Interlochen alumni win Tony Awards for ‘Maybe Happy Ending’
Director Michael Arden and scenic designer Dane Laffrey earned individual accolades as ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ led all productions with six Tony Awards—including the award for Best New Musical.
Interlochen alumni Michael Arden (IAC 99, IAA 99-01, IAC St 01) and Dane Laffrey (IAA 99-01, IAC St 01) earned accolades at the 78th Tony Awards for their work on Maybe Happy Ending.
Hue Park and Will Aronson’s musical led all productions with six awards—including Best New Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.
Arden, a four-time Tony Award nominee and second-time winner, received the award for Best Direction of the Musical. He has previously won the same award for Parade (2023) and received nominations for Once on This Island (2018) and Spring Awakening (2016).
“The experience of live theatre confirms that no matter how different we may be from one another, we are all connected and we are all here and in it together in this brief, beautiful life,” Arden said in his acceptance speech. “So I implore you, please go to the theatre—whether it's a Broadway show or a school play. Support the arts. Support artists. We need you now more than ever.”
Laffrey—a scenic designer and longtime friend and collaborator of Arden’s—won the award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical with George Reeve. His previous nominations include Best Scenic Design of a Play for A Christmas Carol (2023, with Lucy Mackinnon) and Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Once on This Island (2018).
“This is an incredible honor, and a million thank yous to everyone who has made this production flourish,” Laffrey said in his acceptance speech. “Making a show like Maybe Happy Ending is alchemical, and I've always believed that the key to the alchemy is to find your people… I think the reason I've always believed so strongly in finding your people and holding on tight is because I found one of them when I was 16 years old: Michael Arden. My oldest friend and partner in almost everything—I share this with you.”
During the awards ceremony—which was held Sunday, June 8 at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan—All-State alumna Celia Keenan-Bolger (AS 93-95) received the 2025 Isabelle Stevenson Award. The award is presented to a member of the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service, or charitable organizations. In a press release announcing the award, the Tony Awards Administration Committee cited Bolger’s “unwavering dedication to advocacy work through the arts”—including her work as a member of the advisory board for Broadway Impact, her role as an artist-ambassador for the New York Civil Liberties Union, and leadership role in founding Broadway Feeds Bellevue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Presented annually by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, the Tony Awards celebrate excellence in Broadway theatre and are widely regarded as one of the most coveted honors in the industry. Since the awards were first presented in 1947, 20 Interlochen alumni have received a total of 36 Tony Awards.
