The cast and crew of "Maybe Happy Ending" accept the award for best musical for during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

PARKERSBURG — Producer Spencer Ross has earned his fourth Tony Award, this time for the critically acclaimed original musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” which took home six Tony Awards this year, including Best Musical.

Ross, from the Parkersburg area, described this win as particularly meaningful.

“This one probably meant the most,” Ross said in a recent interview. “It’s an all-original musical in a time where there are fewer and fewer original musicals making it to Broadway. To champion a piece of new, heartfelt art, not based on a movie, brings me a lot of joy.”

“Maybe Happy Ending” tells the story of two retired helper-bots in Seoul who, through a series of unexpected events and the magic of musical theater, begin to explore emotions typically reserved for humans. As they discover love, connection, and vulnerability, the show uses the lens of artificial beings to illuminate what it means to be human.

“It’s a completely original musical about two retired helper bots in Seoul who learn that they, too, can fall in love,” Ross explained. “It’s more in the spirit of something like ‘WALL-E’ than a commentary on modern AI.”

(Photo provided) Spencer Ross, a producer originally from the Mid-Ohio Valley, won his fourth Tony Award at the 78th Annual Tony Award Ceremony on June 8.

The production stars Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, alongside Jason Tam, and was praised for its moving performances, innovative design, and emotional depth at the 78th Annual Tony Awards earlier this month. While Ross was not a lead producer on this particular project, he was part of the producing team that helped bring the show to life on Broadway.

In discussing his role, Ross broke down the levels of producing: lead producers oversee everything from hiring the creative team to securing the theater; co-producers, like himself, help raise significant funds and lend support to production and marketing efforts; and investors contribute financially without direct involvement.

Reflecting on his journey, Ross offered words of encouragement to aspiring performers in his hometown of Parkersburg.

“I grew up not thinking I would ever be involved professionally in theater. I was that kid in high school on stage in a background ensemble role trying to find my way,” he said. “Keep going, because you never know what new role in theater might open up to you.”