MAYBE HAPPY ENDING comes to Broadway starring Darren Criss in Autumn 2024
Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Darren Criss will return to the stage alongside Helen J Shen (The Lonely Few, Teeth) in the Broadway premiere of new romantic musical comedy Maybe Happy Ending, which previews at the Belasco Theatre from 18 September.
With music by Will Aronson, lyrics by Hue Park and a book by both Aronson and Park, the production is directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Arden.
Maybe Happy Ending will also feature Dez Duron (The Voice, NBC) who makes his Broadway debut along with Shen. Final casting will be announced in due course.
The piece features set design and additional video by Tony Award-nominee Dane Laffrey, with costumes by Tony Award-winner Clint Ramos, lighting by Tony Award-nominee Ben Stanton, sound by Tony Award-winner Peter Hylenski, video design by George Reeve, musical supervision by Deborah Abramson, musical direction by John Yun, and casting by Telsey & Co, Craig Burns, CSA.
Inside a one-room apartment in the heart of Seoul, Oliver (Criss) lives a happily quiet life listening to jazz records and caring for his favorite plant. But what else is there to do when you’re a HelperBot 3, a robot that has long been retired and considered obsolete? When his fellow HelperBot neighbor Claire (Shen) asks to borrow his charger, what starts as an awkward encounter leads to a unique friendship, a surprising adventure, and maybe even...love? Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award, Maybe Happy Ending is the offbeat and captivating story of two outcasts near the end of their warranty who discover that even robots can be swept off their feet. Helmed by visionary director and Tony Award winner Michael Arden (Parade, Once on This Island), with a dazzling scenic design by Dane Laffrey (A Christmas Carol) and book, music, and lyrics by the internationally acclaimed duo Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending is a fresh, original musical about the small things that make any life worth living.
Darren Criss said: “I am so very happy to be joining the enchanting world of Maybe Happy Ending. It’s already such a special piece, but all the more exciting for me to get to build it for Broadway with people I admire - namely my ol’ pal Michael Arden, a visionary I’ve been wanting to work with for longer than I care to admit, as well as the very talented Will Aronson and Hue Park. Their inventive book and music, combined with Michael’s direction, is exactly the kind of alchemy that gets me most excited about what musical theater can be. I can’t wait for audiences to take part in this wonderfully original theatrical experience, and behold a story from a future that explores one of the most ancient questions of humanity- why love?”
Ticketing and on-sale information will be announced at a later date.
For more info, please click here.