Musical that got its English language start in Atlanta wins six Tony Awards

Michael Arden, who directed “Maybe Happy Ending” at the Alliance and followed the production to New York, also won for best direction of a musical.

The musical debuted in South Korea in 2016 and made its English-language debut at the Alliance in 2020.

Credit: NYT

Credit: NYT

Set in the near future in Seoul, Korea, the musical tracks the lives of obsolete humanlike robots Oliver and Claire as they traverse loneliness and seek connection in a world that has left them behind.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Wendell Brock in 2020 called it “an oddly unsettling, wholly magical time-travel tale.”

A post Sunday night on the Alliance Theatre’s Instagram account celebrated the musical’s wins.

“Congratulations to the entire cast and creative team of Maybe Happy Ending on their win for Best Musical! We knew this show was special when it had its English language premiere on our Coca-Cola Stage in January 2020, and we are so thrilled that the world agrees.”

Georgia was otherwise well represented at the 2025 Tony Awards, with nominations in multiple categories.

“John Proctor is a Villain” ― the brainchild of Emory University professor Kimberly Belflower ― was nominated for best new play. It’s a dramedy that reexamines Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” through both a feminist lens and a Southern bent.

Sadie Sink, best known for playing tough teen Max Mayfield in Netflix’s Atlanta-produced “Stranger Things,”was nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play in “John Proctor is a Villain.”

Andrew Durand, a North Springs Charter School of the Arts and Sciences graduate, was also nominated for best leading actor in a musical in “Dead Outlaw,” playing the corpse of the turn-of-the-20th-century outlaw Elmer McCurd.

Atlanta native and Spelman College graduate LaTanya Richardson Jackson was nominated in the same category for her role in “Purpose.”

Jasmine Amy Rogers, nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical for “BOOP! The Musical,” started her professional theater career in the dual role of Frances Bassey and Donna Summer in the 2019 premiere of“Becoming Nancy”at the Alliance Theatre.

In addition, Adam Guetell was nominated for best revival of a musical for “Floyd Collins” and Catherine Zuber was nominated for best costume design of a musical for “Just In Time!” Both worked on the musical “Millions,” which will have its world premiere May 9 at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.