Maybe Happy Ending star Darren Criss visited Live With Kelly and Mark January 23, and he came with an open heart.
When asked to describe the new musical, which explores the connection between two decommissioned-yet-sentient HelperBots, Criss couldn't help but reflect on the show's universal humanity, even while playing a robot.
"I think the greatest stories we ever experienced in life are the ones we were not prepared to hear," Criss shared. "That's why we remember them, because we were completely unencumbered by expectation or comparison... This is one of the most human stories I've ever been a part of. It's about a very important question that I think some of the best pieces of art asks, which is, 'Why love?' Why do we fall in love, is it worth it, why do we do the things we do, with the battery life that we have? It's about shelf life, it's about all of our fear of obsolescence; there's a lot of really heavy things to be unpacked. However, it's all packaged in this very cute, under-two hour musical comedy with beautiful music and one hell of a spectacle."
Criss pauses, smiling before continuing on. "I guess it's kind of hard to explain, but it'd be just as hard to explain Star Wars, Back to the Future, or Batman. You just kind of have to check it out. You have to experience it."
READ: 5 Reasons to See Maybe Happy Ending
The work, written by Hue Park and Will Aronson, opened its Broadway debut at the Belasco Theatre November 12, 2024, after beginning previews October 16. Michael Arden is directing. Read the reviews here.
Criss and Helen J Shen lead the cast as, respectively, Oliver and Claire. The cast also includes Marcus Choi as James and Junseo, Dez Duron as Gil Brentley, Arden Cho as Jiyeon, Young Mazino as Suhan, and Jim Kaplan as Young Junseo. Understudies Steven Hunyh, Christopher James Tamayo, Hannah Kevitt, and Daniel May round out the company. Casting is by Telsey & Co's Craig Burns.
Get your copy of the Limited Edition Opening Night Maybe Happy Ending Playbill at The Playbill Store.
Set in South Korea, the musical follows a Helperbot 3 that has been deemed obsolete. When his Helperbot neighbor drops by to borrow a charger, a bond is formed, the beginning of a surprising and romantic adventure. The original work features music by Aronson and lyrics by Park, and both have collaborated on the book.
Visit MaybeHappyEnding.com.
