Do musical always need a happy ending?

Not necessarily. While many musicals do end happily, there are many examples of successful musicals that do not have a happy ending. Some well-known examples of musicals with tragic or bittersweet endings include:

- Les Misérables

- Sweeney Todd

- The Phantom of the Opera

- West Side Story

- Evita

- Cabaret

- Miss Saigon

- The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

- Next to Normal

- Dear Evan Hansen