MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews- Page 25

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 4:42pm

This just in: Feldman is out, and Okieriete Onaodowan will be taking in the role of Oliver instead.

Just kidding…but seriously, if I were Feldman I would absolutely drop out. It’s not worth the hate. 

[abcd12]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 4:43pm

The only “hate” is in the comment section by miserable out of work actors with way too much time on their hands. 

Updated On: 7/25/25 at 04:43 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 4:58pm

Well, miserable out of work actors who like to virtue signal and protest on social media make up a pretty big demographic of the theatre industry, so that’s a lot of angry people to deal with…

Updated On: 7/25/25 at 04:58 PM

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 5:04pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "This just in: Feldman is out, andOkieriete Onaodowan will be taking in the role of Oliver instead.

Just kidding…but seriously, if I were FeldmanI would absolutely drop out. It’s not worth the hate."

Not going to happen. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 5:35pm

Ensemble1698878795 said: "GiantsInTheSky2 said: "They “took away the opportunity”…for nine weeks.

You guys are acting like they have indefinitely decided this is a white-only role and will only see white actors from here on out. This is so ridiculously overblown. Please look outside of yourself."

What is "only 9 weeks" to you is weeks of health insurance of an Asian actor unfulfilled. It's so overblown until you're living it -which you obviously aren't. I on the hand have many outraged friends who are Asian and not working. So sure, Jane. Diminish the conversation so you can replace Criss with a white actor who won't even bump the box office.”

Your outraged & out of work friends were not going to be getting this temporary replacement job regardless. Sorry to break it to you. 

Updated On: 7/25/25 at 05:35 PM

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 5:57pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "GiantsInTheSky2 said: "They “took away the opportunity”…for nine weeks.

You guys are acting like they have indefinitely decided this is a white-only role and will only see white actors from here on out. This is so ridiculously overblown. Please look outside of yourself."

What is "only 9 weeks" to you is weeks of health insurance of an Asian actor unfulfilled. It's so overblown until you're living it -which you obviously aren't. I on the hand have many outraged friends who are Asian and not working. So sure, Jane. Diminish the conversation so you can replace Criss with a white actor who won't even bump the box office.”

Your outraged & out of work friends were not going to be getting this temporary replacementjob regardless. Sorry to break it to you.
 

You don’t know that, but sure! Just respond to have something witty to say. 

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 5:59pm

abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "But if he turned out to be 1/64th Mongolian would you be okay with him playing the role?

Andrew if you’re reading this I’ll pay for the test myself!"

Jokes to deflect reality. A MAGA technique. He's white and if he was Asian they would’ve promoted it."

Implying that anyone who disagrees with your outrage (over the casting of a white person as a ROBOT) is an MAGA Trumper is just - beyond comprehension."

Density is a theme today. Can you read? I didn’t say MAGA supporter, I said MAGA technique. Can you decipher the difference? Your lack of comprehension is beyond me. 
 

 

[abcd12]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 6:05pm

Ensemble1698878795 said: "abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "But if he turned out to be 1/64th Mongolian would you be okay with him playing the role?

Andrew if you’re reading this I’ll pay for the test myself!"

Jokes to deflect reality. A MAGA technique. He's white and if he was Asian they would’ve promoted it."

Implying that anyone who disagrees with your outrage (over the casting of a white person as a ROBOT) is an MAGA Trumper is just - beyond comprehension."

Density is a theme today. Can you read? I didn’t say MAGA supporter, I said MAGA technique. Can you decipherthe difference? Your lack of comprehension is beyond me.


"

I JUST realized you’re the same poster who wanted Patti LuPone burned at the stake for her comments a few months ago.

I bet you’re a blast at parties! 

Density does seem to be a theme in every thread you post in. Wonder what the common denominator is there…

Sorry you’re so miserable! Have a wonderful weekend!

[MB124]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 6:06pm

Ensemble1698878795 said: "abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "But if he turned out to be 1/64th Mongolian would you be okay with him playing the role?

Andrew if you’re reading this I’ll pay for the test myself!"

Jokes to deflect reality. A MAGA technique. He's white and if he was Asian they would’ve promoted it."

Implying that anyone who disagrees with your outrage (over the casting of a white person as a ROBOT) is an MAGA Trumper is just - beyond comprehension."

Density is a theme today. Can you read? I didn’t say MAGA supporter, I said MAGA technique. Can you decipherthe difference? Your lack of comprehension is beyond me.


"

You’re IMPLYING that since they utilized a MAGA technique, they are part of the MAGA movement. Which was exactly what abcd said.
 

Can YOU read? 

[MB124]

Posted: 7/25/25 at 6:08pm

abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "But if he turned out to be 1/64th Mongolian would you be okay with him playing the role?

Andrew if you’re reading this I’ll pay for the test myself!"

Jokes to deflect reality. A MAGA technique. He's white and if he was Asian they would’ve promoted it."

Implying that anyone who disagrees with your outrage (over the casting of a white person as a ROBOT) is an MAGA Trumper is just - beyond comprehension."

Density is a theme today. Can you read? I didn’t say MAGA supporter, I said MAGA technique. Can you decipherthe difference? Your lack of comprehension is beyond me.


"

I JUST realized you’re the same poster who wanted Patti LuPone burned at the stake for her comments a few months ago.

I bet you’re a blast at parties!

Density does seem to be a theme in every thread you post in. Wonder what the common denominator is there…

Sorry you’re so miserable! Have a wonderful weekend!"

Yep. They derailed THAT thread and here we are back at square one. Clearly they still haven’t found a more productive outlet for their passion for social justice, so arguing with a bunch of theater queens it is! 

Updated On: 7/25/25 at 06:08 PM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 12:51am

From the Facebook of Broadway veteran Jose Llana:

'So to be clear, [Oliver] was never supposed to be Asian? Got it. Thank God. Us Asian men have waaaaay too many opportunities to be leading men. We should really spread the love ... to white men.''

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 6:27am

Wayman_Wong said: "From the Facebook of Broadway veteran Jose Llana:

'So to be clear, [Oliver] was never supposed to be Asian? Got it. Thank God. Us Asian men have waaaaay too many opportunities to be leading men. We should really spread the love ... to white men.''"

He’s being disingenuous. The writers are saying the part can be played by an Asian and anyone else. The part was just played by an Asian. In workshops it wasn’t. The writers can change their mind about what works after seeing it in a longer run. Does he really want to pull down a production, a la Cynthia and Great Comet, that has Asian actors in it? 

This guy has been a lead on Broadway EIGHT times. And he’s saying there aren’t enough opportunities? Let alone Aladdin which is still running and hasn’t historically been Asian in other media, Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Amos which recently had an Asian in the role, plus all the cover opportunities like the Asian guy who covered Joe in Sunset and couldn’t even SING IT? Please tell me how roles are not available to Asians. Maybe the actors are just not auditioning well enough to be in more roles, could that be a possibility? 

Is he going to say that one Asian lead in Hamilton isn’t enough, and that black men should give up some of their roles to Asians? 

Jose and anyone who thinks like him can fuc right off. 

Updated On: 7/26/25 at 06:27 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 8:07am

I also think people forget that Darren is a name. And Andrew - while not the same - is still a “name.” Makes sense as a replacement. 

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 9:56am

It’s just really exhausting here, and the posters who think a certain way are never going to change their mind when people actually in the industry say things from their perspective and from personal experience. Most here don’t know what it’s actually like to be an Asian actor in musical theatre. There have been so many measured responses from people in the theatre community, but none of them heard, at least not here. The reaction from the Asian American theatre community should have been expected from a mile away, but the mostly-white people in charge have decided to alienate the marginalized group who has been their loudest cheerleader since day one. Most here won’t understand, and the loudest will force people who are rightfully angry about this back into lurker mode. Rinse; repeat.

There is deep hurt and disappointment in the AAPI theatre community right now, I’ll just say that.

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 10:14am

There is deep hurt and disappointment in the AAPI theatre community right now, I’ll just say that."

And this is what I’m speaking to. Most people on this board don’t actually care about diversity and when you try and enlighten them they attack. (Read above). This environment, these boards allow racist minded “theater lovers” to be complacent and come up with excuses for everything little thing. I will proudly continue to “derail” these boards because most of you want this to be a white only space with no accountability. Sorry that’ll never be the case again. (Cue a slew of more attacks.) 

Asian actors have the right to be upset and we have a right to support them. I hope this casting backfires and this team learns. 

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 10:23am

abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "But if he turned out to be 1/64th Mongolian would you be okay with him playing the role?

Andrew if you’re reading this I’ll pay for the test myself!"

Jokes to deflect reality. A MAGA technique. He's white and if he was Asian they would’ve promoted it."

Implying that anyone who disagrees with your outrage (over the casting of a white person as a ROBOT) is an MAGA Trumper is just - beyond comprehension."

Density is a theme today. Can you read? I didn’t say MAGA supporter, I said MAGA technique. Can you decipherthe difference? Your lack of comprehension is beyond me.


"

I JUST realized you’re the same poster who wanted Patti LuPone burned at the stake for her comments a few months ago.

I bet you’re a blast at parties!

Density does seem to be a theme in every thread you post in. Wonder what the common denominator is there…

Sorry you’re so miserable! Have a wonderful weekend!"

I’m having a great weekend. I’ve actually had some lovely interactions on these boards with people who have intelligence and compassion for others. I’m sorry that gene skipped your family line. Have a fantastic weekend. Maybe go see MHE before the lead gets completely white washed. Here here. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 10:27am

To return to my earlier point about the show's sales after Criss leaves: I checked three more September dates, and found a handful of performances in which fewer than 75-100 seats total had been sold at each. October is startling, the mezz completely unsold at many performances. I get that Broadway now operates with a different model insofar as advance ticket purchases are concerned. But the difference in summer sales and fall suggests two different shows commercially. The decision to bypass a star or star adjacent actor for two months is striking. (Sorry, arguably Mr. Feldman is no one's idea of box office; he's not even Montego Glover.)  The show itself is expected to become the event, a lauded Tony winner, but it will need a brand new advertising blitz with a new focus. And as I opined, it will need to sell a large number of seats daily at the TKTS booth. 

For comparison, look at the ingenuous casting at Hadestown. Bringing in new stars from the recording world, indie/alt rock iconoclasts and now the gifted young actor from the PBS televised Next to Normal and several other known names has kept the show vital, ever renewable. These 9 weeks post-Criss presented a unique opportunity for genuinely creative casting of the same sort. Surely the goal wasn't to move the preponderance of sales to TKTS before the Best Musical 2025 reaches a one-year anniversary. 

Updated On: 7/26/25 at 10:27 AM

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 10:27am

MB124 said: "abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "abcd12 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "But if he turned out to be 1/64th Mongolian would you be okay with him playing the role?

Andrew if you’re reading this I’ll pay for the test myself!"

Jokes to deflect reality. A MAGA technique. He's white and if he was Asian they would’ve promoted it."

Implying that anyone who disagrees with your outrage (over the casting of a white person as a ROBOT) is an MAGA Trumper is just - beyond comprehension."

Density is a theme today. Can you read? I didn’t say MAGA supporter, I said MAGA technique. Can you decipherthe difference? Your lack of comprehension is beyond me.


"

I JUST realized you’re the same poster who wanted Patti LuPone burned at the stake for her comments a few months ago.

I bet you’re a blast at parties!

Density does seem to be a theme in every thread you post in. Wonder what the common denominator is there…

Sorry you’re so miserable! Have a wonderful weekend!"

Yep. They derailedTHAT thread and here we are back at square one. Clearly they still haven’t found a more productiveoutlet for their passion for social justice, so arguingwith a bunch of theater queens it is!"

Or maybe theater queens don’t deserve a space to ignore racism any more. And for the first time your cesspool of a thread has some push back and accountability in it. Telling people where they should place their social justice is a choice. You don’t know what other things I do. But I’ve observed the bs on here and we can make it miserable for all of us. 

[MB124]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 10:33am

I’m done trying to get anywhere with you, Ensemble. 

Bye.

Auggie27 said: "To return to my earlier point about the show's sales after Criss leaves: I checked three more September dates, and found a handful of performances in which fewer than 75-100seats total had been sold at each. October is startling, the mezz completely unsold at many performances. I get that Broadway now operates with a different model insofar as advance ticket purchases are concerned. But the difference in summer sales and fall suggests two different shows commercially. The decision to bypass a star or star adjacent actor for two months is striking. (Sorry, arguably Mr. Feldman is no one's idea of box office; he's not even Montego Glover.) The show itself is expected to become the event, a lauded Tony winner, but it will need a brand new advertizing blitz with a new focus. And as I opined, it will need to sell a large number of seats daily at the TKTS booth.

For comparison, look at the ingenuous casting at Hadestown. Bringing in new stars from the recording world, indie/altrock iconoclasts and now the gifted young actor from the PBS televisedNext to Normal and several other known names has kept the show vital, ever renewable. These 9 weeks post-Criss presented a unique opportunity for genuinely creative casting of the same sort.Surely the goal wasn't to move the preponderance of sales to TKTS before the Best Musical 2025reaches a one-year anniversary."

I’m sorry, but on what planet is Jack Wolfe selling ANY tickets…? 

HADESTOWN is selling on its name and it’s Tony wins. As will MHE.

There’s nothing to be concerned about as far as moving tickets. It may not run as long as HADESTOWN, but it’ll be fine. The fall is always a slower sales period, compared to the summer. 

Additionally, appearing on TKTS is not the death knell it used to be. I went to the booth a few weeks back (prior to the Tonys) to ask about pricing for SUNSET and they were indeed selling tickets at half price - but they were prime orchestra seats, going for upwards of $200 (I’d imagine they’re normally about $400). Popping up on TKTS doesn’t correlate to worrisome ticket sales as blatantly as it used to. 
 

Updated On: 7/26/25 at 10:33 AM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 11:20am

 

Respectfully, my point about Hadestown was a much broader annotating argument for casting far and wide to create a shapeshifting buzz around any show. In September the show adds not only Wolfe (agreed, he alone will not but butts in seats though I've read enthusiasm), but Paulo Szot as Hades, and jazz iconoclast Kurt Elling as Hermes (trust me, he has a genuine following and his concerts sell out in every major city). This is after casting Ani Di Franco, Stephanie Mills, Betty Who. My larger point is: casting can widen/expand theater audiences by drawing from other genres, other media. This piece, which has a wonderful supporting role for a singer, and a protagonist part that doesn't make strenuous vocal demands, could welcome a range of known and semi-known performers. Moulin Rouge has done the same. 

My post fairly notes that TKTS sales will likely keep this show at capacity. I was merely noting that almost no one has purchased seats for September or October. I honestly was not predicting anything close to failure. 

Updated On: 7/26/25 at 11:20 AM

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 11:23am

Isn't there always a fairly significant drop between summer and September ticket sales when school is back in session and tourist travel changes?

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 11:30am

There are fundamental limitations on trying to discuss the opportunities for Asians actors focusing on a single casting decision, so I was just reading THE VISIBILITY REPORT (2021–2022) by the Asian American Performers Action Coalition.

During the 2021-2022 season on New York stages, 7.5% of the roles went to Asian American actors. 

7.2% of the US population identifies as Asian, so in one context, that's reasonable representation. The problem is 14.5% of New York City is Asian-American. 

Also only 3.1% of the time were Asian-Americans cast in racially nonspecific roles. So this probably doesn't apply to Oliver in MHE specifically because it's set in Seoul, but generally speaking Oliver is the type of role Asian actors are statistically less likely to get, if defined as racially nonspecific. 

The much bigger problem appears to be gatekeeper roles. For example, 100% of non-profit artistic directors in the city are White and 0% of Broadway lead producers were Asian-American.    

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 12:10pm

“0% of Broadway lead producers were Asian-American.”

Thank you for these stats. I’m sure if an Asian American wanted to be a lead producer on something, they’d be more than welcome to find a project, make an offer to produce, and then go out and raise the money. It’s not exactly a position that’s bequeathed from above, but you certainly need to convince the writers that their project is safe in your hands and that any investors will be in the best possible hands as well. So in this case, who needs to be “convinced” to open the doors for Asian American lead producers? Is this realistically something that can be changed? 

Regarding NYC Asian population vs nationwide Asian population, I’m not certain that the NYC population is something that needs to be aspired to regarding representation. Audiences are majority tourists, from other states and other countries. Shouldn’t we aim to represent the same proportion of Asian audience members that is watching the shows? How would this possibly be quantified? Should we just expand it in global numbers to make things easy? That would mean more than 50% of actors onstage on Broadway need to be Asian.

Do we include national tours? Do we count regional theatres? 

There’s a white company of Wicked in South Korea right now. And a white company of Gatsby about to open. Both a far larger percentage than the white population is in the makeup of that country. Should South Koreans revolt?

Where does this end, honestly? 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 1:12pm

In the 78-year history of the Tony Awards, Darren Criss became the first Asian-American to win Leading Actor in a Musical. He knows the significance of his casting, telling the L.A. Times in March: ''Let's call a spade a spade here — I'm the white-passing Asian of our group, but it is my identity. The AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander] community in the arts is a smaller, if not marginalized, group, so to be up there, I feel that excitement and encouragement from the community at large. It's important, and I hope this show can continue to have that legacy and be an inspiring call to action in other artistic spheres.''  Toward that end, I'm sure it's no accident that his two understudies  in "Maybe Happy Ending" are Asian-American, too. But now Criss' replacement after he leaves Aug. 31 is a Caucasian actor. Is it any wonder that Asian-American actors feel disappointed and slapped in the face?

Thirty-five years ago this month (July 1990), I was the N.Y. Daily News reporter who broke the story about the controversy over "Miss Saigon'' casting Jonathan Pryce as the Engineer for Broadway. The show defended its casting, claiming a worldwide search had been made to find an Asian actor suitable to play the Engineer, but none could be found. After Equity OK'd Pryce, "Miss Saigon" admitted that no such search had been made. So "Miss Saigon" was willing to make a then-unknown Asian actress (Lea Salonga) a star, but slander the talents of Asian men sight unseen and deny them an equal shot to become a star.

Asian-American men almost never get to star in a Tony-winning musical. Just as "Maybe Happy Ending" provides a star-making opportunity for an unknown Asian-American actress like Helen J Shen, it could be a springboard for an unknown Asian-American actor, too. The default shouldn't be casting a Caucasian (who's dating the leading lady).

Updated On: 7/26/25 at 01:12 PM

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 7/26/25 at 1:17pm

Wayman_Wong said: "In the 78-year history of the Tony Awards, Darren Criss became the first Asian-American to win Leading Actor in a Musical. He knows the significance of his casting, telling the L.A. Times in March: ''Let's call a spade a spade here — I'm the white-passing Asian of our group, but it is my identity. The AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander] community in the arts is a smaller, if not marginalized, group, so to be up there, I feel that excitement and encouragement from the community at large. It's important, and I hope this show can continue to have that legacy and be an inspiring call to action in other artistic spheres.'' Toward that end, I'm sure it's no accident that his two understudies in "Maybe Happy Ending" are Asian-American, too. But now Criss' replacement after he leaves Aug. 31 is a Caucasian actor. Is it any wonder that Asian-American actors feel disappointed?

Thirty-five years ago this month (July 1990), I was the N.Y. Daily News reporter who broke the story about the controversy over "Miss Saigon'' casting Jonathan Pryce as the Engineer for Broadway. The show defended its casting, claiming a worldwide search had been made to find an Asian actor suitable to play the Engineer, but none could be found. After Equity OK'd Pryce, "Miss Saigon" sheepishly admitted that no such search had been made. So "Miss Saigon" was willing to make a then-unknown Asian actress (Lea Salonga) a star, but slander the talents of Asian men sight unseen and deny them an equal shot to become a star.

Asian-American men almost never get to star in a Tony-winning musical. Just as "Maybe Happy Ending" provides a star-making opportunity for an unknown Asian-American actress like Helen J Shen, it could be a springboard for an unknown Asian-American actor, too. The default shouldn't be casting a Caucasian (who happens to be dating the show's female star)."

Honestly, this is the entire point of the thread. Anyone not acknowledging that is being purposefully racist at this point.