MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews — Page 16

TimeToDither said: "kidmanboy said: "I have a feeling some perceptions of the score will change once there is a cast recording. It is very well written."

A cast album justifies it being boring in the actual musical?"

No I think the point is that it's hard to take in a new score for the first time - so the patterns, melodies, harmonies etc. aren't as striking or obvious until you listen a couple times. But sometimes once you're familiar it all kind of clicks into place. 

That said, I'm still not 100% convinced in the Maybe Happy Ending score so I'll wait for myself (and I have been listening to the demo tracks!). That's not to say there is anything 'wrong' with it, it serves it purpose. I just think for me at least based on the one viewing the real strength of the show was the book (characters + twists + emotions), the acting and the production/staging. 

In a weird way, I kind of thought the experience was more like a play with music than a musical with a capital B for Broadway. Even looking at the website now I can't say that it reflects the tone of what I thought I saw - which I remembered to be a bit more subtle and not big bright colours like a dance show such as "Here Lies Love". 

This photo below is more how I remembered it...

Huss417 said: "JSquared2 said: "The over the top praise and emotional outpouringfrom the MHE stans (e.g. "I was crying so hard at the end I could barely walk down the street" to paraphrase just one of them) is REALLY becoming tiresome. It's a cute (but forgettable) little show, with a big budget and some great direction.

If it was running at New World Stages, it could becomethe next "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"."

Thanks for belittling my feelings about the show. I really appreciate it."

 

The opinions I stated were not directed at you, nor at any specific person for that matter.   I had to look for your post to see what you were talking about.  If you read through the thread, there have been numerous posts from people sobbing before, during and after the show -- and the hysterics only seem to be increasing as the run goes on.  It's all becoming a bit...much??

Saw it last night- Maybe Happy Endings was good but not great- Gypsy was the matinee- and it was thrilling- I highly recommend Gypsy!

The show will make its TV performance debut on The Tonight Show this Monday, March 3. 

Good lord, Dez Duron's voice is like butter. Chills just from his first note.

What would be wrong with his voice, he sounds great, too. I think they all did a lovely job.

Steven Huynh made his Oliver debut this afternoon and will be on for most of the week. 

There’s plenty to enjoy in this show —the performances are strong, the design is polished, and the energy is undeniable.

It’s fun, it’s flashy, and it knows exactly what kind of show it wants to be.

But for all its charm, something just didn’t click all the way for me.

I liked it. Truly! But I didn’t fall head over heels.

Maybe it was the thin plot, or maybe the emotional beats didn’t land quite as deeply as they could have. Whatever it was, the spark that turns a good night at the theater into a great one was just a little out of reach.

Still, if you’re in the mood for an easy, enjoyable evening, this one more than delivers.

The physical production would have to be rethought for a touring production. I think it’ll still be magical because Michael Arden and company are smart people, but it will almost certainly be different.

Arden won't have to rethink the tour much.  Laffrey (set designer) will have the hardest part.  Set will be changed and simplified significantly.  The show will not tour as is or before it closes on Broadway.    It's not a "technical marvel" just a lot of scenic elements, we've seen used before, thrown in the same sink/show.  It tricks to divert from the thin rom-com story & score. 

 

Updated On: 3/30/25 at 02:31 AM

In response to truly no one, the scenic and projection design of this show is quite complex with lots of automation, lifts, scrims, and special effects. It requires expert precision from stage management and all crew members to get the timing of the entire show just right. I think the intricate design elements contrast and complement the sophisticated simplicity of the jazz- and traditional musical theatre-influenced, character-driven score, which has heartfelt orchestrations that echo the sentiment of the deeply human story and embody the unspoken emotion. The themes explored in this deceptively simple story are anything but thin, which is why the show has resonated with so many people. When all elements tell the same story, as I believe they do here, that’s a major success.