Darren Criss And Helen J Shen To Star In MAYBE HAPPY ENDING On Broadway This Fall

From Skid Row to 44th Street! This morning it was announced that Darren Criss and Helen J Shen will star in the Broadway premiere of the new romantic musical comedy Maybe Happy Ending, with music by Will Aronson, lyrics by Hue Park and a book by both Aronson and Park. Michael Arden is set to direct the new musical which will begin previews Wednesday September 18, 2024 ahead of an opening night on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at the Belasco Theatre. 

Dez Duron will make his Broadway debut along with Shen with the production. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. 

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 Helper-Bot 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. Maybe Happy Ending is a fresh, original musical about the small things that make any life worth living.

Maybe Happy Ending was written in both Korean and English-language versions. The Korean-language version opened in December of 2016 at DaeMyung Culture Factory in Seoul and subsequently won six Korean Musical Awards including Best Musical. The English-language version was awarded the 2017 Richard Rodgers Production Award and had its U.S. premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in the 2019-2020 season.

“I am so very happy to be joining the enchanting world of Maybe Happy Ending,” said Darren Criss. “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?” 

Dane Laffrey will design the Set and Additional Video, while Costume Design is by Clint Ramos, Lighting Design is by Tony Award-nominee Ben Stanton, Sound Design is by Peter Hylenski, Video Design by George Reeve, Deborah Abramson is the Music Supervisor and John Yun will be the Music Director. Casting is by Telsey & Co, Craig Burns, CSA and Justin Scribner is the Production Stage Manager. 

For more information please visit: www.maybehappyending.com