Review: MAYBE HAPPY ENDING at the Peace Center

In real life, artificial intelligence may be causing a whole slew of societal woes, but in fiction it's long been a fascinating tool for examining what it means to be human. That is precisely the case for the new love story Maybe Happy Ending by Hue Park--K-pop lyricist and translator of Broadway hits--and Will Aronson, one of only a handful of truly original musicals from the past several years. It's a gentle, tender romance with endearing characters, engaging performers, and astute stagecraft.

The story is simple enough. A century or so from now, Oliver spends his days in his room in Seoul, alone except for his only friend Hwaboon. Spoiler alert: Hwaboon is a succulent. That shouldn't matter since Oliver himself is an android, but he's faithfully waiting for his owner James, who only brought Oliver to stay temporarily at the retirement home (literally) for outdated models while he went on a trip, not because Oliver's actually retired. But when Claire, a newer but less durable neighbor across the hall, urgently needs to borrow a charger (again, literally), the two begin a trip of their own that charts the interrelation of love and loss.

As the leading pair, the Broadway production's original understudies Steven Huynh and Claire Kwon are wonderful at showing the growth of their characters relationship. Huynh especially brings out the charm in that which, were Oliver human, would be called social awkwardness. And both he and Ms. Kwon are great in various small moments of physical comedy that lightheartedly remind us that these are, in fact, robots.

A standout performer is Francisco Javier González (Masquerade) as Oliver's favorite jazz singer Gil Brentley--because even androids can have a vintage record collection--and Mr. González is more than up to filling Ol' Blue Eyes' shoes. Yes, the vocals really are that smooth. Given that his other musical role would've required such a different style of singing, and he's already been able to cut his teeth in television, González's performance here just confirms that he seems destined to reach Broadway stardom.

Rounding out the cast is James Seoul (Come From Away).Besides making a couple of extra cameos , Mr. Seoul primarily plays Oliver's beloved owner James in flashbacks and James's son Junseo in the present. It's an understated performance, but quietly lends a mountain of support to Oliver and Claire's journey.

In addition to the great cast, the creatives have certainly turned in polished work too, unsurprising when the director is the virtuosic Tony winner Michael Arden (Once on This Island, Spring Awakening, Parade). Frequent collaborator Dane Laffrey designed the slick, fluid set. In key points though, that set is dominated by video and projections by George Reeve, which included some "additional" contributions by Laffrey. Look out for when Claire's flashbacks to her owner Jiyeon go from mere footage to become an interactive hologram acting as a "scene partner" for Ms. Kwon.

Overall, no manufacturer defects can be found here. Park and Aronson's music sounded great conducted by music director Josh Tatsuo Cullen. Clint Ramos' costumes and Suki Fujimoto's makeup design maximize Oliver and Claire's sweetness. That quality, brought to life as this team has done is, more than just engaging enough, it's genuinely something exciting. Theatre goers both new and experienced won't want to miss it before it flies away.

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