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PBS News Hour - Segments

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ actor and composer on the musical that’s captivating Broadway

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

4.11K Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The title of the musical “Maybe Happy Ending” might leave you guessing about the storyline, but there’s no doubt the show itself is getting its due. It recently won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown has a look for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's a musical called Maybe Happy Ending, and if that title leaves you guessing about the storyline, there's no doubt the show itself is getting its due.

0:08.5

It's the winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

0:12.3

Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown has a look for our arts and culture series, Canvas.

0:18.6

Then I start my day. Oliver leads a fairly routine live.

0:23.6

Listening to his jazz records, tidying up day after day, year after year, in his one small room in a

0:33.6

retirement home.

0:34.6

I choose a walk and I read.

0:38.3

Over in the near future and Oliver is a robot,

0:42.3

a now obsolete model living out his time.

0:45.3

Replacement parts are no longer being made.

0:48.3

So he's different from you and me, right?

0:51.3

I think one of the most beautiful sentiments of the show is the way that love makes things alive.

0:59.6

Love makes things, quote unquote, human, but I use the term alive.

1:04.1

Never fly away.

1:08.3

Aaron Chris won a Tony for his portrayal of Oliver in what easily qualifies as this year's

1:13.5

version of the little show that could, maybe happy ending.

1:17.6

We've written four shows together now.

1:19.6

Composer Will Aronson also won Tony's with his Korean song and book writing partner, Hugh

1:24.9

Park.

1:25.9

Thank you so much for supporting us for this nine-year journey.

1:28.3

And credits Park for the original idea.

1:31.3

Well, luckily he didn't say to me, let's write a musical about robots in love.

...

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