Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
'Maybe Happy Ending' wraps Taiwan run with 97.5% paid attendance
A promotional poster advertising the Korean musical "Maybe Happy Ending" in Taiwan / Courtesy of NHN Link
By Jhoo Dong-chan
In a quiet theater in New Taipei City, two decommissioned helper robots — designed to care for humans but left behind in an isolated apartment complex — fall softly, unexpectedly in love. It is an intimate, gentle story that has captivated audiences in Seoul and New York.
Now, it appears the charm of "Maybe Happy Ending" translated just as effortlessly across the Taiwan Strait.
The acclaimed Korean musical concluded a 12-performance engagement in Taiwan Sunday, drawing a paid attendance rate of 97.5 percent — a near-total sellout that underscores the growing global appetite for Asian stage productions. Staged from July 31 through Aug. 9 at the New Taipei City Art Center, the run marked another milestone for the production’s international reach, according to ticketing and operations provider NHN Link.
Set in a retro-futuristic version of Seoul, the show centers on Oliver and Claire, two aging "Helperbots" facing obsolescence. As they navigate their finite lifespans, they discover companionship, heartbreak and romance. Since its 2016 debut in Korea, the musical has maintained a rare hold on theatergoers, consistently averaging audience ratings of 9.8 out of 10 and filling over 90 percent of seats each season.
After a successful transition to Broadway in 2024, the musical cemented its place in theater history last year by capturing multiple Tony awards, including Best Musical. Back home, enthusiasm remains equally fierce: A nationwide 10th-anniversary tour that ran from October 2025 through June 2026 sold out all 190 performances.
For Korean producers, the triumph in Taiwan serves as proof that emotionally grounded storytelling can transcend linguistic and regional divides. An NHN Link official said that seeing an original Korean production resonate so deeply with international theatergoers highlights the universal appeal of its central premise, adding that plans are underway to expand the show’s reach to additional stages abroad.
“It is deeply meaningful to see a domestic original musical overcome language and cultural barriers to receive such immense love from overseas audiences,” said Han Kyung-sook, the show's producer. “We will continue to work hard so that we can share the heartwarming emotion of 'Maybe Happy Ending' with even more theatergoers at home and abroad.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.