MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews — Page 51

bear88 said: "TheMaybe Happy Endingstory still isn’t over. It feels sad that such a lovely show has gotten itself trapped in such an ugly controversy. But this still feels fixable. Smarter decisions need to be made."

There is no controversy for people who want equality. Which is the majority of the audience. 99% of the audience thinks Criss is white too. The team of Maybe Happy Ending made an admirable and revolutionary move here. For the first time in Broadway history true equality was shown. They teach the world that equality is an actual two-way street. This is the start of the right path forward. This production is writing history by doing so and should be celebrated and awarded for it.

CoffeeBreak said: "Also, why did Arden and team hire all Asian stand-bys for Oliver and Clair?"

How on earth is this an argument? Because other roles have certain traits, all roles must have the same traits? Maybe they were the best people at the casting. Who just happened to be part of the global majority. In any case they hired a white looking chap for Oliver. A role of which the casting call said: All ethnicities.

Updated On: 8/20/25 at 08:08 AM

Did not have "Darren Criss is actually returning in November" on my bingo card, but there you go. I assume this wasn't always the case, or they would have just announced Andrew as a temporary replacement.

Updated On: 8/20/25 at 04:00 PM

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Darren-Criss-Will-Return-to-MAYBE-HAPPY-ENDING

DUH MHE team -- This was ALWAYS the assumption.  Another "announcement" to temporarily pacify those who disagree with the temporary casting.  Criss was saying this people at the stage door.

Updated On: 8/20/25 at 04:13 PM

The interesting thing about it is that this was always the case. Was really surprised they didn't make that knowledge public in the first place but here we are."

None of this should be considered complicated.

1.  Announcing any leave as “temporary” would have risked a financial drought.  And been grossly unfair to ABF.  “Why buy tickets now, I’ll wait until DC returns.

2.  The producing team went with a known name as the fill-in  for the same reason as #1 - to sell tickets.  If it was all about ideology they would simply put in the understudy.

3.  It’s a robot.  Who cares what city it’s in.  It’s a robot.  At some point the show will close, be licensed - and there will be casts representing a wide diversity taking those roles.  When some high school in Indiana presents MHE you can bet the likliehood of an all Asian cast will be very very low.

4.  Prior to this show I had seen no reference to DC as “Asian.”  Other adjectives like “popular” and “talented” come to mind.  But -again - who cares - it’s a RO-BOT.  Robots do not have racial identities.

Updated On: 8/20/25 at 04:34 PM

I'm waiting for the plot twist.... Helen being replaced with Darren's wife Mia! Then we can have this all over again! haha

getatme said: "It is strange they didn't just announce it as a leave of absence for Criss, that's what it always was. ABF was always a true temporary replacement, and at least some of the headache and backlash could have been eased if they'd just announced from the start that Darren was coming back."

You left out a couple of “ifs” - as none of us know the reality.

But it’s logical that they would not want to announce departure as temporary - as that would simply chill ticket sales until his return.

bear88 said: "There’s no way the producers put the writers and Helen J. Shen - and Andrew Barth Feldman, for that matter - through all of this if Darren Criss was just going to take a two-month ‘leave of absence’ all along.

I would be very surprised if this was the original plan. It may have been the improvised plan, which would explain the silence until today."

Okay then be surprised, because I know for a fact this was always the plan. Darren wanted to extended past August but requested 2 months leave.

 

My friend just got an email that the November 4th performance was canceled. It looks like they're switching from Tuesday evening to Thursday matinee performances. 

getatme said: "It is strange they didn't just announce it as a leave of absence for Criss, that's what it always was. ABF was always a true temporary replacement, and at least some of the headache and backlash could have been eased if they'd just announced from the start that Darren was coming back."

I don't think it would have softened the backlash at all, tbh. It still sets the same precedent. If anything, it's even more frustrating because it makes it less understandable why they didn't just promote their Asian standbys - the show was doing well, they could have held it together for 9 weeks.

GhostXmasPast said: "

The interesting thing about it is that this was always the case. Was really surprised they didn't make that knowledge public in the first place but here we are."

None of this should be considered complicated.

1. Announcing any leave as “temporary” would have risked a financial drought. And been grossly unfair to ABF. “Why buy tickets now, I’ll wait until DC returns.

2. The producing team went with a known name as the fill-infor the same reason as #1 - to sell tickets. If it was all about ideology they would simply put in the understudy.

3. It’s a robot. Who cares what city it’s in. It’s a robot. At some point the show will close, be licensed - and there will be casts representing a wide diversity taking those roles. When some high schoolin Indiana presents MHE you can bet the likliehood of an all Asian cast will be very very low.

4. Prior to this show I had seen no reference to DC as “Asian.” Other adjectives like “popular” and “talented” come to mind. But -again - who cares - it’s a RO-BOT. Robots do not have racial identities."

1. You’re probably correct in that statement.

2. Andrew Barth Feldman is not a “known name” to almost anybody outside NY theatre fans. He was the voice of Dopey in the Snow White flop. Not much else in film or tv that I can find. 

3. Yes, you’re right. High schools in Indiana and elsewhere will do all white casts. They also do all white casts of Dreamgirls. (Look it up on YouTube). Doesn’t make it right. 

4. The fact that Darren Criss is Asian is no secret, just because you have not heard about it. He has discussed this on talk shows and interviews. 

YankeeDani said: "You are the most deluded person I have ever seen "

Disregarding the actual role description is deluded. Thinking equality is a one-way street is deluded. Which of the facts that I mention in my previous post do you find difficult to understand?