It’s a triumphant kickoff to the 2025 Tony Award season for Korean Americans. “Maybe Happy Ending,” the luminous new musical from Korea, has captured Broadway’s heart. With a total of 10 nominations, it is tied with two other productions for the most nominations this year. Daniel Dae Kim was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Play, a first for an Asian American.
“Maybe Happy Ending” is the brainchild of Korean American writer Hue Park, who created the original story and co-wrote the lyrics and book alongside college friend and composer Will Aronson. Originally written in both Korean and English, the show got its start in Seoul in 2016, not making it to Broadway until the fall of 2024. The show has earned an impressive 10 Tony nominations, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book, and Best Orchestrations. Special applause also goes to Darren Criss, a Filipino American who is up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his turn as Oliver, the jazz-loving helper bot.
Daniel Dae Kim has made history as the first AAPI nominee in the Lead Actor in a Play category at the Tonys. He earned the nomination for his standout performance in the revival of “Yellow Face”, where he takes on the sharp, satirical role of playwright David Henry Hwang.
Previous Tony nominations and wins for Korean Americans have been in the category of costume design. Willa Kim, the first Asian American to win a Tony Award, was nominated 5 times and won twice for “Sophisticated Ladies” in 1981 and for “The Will Rogers Follies” in 1990. Linda Cho was nominated twice and won for “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” in 2014.
The Tony Awards will be broadcast on Sunday June 8, 2025, on CBS. Cynthia Erivo, the Tony, Emmy, and GRAMMY award winner and Oscar nominee will host the 2025 Tony Awards.
