‘Maybe Happy Ending’ at Peace Center finds the human heart in a world of robots

Claire Kwon knew she wanted to be part of “Maybe Happy Ending” almost as soon as she saw it.

She had already auditioned for the Broadway musical but by the time she saw the production during previews, she hadn’t heard whether she had gotten the job. A few months later, she got the call — and got her chance.

Kwon joined the Broadway company as a vacation standby for Claire, one of two “helper bots” at the center of the musical’s unlikely love story. Now, after nearly two years with the Broadway production, she is taking the role on the show’s first national tour, which opens Sept. 29 at the Peace Center.

For all its robots and futuristic technology, the Tony Award-winning “Maybe Happy Ending” is ultimately an old-fashioned love story — and a very human one.

Set in a near-future world where increasingly sophisticated technology has made older robots obsolete, the musical follows Claire and Oliver as they form an unexpected connection. Along the way, the musical explores loneliness, companionship, love and what it means to be human.

That combination is one of the things Kwon loves most about the show.

“It’s very pertinent to the moment that we’re living in,” she said. “It’s actually very grounded.”

The production contrasts its futuristic world with decidedly analog pleasures, including jazz, vinyl records and the simple magic of living things.

“It’s a very human show,” Kwon said.

That humanity, she believes, is what makes the musical so accessible.

“It suggests the simple things are sometimes the most beautiful,” she said.

The score is distinctive, too. Rather than relying on the pop-rock sound common in contemporary musicals, it draws heavily on jazz, with influences ranging from the wit of Stephen Sondheim to the long, melodic phrases of Broadway’s Golden Age.

Tony winner

The original Broadway production of “Maybe Happy Ending” won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Book and Best Original Score.

The musical moves easily between comedy and poignant moments that may inspire a few tears, Kwon said. Kwon’s touring co-star, Steven Huynh, also performed on Broadway, where the two were standbys together. The touring company has four actors onstage, supported by four standbys.

For Kwon, the national tour represents another chapter in a relationship with a show that captured her imagination before she ever became part of it.

“I’ve been very lucky that I then had the opportunity to join the company,” she said. “It’s been such a wonderful journey and truly the opportunity of a lifetime.”