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Originally opened in Seoul in 2016, the musical shares a poignant love story of Oliver and Claire, two human-like robots, residing at the edge of Seoul. The show had earned 10 nominations and swept in the major categories, winning Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical.
The original work was created by the South Korean lyricist Hue Park and the American composer Will Aronson, who wrote the musical in both Korean and English. It opened on Broadway in 2024 and it started off as an experimental collaboration while both girls were students at NYU.
From South Korea to Broadway: A Cultural Smash
The Broadway adaptation, hailed for its heart-wrenching realism and the way it told a story through images, starred the Glee actor Darren Criss in the role of Oliver and won Criss his first Tony, for best lead actor in a musical. The actress Helen J. Shen portrayed Claire, and her appearance was part of the musical's triumphant run during awards season, including victories at the Outer Critics Circle Awards and Drama League Awards.
The show's creative direction, with Kim Dong-yeon at the helm, had kept cultural touchstones specific to South Korea including Jeju Island, fireflies and hwabun (traditional plant pots), even for its Broadway run — a fact that heartened fans on social media.
A Full-Fledged EGOT Moment for Korea
This Tony win makes South Korea EGOT status — its talent has now been honored by Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys. Parasite walked away with four Oscars in 2020, Squid Game netted numerous Emmys in 2022, and the soprano Sumi Jo picked up a Grammy in 1993.
Online, South Koreans hailed the moment as a landmark in the protracted Korean Wave (Hallyu). Posts on social media platforms like Threads poured out from viewers, with one user saying, "This feels like a Korean Wave dream come true," while another wrote, "Seeing the Broadway audience's reaction so full of excitement has made me proud."
