It has to be a happy ending.

Maybe Happy Ending

Mar. 17, 2025

at the Belasco Theater

*** 有雷慎入 ***

最近好像跟導演Michael Arden有點有緣。前不久才在波士頓看了他的東尼獎得獎作品《Parade》，這次久違的紐約之旅也幸運抽到樂透票可以看他的新作品《Maybe Happy Ending》。這個作品一個特別的地方是，它是先在南韓紅起來的。《機智醫生生活》裡常常走音的蔡頌和教授、和沒機會唱到歌的涂材學竟然演過這部劇原版的男女主角！沒有好好做功課的我，原本只是期待一個俊男美女之間的浪漫愛情故事。想不到這是個機器人之間的浪漫愛情故事！好適合現在AI很夯的年代。

據說百老匯版有不少劇情的改動，不過故事的場景依然設定在首爾，也依然不單單是個浪漫愛情故事。是個關於人生、和機器人生的故事。把相遇、相知、相愛、等待、思念，還有擔心、傷心、變心、嫉妒、害怕，都打包進唯一的一幕裡。用一個借充電器的契機，打破了一個12年的漫長等待。用一個從首爾到濟州島的旅程，建立了一段友誼，讓友情昇華成愛情，也在這過程中探討了親情。用三個物種(人類、機器人、螢火蟲)的不同有效期限，映襯出了時間的有限和珍貴。

這部劇基本上是由一個叫做Hwaboon(韓文的花盆)的植物、機器人男主角Oliver、主人James，James的兒子Junseo、機器人女主角Claire、Claire的女主人和老公、爵士歌手Gil Bentley(虛構人物)、還有螢火蟲，一起編織出來的故事。很喜歡這部劇的劇情、台詞、和歌詞。常常冷不防地就會讓人思考自己的人生觀還有自己曾經做過的決定。這邊就說說幾個例子：

• Why Love： 愛好像有點麻煩，但我們為何還自找麻煩。

• The World Within My Room: Oliver獨自一個人在小小的房間裡等待了12年。等待只需要一顆心。

• Everything Must End Eventually： 如果什麼事都會結束，那真的該開始嗎？

• How to Be Not Alone: Claire 承認自己已經獨處很久，覺得要跟人相處得下點功夫學習，最後覺得有人陪好像也是個不錯的事。

• When You're in Love: 這首歌敘述的是愛情裡的孤獨。說戀愛的時候也是最孤獨的時候。因為你變成了這份愛的一半，而不是完整的自己。

• Maybe Happy Ending: 結局不是最重要的部分。簡單的時刻並不會因為它們的短暫而比較不珍貴。

• 如果知道(機器)人生的終點快到了，也知道自己愛的人會難過，那你會不會選擇把所有的回憶都忘掉？這樣就一點都不會感到悲傷。

這部劇的舞台設計也很讓人印象深刻。各式形狀的黑色布幕，幫忙把舞台裁切成特定形狀，幫助觀眾調整視角。有時候布幕本身化成一段段的回憶，有時候布幕像是快門一樣，幫忙觀眾捕捉核心回憶形成的那一刻。在Oliver和Claire去看螢火蟲的時候，布幕讓樂團瞬間出現在舞台上旋轉演奏。流動的不只是音樂，連樂團都有著視覺上的流動感。加上螢火蟲翩翩飛舞，好夢幻。

雖然現場表演的劇組才四個人，大家表現都好優秀。特別是Daren Criss的機器人動作真的無懈可擊。Oliver畢竟是三代機器人，比Claire還要早兩代，所以肢體動作跟人類有明顯差異也是很合理的。而且跟Oliver些許的書呆子固執設定實在是完美搭配。Dez Duron (飾演Gil Bentley還有其他角色)的歌聲，讓我剛開始以為Frank Sinatra是不是有唱過這些歌。

這部劇的歌我都滿喜歡的。而最有趣的要屬The Rainy Day We Met。這是Oliver和Claire在去濟州島的半路上，發現必須找旅館過夜讓Claire充電的時候，因為擔心被發現他們是機器人(機器人不能獨自外出)，在討論該怎麼向別人說他們的故事。這首歌完全展現Oliver的固執和Claire的率性，還有他們兩個浪漫的一面。也讓他們的機器人鬥嘴變得好可愛。所以下面就分享這首歌的歌詞囉。

願我們每天每天都慢慢成為彼此更好的充電器。❤️

The Rainy Day We Met

https://youtu.be/aSQCwmt9lb4?si=PJykOSs5kY0M4hQ7

CLAIRE: (spoken)

We're two normal people traveling to Jeju. 我們是兩個普通人。要去濟州島旅行

End of story. 故事結束

OLIVER: (spoken)

End of story? 故事結束？

Do you want to get caught? 妳想被抓到嗎？

We need details! 我們需要細節！

CLAIRE: (spoken)

We're... a couple. 我們... 是情侶

OLIVER: (spoken)

Interesting. OK. 有意思。好吧。

So where did we meet? 所以我們在哪認識的？

CLAIRE: (spoken)

On the street? 大街上？

OLIVER: (spoken)

Yes! 沒錯！

It was a rainy day. 那是個雨天

You forgot your umbrella 妳忘了帶傘

So you ran under mine! 所以妳跑進我的傘下！

CLAIRE: (spoken)

I initiated this? 我開始的？

OLIVER: (spoken)

The rain made us feel melancholy 雨讓我們感到憂鬱

But also romantic as we walked on the rainy streets in... 但也很浪漫，當我們漫步在雨中的街道上

CLAIRE: (spoken)

...Paris! 在巴黎！

OLIVER: (sung)

New York set the perfect 紐約的氣氛完美

mood on the day we met 契合我們相遇的那天

CLAIRE: (spoken)

Unbelievable! 不可理喻！(不敢相信！)

OLIVER: (spoken)

I know! 我也覺得！

The patter of rain 滴滴答答的雨聲

And somewhere a jazz quartet 還有哪裡傳來的爵士四重奏

CLAIRE: (spoken)

They were playing in the rain? 他們在雨中演奏？

OLIVER: (spoken)

They were inside. 他們在室內

CLAIRE: (spoken)

So we were inside? 所以我們在室內？

OLIVER: (spoken)

We were outside. 我們在室外

My umbrella could handle two 我的雨傘可以給兩個人撐

I even kept your shoulder dry 我甚至讓妳的肩膀不被淋濕

And since we both were shy 而因為我們都很害羞

We barely spoke at all 我們幾乎什麼都沒說

CLAIRE: (spoken)

Did you get this from a movie? 這是哪部電影嗎？

OLIVER:

You wore a bright red raincoat that magic day 那魔法般的一天，妳穿了一件亮紅色的雨衣

CLAIRE:

No way would I choose red for a raincoat! 雨衣我絕對不會選紅色的！

OLIVER:

Your beautiful red fur hat took my breath away 妳美麗的紅色毛帽讓我偋住呼吸

CLAIRE:

And now you are just describing Santa... 你現在是在描述聖誕老人吧...

OLIVER:

The crowded and noisy streets 那擁擠又吵雜的街道

were silent except our beating hearts 除了我們跳動的心以外都靜了下來

It's all those quiet parts 都是那些安靜的部分

You later can't forget 讓你之後無法忘記

One little rainy day 一個小小的雨天

BOTH:

The rainy day we met 那個我們相遇的雨天

OLIVER: (spoken)

Your turn! 換妳了！

CLAIRE:

Your stared at your feet 你盯著你的腳

Too nervous to say one word 緊張到一個字都說不出來

OLIVER: (spoken)

Well, what could I have said 嗯。我可以說什麼

in that situation? 在那個情況下？

CLAIRE:

Our beautiful silence started 我們美麗的沉默開始

to feel absurd 變得可笑

OLIVER: (spoken)

But I did offer you the umbrella... 但我的確有讓妳用我的傘

CLAIRE: (spoken)

You just said it was my turn! 你不是說換我嗎！

So then in a breathless rush 所以我們匆匆

We both started talking awkwardly 尷尬地開啟話題

BOTH: (spoken)

So where are you... 所以你從哪...

How long have you... 你多久...

Why don't you go fi... 你要不要...

Hahahahahahaha 哈哈哈哈哈哈哈

CLAIRE:

We laughed so hard 我們笑得用力到

That we forgot our socks were wet 都忘了襪子有多濕

BOTH:

All on a rainy day 都是那個雨天

The rainy day we met 那個我們相遇的雨天

OLIVER:

That old-timey band 那個老式的樂團

When I first held your hand 當我第一次牽妳的手

And we danced in the subway 在地鐵站裡跳舞

CLAIRE:

The buses we missed 那幾班我們錯過的公車

on the first night we kissed 在我們第一次親親的夜晚

on that street in Paris 在巴黎的大街上

OLIVER:

New York! 紐約！

CLAIRE:

Paris! 巴黎！

OLIVER:

New York! 紐約！

CLAIRE:

Oh my God... 我的天...

OLIVER:

The moment our game demanded a name 那個我們的遊戲需要名字的時刻

And love's what we called it 而我們決定該說這是愛

CLAIRE:

The morning we tried waking up side by side 那個我們試著在對方身邊醒來的早晨

And knew it was meant to be 意會到這是命中註定

OLIVER:

It seemed to me 似乎是如此

BOTH:

The crowded and noisy world 那擁擠又吵雜的世界

was silent except our beating hearts 除了我們跳動的心以外都靜了下來

It's all those quiet parts 都是那些安靜的部分

You later can't forget 讓你之後無法忘記

Thanks to one rainy day 幸好有那個雨天

The rainy day we met 那個我們相遇的雨天

Anyway, that's how we met 總之，我們是這樣認識的

*** Spoiler Alert ***

Somehow I seem to have been drawn to director Michael Arden lately. I just saw not long ago his Tony-winning production of Parade in Boston. At the beginning of this long-awaited trip to New York, I was also lucky enough to win a lottery ticket for his new musical Maybe Happy Ending. A special thing about this musical is that it first became popular in South Korea. I was surprised to find that two actors in the South Korean drama Hospital Playlist, one who often sang off-key in the show, the other who did not get to sing at all, actually starred in the original South Korean version. Since I did not do any research beforehand, I was only expecting a typical romantic love story between beautiful people. I never expected it to be a romantic love story between beautiful robots! So in for this era of AI.

The Broadway production has quite some changes compared to the South Korean version as I heard, but the story is still set in Seoul. It is also still not just a romantic love story. It is a story about life itself. Life about people, and about robots. It packs all the events and emotions of meeting, knowing, falling in love, waiting for, longing for, and worrying, falling out of love, heartbreak, jealousy, fear, into one single act. A naive action of borrowing a charger breaks a long wait of 12 years. A trip from Seoul to Jeju Island builds a friendship that is nurtured into romantic love during the trip, and also explores the meaning of family. With the different expiration dates of 3 species, humans, robots, and fireflies, it creates contrast and affirms the scarcity and preciousness of time.

This show basically is a story intertwined with a plant called Hwaboon (plant pot in Korean), robot Oliver, Oliver's owner James, James' son Junseo, robot Claire, Claire's owner and her husband, and jazz singer Gil Bentley (fictional character), and the fireflies. I really like the plots, the lines, and the lyrics. There were many moments when I suddenly had to ask myself whether I think in the same way or had to wonder about the decisions I had made. Just some examples:

• Why Love: Love is a lot of work. Why do we bother?

• The World Within My Room: Oliver waited in a small room alone for 12 years. Waiting only takes one heart.

• Everything Must End Eventually: If everything must end eventually, is it still worth starting?

• How to Be Not Alone: Claire acknowledges that she's been alone for so long, and it takes quite some effort to not be alone. Eventually she feels that it is actually not a bad thing.

• When You're in Love: This song describes the loneliness in love. You are the loneliest when you're in love because you are now half of the love, and not your whole self.

• Maybe Happy Ending: The ending is not the most important part. Each simple moment isn't less valuable because it didn't last.

• If you know your life is ending, and you know the ones you love will be sad, would you choose to forget about everything, every memory? That way there will be no heartbreak at all.

The stage design was also very impressive. Black shades of all sizes and shapes cut the stage into specific shapes and help the audience shift their focus and perspectives. Sometimes the shades morphed into segments of memories; sometimes the shades are like a camera shutter that helps the audience capture the moment of a core memory. When Oliver and Claire went to see the fireflies, the shades made the band pop up on the stage and the band played while circling on the stage. It was not just the music that was flowing. Even the musicians were visually flowing. With the flying fireflies, it just seemed so magical.

Even though the live cast was only 4 actors, everyone was really good. Especially, Daren Criss' robotic moves were perfect. After all, Oliver is Helperbot 3, and Claire is Helperbot 5, so it makes perfect sense that Oliver would have moves that don't completely feel human. And it also fits quite well with Oliver's nerdy, stubborn characters. Dez Duron, who plays Gil Bentley and other characters, sang so well that in the beginning I wondered if the songs were Frank Sinatra's songs.

I like the songs and the music in the show a lot. The most interesting song will have to be The Rainy Day We Met. This song happens during the trip to Jeju, when Oliver and Claire found that they need to find a place to spend the night so Claire can charge. They are worried that people will find that they are robots (robots are not allowed to go out on their own), so they are thinking about what to tell people about them. This song does well in showing Oliver's stubbornness and Claire's cheekiness, and made their robot bickering so adorable! So I wanted to share the lyrics in the section above.

May we all become each other's charger better and better every day. ❤️