MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews- Page 35

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 6:29pm

MemorableUserName said: "Telly Leung's response to the writers' statement is on point:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMx7o7SRkdI/"

The TL;DR of Telly’s response is: The writers can cast their show how they want and I support them making it diverse, except for when I disagree with it. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 6:34pm

YankeeDani said: I didn't realize BroadwayWorld leaned so conservative, that is my surprise. Seems like an oxymoron."

It does not, the minority here always speaks the loudest, and loves to drive their points into the ground literally hundreds and hundreds of times. Read other threads, it's not the case. However, this board can be racist, sexist, and toxic. Sadly the moderators for the past two months have taken a completely hands off approach. They are clearly trying to keep this board alive so they pulled a Zuckerburg and allows trolls like Boris to post the same racist, MAGAt sh*t over and over and over again. It's pathetic and they know it.

Updated On: 7/31/25 at 06:34 PM

[hicaesar]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 6:34pm

Honestly - I find Helen's post a bit troubling.  If she believes the casting is wrong... she should say it. There isn't much dancing in the show... but she sure can dance around the subject!

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 6:36pm

Sutton Ross said: "YankeeDani said:I didn't realize BroadwayWorld leaned so conservative, that is my surprise. Seems like an oxymoron."

It does not, the minority here always speaks the loudest and loves to drive their points into the ground literally hundreds and hundreds of times. Read other threads, it's not the case. However, this board can be racist, sexist, and toxic. Sadly the moderators for the past two months have taken a completely hands off approach. They are clearly trying to keep this board alive so they pulled a Zuckerburg and allows trolls like Boris to post the same racist, MAGAt sh*t over and over and over again. It's pathetic and they know it."

I only re-state points when it seems someone missed it the first time.

Please directly quote one instance of me being racist. 

[MimiChika]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 6:48pm

Direct quote from Michael Arden form Q&A he did on Reddit: 
https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/1gva2c6/im_michael_arden_director_of_maybe_happy_ending/

Question:

As an AsAm actor, one of my favorite things about MHE was how entrenched it felt in Asian culture — particularly in the way it approaches its themes. What was the conversation/thought process like when considering producing the musical in the States v. Korea— were there things you felt needed to change to register? Things you were very  intent didn’t? Thank you!

reply:

Michael Arden: I wanted it to be as authentic as possible. I also think it's in the DNA of the story and writing. Not much needed to change really, and I think when it did feel foreign, we leaned into that. People want to travel the world through art.

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 7:30pm

hicaesar said: "Honestly - I find Helen's post a bit troubling. If she believes the casting is wrong... she should say it. There isn't much dancing in the show... but she sure can dance around the subject!"

lmao ... i'm guessing you're not married.

[hicaesar]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 7:43pm

whatever2 said: "hicaesar said: "Honestly - I find Helen's post a bit troubling. If she believes the casting is wrong... she should say it. There isn't much dancing in the show... but she sure can dance around the subject!"

lmao ... i'm guessing you're not married."

you are correct... and point taken! haha. 

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 7:49pm

whatever2 said: "hicaesar said: "Honestly - I find Helen's post a bit troubling. If she believes the casting is wrong... she should say it. There isn't much dancing in the show... but she sure can dance around the subject!"

lmao ... i'm guessing you're not married."

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 8:11pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "Please directly quote one instance of me being racist."

Where to start, where to start...

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 8:16pm

FolliesCabaret said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "Please directly quote one instance of me being racist."

Where to start, where to start..."

If there’s that many, it should be easy. 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 8:22pm

MemorableUserName said: "Helen J. Shen Releases Statement on MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Casting

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Helen-J-Shen-Releases-Statement-on-MAYBE-HAPPY-ENDING-Casting-20250731

https://www.instagram.com/helenjshen/p/DMySaeju_qH/"

well if people didn't already know she was dating Andrew, now they certainly do.

messy, really messy.

[bear88]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 9:02pm

hicaesar said: "whatever2 said: "hicaesar said: "Honestly - I find Helen's post a bit troubling. If she believes the casting is wrong... she should say it. There isn't much dancing in the show... but she sure can dance around the subject!"

lmao ... i'm guessing you're not married."

you are correct... and point taken! haha."

Good for you, hicaesar, for taking whatever2’s wry remark in the spirit it was intended.

[hicaesar]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 9:19pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "
well if people didn't already know she was dating Andrew, now they certainly do.

messy, really messy."

It wasn't a secret... it's been public for quite a while. I remember them singing together at 54 below and that was like 3 years ago now? 

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 9:28pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "MemorableUserName said: "Helen J. Shen Releases Statement on MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Casting

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Helen-J-Shen-Releases-Statement-on-MAYBE-HAPPY-ENDING-Casting-20250731

https://www.instagram.com/helenjshen/p/DMySaeju_qH/"

well if people didn't already know she was dating Andrew, now they certainly do.

messy, really messy."

They've been using it as part of the marketing, to get people like some in this thread who've been swooning over real-life coupledom and chemistry to buy tickets. (According to some in this thread, it was part of the business decision to justify his casting. They're a real-life couple! That'll sell tickets! Just like Hepburn and Tracy! Or at least Parker and Broderick!)

Andrew Barth Feldman Joins Girlfriend Helen J Shen for Romantic Run in Broadway's Maybe Happy Ending

Updated On: 7/31/25 at 09:28 PM

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 7/31/25 at 9:57pm

I'm so happy for Helen that she gets to work with her boyfriend.

But what happens if they break up and she starts dating another actor?

 

[MimiChika]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 12:56am

Helen you are eating your words. Period 

 

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/helen-shen-maybe-happy-ending-tonys-2025-interview?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwL5J1hleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABp-1mcDsLR9K3rirux5rnUweU5TlSeayHMuAjDSSdKpNO3ZkQfgwu5KAwyL4Z_aem_ShOv_aXutN0OPnj-xUsP2Q

TV: So according to Playbill, Darren's the first Asian actor to win Best Leading Actor in a Musical. I wanted to talk to you about Asian representation on Broadway — there’s yourself, Darren, the entire show of Maybe Happy Ending is a breakthrough in so many ways. So talk to me about getting to be that beacon for other young Asian kids now at this moment.

HS: Firstly, Lea Salonga [introduced us] before our performance. She has been such a huge champion of our show. She's come to see it a couple of times and has just always been such a loud advocate for us. But she was my beacon growing up, and I attest a lot of my thoughts that this was ever a possibility [for me], to her career.

We've had Asian families at the stage door say, “I bring my kids to Broadway shows all the time and I never thought in my lifetime that I would see a show like this where these characters are portrayed by Asian actors, and the story feels very inherently Asian.” It feels like baked in the bones, and yet it's not about that, it's actually about the universality of humanity. And I feel really excited that it's reached kind of mainstream in this way. It's just not to say that let's tell Asian stories for Asian people. These stories matter because everyone can be seen in them.

It trickles down to, then, what people think is possible. I feel very emotional thinking about if 11-year-old Helen saw Maybe Happy Ending, listened to the cast recording, knew the journey of where it came from in Korea, that it's not just about trying to be a Western idea and trying to fit yourself into this mold…All you can do is keep being yourself, and that will click at some point. I feel it so profoundly.

Also in the microcosm way at the theater, we get to really celebrate what's fun about it and order dim sum and go out to the barbecue. There's little things like that when you're not the minority in a cast, you can kind of experience in a way that you didn't really experience before. And we have AAPI representation across the board — the stage managers and our designers, and everyone at the Belasco, even though it's a four person cast, it is filled to the brim with the most amazing women, the most amazing queer people. It's just the best building to go to work in. And I'm going back to work tomorrow. It feels like there's an ending of some sorts that feels like a conclusion or a culmination, a chapter ending [with the Tonys wins]. But actually, we go to work.

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 1:05am

So with Saigon…Here Lies Love…K-Pop…Flower Drum Song…Pacific Overtures…Allegiance…The King and I… no one saw themselves represented. 

A musical about robots in the future, “Oh my God it’s ME!!!”

[YankeeDani]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 1:25am

BorisTomashevsky said: "So with Saigon…Here Lies Love…K-Pop…Flower Drum Song…Pacific Overtures…Allegiance…The King and I… no one saw themselves represented.

A musical about robots in the future, “Oh my God it’s ME!!!”"

 

 

What is wrong with you?

I 100% fully believe you were bull****ting about having asian friends (let alone.. friends). No sane person would tolerate your behavior in the real world. 

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 1:27am

BorisTomashevsky said: "So with Saigon…Here Lies Love…K-Pop…Flower Drum Song…Pacific Overtures…Allegiance…The King and I… no one saw themselves represented.

A musical about robots in the future, “Oh my God it’s ME!!!”"

Now list all the traditional white shows. We’d be here all day. You’re obviously not on this board for constructive conversation. You wanna stir the pot. It’s actually boring. 

 

[Mskuphantm]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 1:35am

BorisTomashevsky said: "So with Saigon…Here Lies Love…K-Pop…Flower Drum Song…Pacific Overtures…Allegiance…The King and I… no one saw themselves represented.

A musical about robots in the future, “Oh my God it’s ME!!!”"

i think you proved the point  how often are those shows you mentioned are on broadway.  I see honestly both sides, but  also from the production side they have against them the casting notice.  I have been following Darren Criss since before Glee and I didnt realize he is Asian descent.  until after he won the Tony award.  and also I see Telly Leungs point to a degree, i still think he wants to play the same role, which why wouldnt be be able to, the character is a robot coming to its obsolete end in a way, so ageless truly can represent.  i also see the reason for the scholarship, but at same time why is it only for asian men?  why leave out asian women its creating a more broad issue as well.   This reminds me of when Katerina was cast in Funny Girl tour, and how it came to be news(because a jewish actress who wasnt talented enough) and said Katerina wasnt jewish, even though she may be...and then Cassie Levy continued the issue..... when honestly what have we heard negatively about Katerina's performance? If it comes down to descendants its another tricky line, with even saying only gay roles should be played by gay performers, because then straight should only be payed by straight...again not saying Ethnicity and race are in same boat, but for this topic especially with a Robot, and a special 8 week or so stint for someone who is serious boyfriend to leading actress..and there is a following for them both being broadway couple, its going with exactly what Helen posted, both can exist she can have her boyfriend play opposite her while also saying there needs to be more representation.

Updated On: 8/1/25 at 01:35 AM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 2:27am

The Washington Post: The 'Maybe Happy Ending' Recasting Is a Major Misstep

The move is a fumbling misstep that could have easily been avoided — there’s no shortage of talented AAPI actors to play the role — and it’s drawn particular ire toward a show that’s already an unlikely triumph. ...

In May, during Asian Pacific Heritage Month and the show’s Tony campaign, the account posted: “Maybe Happy Ending is proud to be a part of rejoicing Asian representation on Broadway ✨ As we celebrate diverse voices on stage.” It seems that touting the show’s commitment to representation was advantageous until the precise moment that it wasn’t. ...

To repeat the obvious, stories that showcase Asian and Asian American characters — and opportunities for artists from those backgrounds to play them — are rare across American media, and particularly in the limited real estate of Broadway. Another Tony winner this year, Francis Jue, won for his performance in “Yellow Face,” David Henry Hwang’s play about casting White actors in Asian parts. That show, first produced in 2007, partly recalls Hwang’s own highly publicized campaign against the casting of a White lead in the Broadway premiere of “Miss Saigon.” History still seems to be repeating.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/07/31/maybe-happy-ending-casting/

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 5:01am

Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky 

Now list all the traditional white shows. We’d be here all day. You’re obviously not on this board for constructive conversation. You wanna stir the pot. It’s actually boring.

If you know that, why do you keep engaging with the idiot? Stop quoting the troll and giving it oxygen. He's an old loser who has no empathy and is here to irritate, not have any kind of conversation. 

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 8:11am

Why a scholarship for Asian men specifically? Asian men are far less represented in musical theatre, especially in principal and leading man roles.

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 10:11am

Bwaygurl2 said: "Ensemble1698878795 said: "BorisTomashevsky

Now list all the traditional white shows. We’d be here all day. You’re obviously not on this board for constructive conversation. You wanna stir the pot. It’s actually boring.

If you know that, why do you keep engaging with the idiot? Stop quoting the troll and giving it oxygen. He's an old loser who has no empathy and is here to irritate, not have any kind of conversation."

Take a deep breath. I’m just catching up with this thread. That was my last time engaging. 

[Crusty Bagel]

Posted: 8/1/25 at 11:03am

This was the best thing that could have happened for this show. They get some press out of it, and people will end up buying tickets in support of the anti woke casting