MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews- Page 18

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 12:17pm

Maybe I've become cynical about brief star runs on Broadway, but October 16 - August 31 seems like a decent commitment in this day and age. Bravo to Criss. I have been under the impression - this thread aside - that the show itself is the star here, Criss less so. But I would think they'd seek another name as a replacement. It's a wonderful role for a young singing actor, and surely they can find a star who'd seize the opportunity. Especially after the show wins Best Musical. 

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 12:39pm

I'm hoping Jason Gotay takes over. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 12:47pm

For some reason, I picture Kelvin Moon Loh playing James, either on Broadway or on tour. 

[Huss417]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 1:41pm

Auggie27 said: "Maybe I've become cynical about brief star runs on Broadway, but October 16 - August 31 seems like a decent commitment in this day and age. Bravo to Criss. I have been under the impression - this thread aside - that the show itself is the star here, Criss less so. But I would think they'd seek another name as a replacement. It's a wonderful role for a young singing actor, and surely they can find a star who'd seize the opportunity. Especially after the show wins Best Musical."

Criss is also one of the producers of Maybe Happy Ending so he does have a vested interest in how the show proceeds with or without him. 

[merle57]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 1:44pm

I wonder if next Winter or Spring Darren Criss will do the West Coast tour in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle as he did with Hedwig.  That would be great for the show, also a good career move. Of course, he and his wife have just had their second child, so touring would be more of a challenge with this show than Hedwig. 

[Canadian_Linz]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 3:42pm

I have it in my head, with nothing to back it up, that Maybe Happy Ending will do a West End run with Darren leading it. 
 

I sort of see him that over a West Coast tour, but I also am just completely pulling this out of nowhere. 😆 

[sppunk]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 4:32pm

We plan to see this but can’t make it until October so will now likely wait for the tour so we can slot more in NYC. 

[TellZ]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 4:54pm

sppunk said: "We plan to see this but can’t make it until October so will now likely wait for the tour so we can slot more in NYC."

Would recommend seeing it with or without Criss in NYC. The tour will not be able to fully replicate the Broadway staging.

[sppunk]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 8:02pm

TellZ said: "sppunk said: "We plan to see this but can’t make it until October so will now likely wait for the tour so we can slot more in NYC."

Would recommend seeing it with or without Criss in NYC. The tour will not be able to fully replicate the Broadway staging."

Oh is the staging elaborate? I was under the impression it was fairly straightforward apartment setup. (I have avoided most spoilers so if I’m wrong yay on that happening ha) 

[bear88]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 8:26pm

The set design on Broadway is very impressive. It’s one of those worth-seeing-on-Broadway musicals despite its misleadingly simple setup. 

[sppunk]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 9:50pm

bear88 said: "The set design on Broadway is very impressive. It’s one of those worth-seeing-on-Broadway musicals despite its misleadingly simple setup."

Got it! Will keep it in our late October visit slot (with Ragtime, Chess and tbd(

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 8:15am

Criss is the one I’m hardest pressed to this of a replacement for. If Conrad Ricamora was 10 years younger, he’d be perfect (though he could always replace Marcus Choi). Dean-John Wilson (a noted AAPI performer on the West End) would be pretty solid.

Luna (from K-POP) could be a perfect replacement for Shen. There’s also a trove of Eurydices who could go in (Eva Noblezada, Lola Tung, Isa Briones, and Myra Molloy)

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 6/1/25 at 11:21am

BroadwayWorld.com Video: 'Maybe Happy Ending's' Standbys Take Center Stage at Ben Cameron's 'Broadway Sessions': Featured: Stephen Huynh (''Marry Me a Little''), Hannah Kevitt (''Journey to the Past''), Daniel May & Christopher James Tamayo (''In Lily's Eyes'') ...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Video-MAYBE-HAPPY-ENDING-Standbys-Take-Center-Stage-at-Broadway-Sessions-20250531

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 6/1/25 at 11:52am

quizking101 said: "Criss is the one I’m hardest pressed to this of a replacement for. If Conrad Ricamora was 10 years younger, he’d be perfect (though he could always replace Marcus Choi). Dean-John Wilson (a noted AAPI performer on the West End) would be pretty solid.

Luna (from K-POP) could be a perfect replacement for Shen. There’s also a trove of Eurydices who could go in (Eva Noblezada, Lola Tung, Isa Briones, and Myra Molloy)"

I think Criss’ replacement will be Zachary Noah Piser. He got good notices in Redwood, and now is obviously out of a job. Reads the right age, has a beautiful voice, and is a good guy. Seems to be a perfect fit, and I hope it happens!

[Ptero2]

Posted: 6/1/25 at 12:40pm

I am manifesting Stephanie Hsu as Claire

[tomorrowBIGLITES]

Posted: 6/5/25 at 8:31am

This is winning Best Musical right? 
 

I was weeping. Beautifully done

[Shubert Alley Cat]

Posted: 6/5/25 at 11:34am

FINALLY saw this last night.  Absolutely beautiful.  A++

[MezzA101]

Posted: 6/5/25 at 4:35pm

NYR: The scenic designer Dane Laffrey on the inspiration he found while travelling in Tokyo and the ideas that led to the groundbreaking set design of the Broadway musical, which stars Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen.

https://youtu.be/U4o-Vg-DrL8?feature=shared

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 6:50pm

Saw this earlier in the week.  I liked it enormously, but it did not reach 'love' status for me.

First and foremost, I thought that Darren Criss gave a phenomenal performance.  I was unable to see Jonathan Groff (I have to wait until October), so I will only say here that to me his performance merits a Tony, whether he gets one or not.  Some people have posted that his singing is not that great.  All I can say is that it was more than up to the songs he had to sing.  His balancing of the human vs. the robotic was amazing to me.  Helen J Shen was also wonderful, although Criss is clearly the lead.  I can understand why she did not receive a Tony nomination in this particularly strong season, but she was terrific and I doubt that her performance could be bettered.

The book was extremely effective at juggling the sweet and innocent with the deeper issues about mortality...so damn clever and able to get you to care so much, despite being reminded constantly that they were robots.  The production design and staging were stellar, particularly in the firefly scene, which was positively beautiful.  My only complaint is with Arden's ignoring side seats with some of his decisions.  I was in a seat 4 or 5 off the aisle, not yet in the middle of the side row (about 12th or 13th row) and did not see the left side of Criss's room.  Not a big deal, but I wondered how much people further to the side were missing.  It wasn't necessary, he is smart enough and creative enough to have avoided the problem.  Were I a Tony voter, this would have been a negative factor in my decision making on who to vote for.  Truthfully, however, I would still have voted for Jamie Lloyd (although I expect Arden to win).

The think that kept me from loving this is that I did not think there was a single song that stood out.   All the music was fine, but it wasn't great.  Of course, that is more the norm nowadays, unfortunately.

[bear88]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 4:50am

I think these critiques are fair (I can’t comment on how the show plays from the sides but planned ahead and got tickets dead center in the mezzanine) but I will defend the score as being just right for the musical.

I never thought, not even once, that there was anything wrong with the score in the theater. It’s a lyrics-driven score that is busy telling a story and doing a lot of the show’s world building. ‘World Within My Room’ does a masterful and concise job of outlining Oliver’s situation and feelings of isolation in his very first song. ‘The Way That it Has to Be’ does the same for Claire, only with a darker twist.

This continues throughout the show as the characters’ evolving relationship is told through song. The Dez Duron songs establish the show’s themes while the instrumental sections bolster key scenes. The music serves and advances the story, just like a good score is supposed to do.

I will concede that the individual songs aren’t going to match the best songs in Gypsy, Sunset Blvd., or the Sondheim revue. But that’s an unfair comparison (and we’re familiar with those songs). I thought ‘Dear Bill’ was the best song in the three new musicals I saw (even though there’s not much of a melody), and Dead Outlaw has the catchiest overall cast recording (for me, anyway).

Bur the Maybe Happy Ending score does exactly what’s needed. It enhances the story, and the cast recording takes me back to what I felt while watching the musical. Besides, the three installments of ‘Hitting the Road’ are quite catchy.

 

 

[binau]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 5:02am

I agree with everything you said bear88 but I would say the phrase '(and we’re familiar with those songs)' makes it seem that if we listen to Maybe Happy Ending enough that suddenly it will click the same way that some of the songs in Gypsy or Sunset Boulevard does. I've listened to Maybe Happy Ending over and over again now and I don't think there is a Sondheim score there to be mined. It is exactly as you describe it - a score that serves the story and characters. I know it's a true musical so it isn't fair of me to describe it as play with music, but it kind of feels like a play with music to me. 

[bear88]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 5:28am

I’m not suggesting that, years from now, we will hold the songs from Maybe Happy Ending in the same regard as Sondheim’s best work, or Gypsy, or even Sunset Blvd., which few regarded as having a particularly good score until this revival. I am just pointing out that familiar songs have a built-in advantage.

The score of Maybe Happy Ending serves its story very well, and for that reason I think it’s underrated. I know that audiences want to tap their toes a bit, and maybe Will Aronson and Hue Park should have thrown them a crumb. But content dictates form, as someone once said.

Updated On: 6/7/25 at 05:28 AM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 12:00pm

bear88 said: "I think these critiques are fair (I can’t comment on how the show plays from the sides but planned ahead and got tickets dead center in the mezzanine) but I will defend the score as being just right for the musical.

I never thought, not even once, that there was anything wrong with the score in the theater. It’s a lyrics-driven score that is busy telling a story and doing a lot of the show’s world building. ‘World Within My Room’ does a masterful and concise job of outlining Oliver’s situation and feelings of isolation in hisvery first song. ‘The Way That it Has to Be’ does the same for Claire, only with a darker twist.

This continues throughout the show as the characters’ evolving relationship is told through song. The Dez Duron songs establish the show’s themes while the instrumental sections bolster key scenes. The music serves and advances the story, just like a good score is supposed to do.

I will concede that the individual songs aren’t going to match the best songs inGypsy,Sunset Blvd., or the Sondheim revue. But that’s an unfair comparison (and we’re familiar with those songs). I thought‘Dear Bill’ was the best song in the three new musicals I saw (even though there’s not much of a melody), andDead Outlawhas the catchiest overall cast recording (for me, anyway).

Bur the Maybe Happy Endingscore does exactly what’s needed. It enhances thestory, and the cast recording takes me back to what I felt while watching the musical. Besides, the three installments of ‘Hitting the Road’ are quite catchy.


Really well written thoughts.  i think your points are very valid.  
 

 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 9:57pm

The score has been the sticking point for me as far as Tony predictions go, as it seems to be the weakest part of the show to many (outside of the sightlines).  But it's also the only original score that got an orchestration nomination, and the winner for score usually seems to be nominated so I don't really know anymore.  I've said since the beginning that I think Dead Outlaw might be the one taking home score, but I just don't know anymore.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 10:37pm

funny to hear everyone’s reactions because the music was one of the things I liked best about the show. The melodies were stuck in my head, which doesn’t happen often nowadays.