@article{ART003235379},
author={},
title={From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending},
journal={The Journal of Korean drama and theatre},
issn={1225-7729},
year={2025},
number={85},
pages={167-205}
TY - JOUR
AU -
TI - From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending
JO - The Journal of Korean drama and theatre
PY - 2025
VL - null
IS - 85
PB - The Learned Society Of Korean Drama And Theatre
SP - 167
EP - 205
SN - 1225-7729
AB - This paper analyzes the reasons behind the remarkable success of the Broadway adaptation of the Korean original musical Maybe Happy Ending(2024)—which won six awards at the 78th Tony Awards, including Best Musical—through the lens of “localization.” In contrast to prevailing coverage in Korean media, which tends to reduce the achievement of the show to a nationalist narrative of “K-musical” success and thereby obscures both the production process and the nuanced interaction with local audiences in New York, this study seeks to re-examine these elements. In particular, the paper interrogates what “universality,” as invoked in Maybe Happy Ending’s creative ambition, entails and how it is constructed and mobilized in practice.
To this end, the analysis foregrounds how the musical’s aesthetic choices and strengthened dramaturgical logic deepen its central themes, thereby impacting both the internal structure and external reception of the performance. By examining the Maybe Happy Ending project as a case of micro-level, aesthetic localization, the paper explores the concrete cultural interface that led to the formation of the “Fireflies” fandom among Broadway audiences. Ultimately, the study identifies moments where the production intersects with the daily lives of its viewers and, furthermore, evokes the historical trauma associated with “yellowface” on Broadway. Such findings demonstrate the fluid negotiation between the “global” and the “local” in both practice and performance, providing compelling evidence for the efficacy of a relational approach to localization. In this context, the paper also suggests that future research must further interrogate the intersection of Asian representation and the affective cultural politics that arise therein.
KW - Broadway;Integrated Production;Maybe Happy Ending;Relational Localization;Universality
DO -
UR -
ER -
. (2025). From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending. The Journal of Korean drama and theatre, 85, 167-205.
. 2025, "From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending", The Journal of Korean drama and theatre, no.85, pp.167-205.
"From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending" The Journal of Korean drama and theatre 85 pp.167-205 (2025) : 167.
. From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending. 2025; 85 : 167-205.
. "From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending" The Journal of Korean drama and theatre no.85(2025) : 167-205.
. From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending. The Journal of Korean drama and theatre, 85, 167-205.
. From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending. The Journal of Korean drama and theatre. 2025; 85 167-205.
. From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending. 2025; 85 : 167-205.
. "From <어쩌면 해피엔딩> to Maybe Happy Ending" The Journal of Korean drama and theatre no.85(2025) : 167-205.
