ending. It is part of the Center's 40th anniversary Broadway season, which features six OC premieres. Local audiences can see this Tony-winning sensation without traveling to New York.
The score by Hue Park blends Korean musical traditions with contemporary Broadway composition. The music draws from Korean pop, folk, and classical influences, creating a sound that is both fresh and deeply emotional. Songs range from quiet, intimate ballads to more energetic numbers with inventive rhythmic patterns. The Tony-winning score has been praised for its melodic beauty and emotional specificity.
The show runs approximately two hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. The relatively brisk runtime keeps the emotional momentum building throughout, culminating in a finale that audiences describe as profoundly moving. Segerstrom Center recommends arriving 30 minutes before the show begins.
The show is appropriate for ages 10 and up. While the themes of mortality and loneliness are treated with maturity, the robot characters and gentle humor make the story accessible to younger audiences. Children who enjoy science fiction or animated films about non-human characters finding friendship may particularly connect with the show's premise and emotional warmth.
Given the intimate nature of this production, Orchestra center seats in the first 12 rows offer an especially immersive experience — you can see the nuanced performances and subtle staging details up close. Front Mezzanine seats provide a wider perspective while still keeping you close to the action. Segerstrom Hall has excellent acoustics in all sections, so even Balcony seats deliver a full sound experience.
Tickets are available through verified resellers on our marketplace for performances across the June 15-27 run. As a six-time Tony Award winner making its OC premiere, demand is expected to be high. Purchasing early provides the best selection of dates and seating options.
Yes, all listings on our marketplace feature all-inclusive pricing. The price displayed for each ticket includes every fee — no service charges, processing fees, or surprises are added during the checkout process. This makes comparing options and budgeting straightforward.
Segerstrom Hall is located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, California 92626. The venue is conveniently accessible from the 405 Freeway and the 73 Toll Road, with multiple parking structures surrounding the Center. Rideshare drop-off areas are available near the entrance, and OCTA bus routes serve the area. John Wayne Airport is just minutes away for out-of-town visitors.
Yes, the original Broadway cast album is available on major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. Listening ahead of time is a great way to familiarize yourself with the score, though many audience members prefer to experience the songs for the first time in the context of the full production. Either approach leads to a rewarding experience at the theater.
See Maybe Happy Ending live at Segerstrom Center For The Arts!