A pair of retired companionship robots are drawing crowds to downtown Grand Rapids this week, as the Tony Award-winning musical Maybe Happy Ending continues its run at DeVos Performance Hall through Sunday, Nov. 15. The show, set in a futuristic version of Seoul, South Korea, follows Oliver and Claire, two leftover robots whose chance meeting turns into a road trip and something that looks a lot like love.
Broadway Grand Rapids is presenting the touring production, which was scheduled to run Nov. 10 through Nov. 15 at the Monroe Avenue venue, according to The Morning Sun. The musical has picked up six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, per Broadway in Grand Rapids, and arrives in West Michigan as part of its first national tour, according to WOODTV.
A Quiet Apartment, an Unlikely Spark
The story centers on Oliver, who the American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards describes as living “a happily quiet life” inside a one-room apartment in the heart of Seoul as a retired, obsolete Helperbot 3. His orderly existence shifts when he crosses paths with Claire, and what begins as an awkward encounter, per the same source, leads to a unique friendship, a surprising adventure, and maybe even love. As FOX 17 West Michigan News reports, that meeting between Claire and Oliver brings a deeper connection and eventually leads the pair out on a road trip together.
The production is directed by Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden, according to Broadway in Grand Rapids, and features musical theater elements reminiscent of the mid-century, per FOX 17's reporting. Claire Kwon and Steven Huynh star as the leads in the North American tour, the same Broadway in Grand Rapids listing notes. FOX 17's Michelle interviewed lead actress Claire Kwon and lead actor Steven Huynh ahead of the Grand Rapids engagement.
Tickets and Showtimes
Broadway Grand Rapids is offering both matinee and primetime showings during the run, according to FOX 17. Tickets for Maybe Happy Ending can be purchased through broadwaygr.com, the station reports, while BroadwayWorld lists prices ranging from $41 to $150, noting that pricing is subject to change.
Broadway in Grand Rapids also cautions that the show may not be appropriate for children under age 7, a detail worth noting for families weighing a trip to DeVos Performance Hall before the run wraps Sunday.
