Darren Criss and Helen J Shen in rehearsal for “Maybe Happy Ending”
(Photo: Michaelah Reynolds)
Maybe Happy Ending, the new romantic musical comedy about companionship-seeking robots, has its first Broadway preview at the Belasco Theatre on October 16. Starring Darren Criss and Helen J Shen, the production is set to open November 12 with a red-carpet company celebration scheduled for November 11.
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 Helper-Bot 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? The show features music by Will Aronson, lyrics by Hue Park and a book by both Aronson and Park.
“The first time we did the music in rehearsal, it was full-body chills,” Shen told Broadway.com. “It envelops you and takes you to the future. It’s so exciting and fresh. We’re all doing things that I have never seen before and I’ve never heard before. Even as a theater fan, I would be excited about this show regardless of even being in it.”
The cast of Maybe Happy Ending also features Dez Duron and Marcus Choi, with Steven Huynh, Hannah Kevitt, Daniel May and Christopher James Tamayo serving as understudies.
Michael Arden directs the Broadway production of the show, which premiered, in its Korean-language version, in Seoul in 2016.
