Photo Flash: Michael Arden-Directed MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Begins Rehearsals
The upcoming new musical MAYBE HAPPY ENDING has begun rehearsals at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre.
Written in two versions - English-language and Korean-language - the Korean-language version had its world premiere in Seoul, Korea, in 2016, where it won six Korean Musical Awards including the awards for Best Book, Lyrics, and Music.
The English-language version was awarded the 2017 Richard Rodgers Production Award and will have its American Premiere at the Alliance Theatre on The Coca-Cola Stage Jan. 21 - Feb. 16, 2020. MAYBE HAPPY ENDING is by Will Aronson (Co-Book, Music, Orchestrations) and Hue Park (Co-Book, Lyrics) and is directed by two-time Tony Award® nominee Michael Arden (Once on This Island, Spring Awaking).
"I am so thrilled to be working with these incredible artists to bring the work of Park and Aronson to audiences," said Director Michael Arden. "It's a beautiful and human story that reflects how when you sign up to love someone, you in turn must sign up to lose them. I can't wait for audiences to experience this incredible piece, led by this sensational company of actors."
"When I first encountered MAYBE HAPPY ENDING, I looked for the comparison piece to use in order to describe it to colleagues. But there wasn't one," said Susan V. Booth, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director at the Alliance Theatre. "There wasn't some pre-existing genre of poem musicals of impossible delicacy to draw from for comparison. There was just this. This sort of musical haiku/meditation on love, hope, and memory."
MAYBE HAPPY ENDING features Kenny Tran (Regional: Vietgone, Men with Money) as Oliver, Cathy Ang (Regional: We are the Tigers, KPOP) as Claire, Dez Duron (TV: The Voice) as Gil Brentley, and John D. Haggerty (Regional: You Never Touched the Dirt, Henry VI) as Man.
The MAYBE HAPPY ENDING creative team includes Tony Award®-nominated Scenic Designer Dane Laffrey (Once on this Island), Tony Award®-winning Costume Designer Clint Ramos (The Rose Tattoo, Eclipsed), Emmy Award-winning Lighting Designer Travis Hagenbuch, Tony Award®-nominated Projections Designer Sven Ortel (Newsies the Musical), Tony Award®-nominated Sound Designer Peter Hylenski (Beetlejuice, Once on This Island), and Music Director Deborah K. Abramson.
Photo Credit: A'riel Tinter
Hue Park and Will Aronson
Benjamin Moore, Andy Mientus, and Dez Duron
Benjamin Moore and Will Aronsom
The first day of rehearsals for Maybe Happy Ending
John D. Haggerty and Andy Mientus
John D. Haggerty
Deborah Abramson, Michael Arden, and Dane Laffrey
Deborah Abramson and Michael Arden
Michael Arden and Dane Laffrey
Kenny Tran, Cathy Ang, and Greg Matteson
Susan V. Booth and Michael Arden
Kenny Tran, Cathy Ang, and John D. Haggerty
Kevin Shelton, Hue Park, Will Aronson, Deborah Abramson
Michael Arden, Dane Laffrey, and Sven Ortel
Michael Arden and Dane Laffrey
The first day of rehearsals for Maybe Happy Ending
Michael Arden, Clint Ramos, Will Aronson, Hue Park, and Dane Laffrey
Costume renderings
Set renderings
Michael Arden, Dane Laffrey, Clint Ramos, and Andy Mientus
Hue Park, Will Aronson, and Kevin Qian
Kenny Tran and Cathy Ang
Hue Park, Will Aronson, Cathy Ang and Kenny Tran, and Debra Abramson
Hue Park
