#MusicalTheatreEdit

[musicalgifs]

if it's true what they say, i'll be on my way - but who are they to say what the truth is, anyway?

[bikinibottomdayz]

and there was distant music simple and somehow sublime giving the nation a new syncopation the people called it ragtime

[datshitrandom]

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Review: For Robots, Is It Love or Just a Hookup? by Jesse Green

"The same applies to the acting, which is daring enough to tell the robot story yet not so extreme as to obscure the human one. Criss, who has sometimes seemed stiff onstage, is especially fine here, delivering a startlingly gestural performance, all tics and glitches, that never obscures the true feeling within. The trap of twee is thus thoroughly avoided. And Shen, making a confident Broadway debut, similarly backfills Claire’s facade of wit and smart-girl impatience with the surprise and pain of newfound affection. Though she also sings, as Criss does, divinely, their singing is never an end in itself; it is how we feel that their story is ours. And when their duets become trios with Duron’s Gil Brentley, we understand just how powerful popular music can be: It has given these robots hearts." [..] "A good question for robots and, as posed by this astonishing musical, maybe the most deeply human one of all."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Review: Broadway’s Deeply Moving Robot Musical, Starring Darren Criss, Teaches Us How to Be Human by Christian Lewis

"Both Criss and Shen give excellent, very different performances. As an older model, Criss is purposefully more robotic: angled arms, stiff neck, straight spine, minimal facial expressions. His commitment to the physicality is remarkable and impressive — you might only fully appreciate it during curtain call, when he walks and emotes normally. He is the stronger singer of the pair, but his roboticness, though true to character, can make him slightly harder to connect to. (His silent-film star makeup, by Suki Tsujimoto, is also distracting.) Shen, on the other hand, feels practically human, and there’s more pathos to her pained performance, especially in her awareness of her own impending mortality." [...] “Maybe Happy Ending” is an undeniably moving, well-made, adorable musical, and it is a pleasant surprise to see an audience weep at a show about two robots in love. The musical makes the bold claim that maybe we are not that different from robots after all, or that they are not that different from us. Just as robots have much to learn from humans, we in turn can learn from them, especially how to care for each other and for ourselves. It’s crucial to know when you need to charge your battery, but likewise it’s important to be willing to share that charger with someone in need."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Broadway Review: Darren Criss And Helen J Shen Delight As Lovestruck Androids Dreaming Of Electric Cheek by Greg Evans

"It takes a special type of theatrical talent, one loaded with heart and wit and insight, to imbue something that looks like an Apple MagSafe iPhone Charger with more romantic appeal than a decade’s worth of Valentines Day chocolates, but that’s just what the creators and performers of the delightful musical Maybe Happy Ending have achieved." [...] "Featuring marvelous performances from Darren Criss and Helen J Shen as two obsolete “helperbots” retired to rooms in a sort of well-appointed robot hospice center – think those all-the-rage tiny houses as if designed by Pee-wee Herman – Maybe Happy Ending is set outside Seoul at some point later in this century. It’s a world that seems distant enough to quality for sci-fi, but familiar enough to look like that eye-candy Mid Century Modern furniture catalogue you got in the mail last week."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Broadway Review: Definitely a Big Hit Starring Darren Criss by Robert Hofler

"Oliver is an older model, so Criss delivers a lot of robotic mannerisms — there’s a distinct jerkiness to his gestures and gait, his speech sometimes emphasizes the wrong syllable. All and all, Oliver is a remarkable achievement and brings to mind Haley Joel Osment’s David in Stephen Spielberg’s “A.I.,” if that boy robot had ever been able to grow up." [...] "More than delivering big, Arden knows how and when to hold back to make the audience a participant. His direction never fails to activate the imagination."

Review: ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Is the Best New Musical on Broadway by Tim Teeman 

"The show begins with Claire requiring a battery recharge, so knocks on the door of neighboring retired robot Oliver. He takes so long opening the door when he does so it is to her frozen, temporarily without-power figure. A nervy, very particular robot himself (whose most intimate relationship is with his houseplant HwaBoon), Oliver doesn’t know what to do. Criss plays him with the coiffed handsomeness of a K-pop star and the stiff gait and easily-rattled manner of C-3PO (he has the added skill of really knowing how to decorate a small studio space)." [...] "Criss erupts with puppyish excitement and panicked worry, while Shen gives Claire a defiant edge that co-exists with a resigned fatalism." [...] "In the end, you are not only rooting for Claire and Oliver, but also for them recognizing the intricately weird routes we take to figure out what and who we love, and what and how we feel as we do so. For a musical about robots, Maybe Happy Ending is a very human show about not just the value of connection, but also the life-saving, heart-expanding importance of us recognizing that value."

Maybe Happy Ending: Beguiling Musical Charmer from Korea by Michael Sommers

"The performances of Darren Criss as the chipper Oliver and Helen J Shen as the clear-eyed Claire are not so utterly adorable as to be cloying, but they are pretty adorable anyway. Dressed by designer Clint Ramos in cute boy-bot duds, Criss’ slightly androgynous looks suit Oliver’s character, whose movement reveals subtly robotic gestures. Making an auspicious Broadway debut, Shen gives her sensible Claire a warm voice and presence. Another newcomer, Dez Duron looks sharp and sounds dreamy as the big band singer. Marcus Choi, Arden Cho, Jim Kaplan and Young Mazino ably depict various people throughout the story." [...] "Lately there’s been audience complaint – if chat boards can be believed – how some recent Broadway musicals blast out hellishly loud, banging music. Maybe Happy Ending is surely the balm for any such feelings, since its sometimes jazz-inflected score is orchestrated gently for mostly strings, keyboard and woodwinds with exceptional grace by the composer."

Darren Criss in a robot rom-com that will fly you to the moon by Naveen Kumar

"Their single-occupancy apartments are the vision of urban loneliness. Flashbacks to the cozy but bleak self-sufficiency of solo pandemic-era isolationare inevitable for some of us when Darren Criss, who plays a model No. 3 named Oliver, sings an ode to the world within his room. (I’m not saying I also sang to my favorite plant, but I’m not saying I didn’t.) Part toy box and part hypermodern studio, Oliver’s is a space for maintenance and introspection. Claire, a more-advanced model No. 5 played by Helen J. Shen, comes knocking because her charger is busted and she needs some juice. (Newer models have advantages, but Oliver is quick to point out sacrifices in durability.) Oliver, who inherited his owner’s appreciation for Duke Ellington and Bill Evans, moves like a graceful marionette; Claire carries herself like a regular girl next door. There’s an offbeat ease to their chemistry, and Criss and Shen are both lovely singers with an unshowy confidence that’s become all-too rare." [...] "The Broadway debut benefits from the swells of self-reflection many of us have waded through in the meantime — about what makes us who we are, why we want to be with each other and how long any of this is really going to last. Whether anyone’s ending turns out happily or not, at least we have the choice to be together."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ review: Darren Criss shines in one of the best musicals in years by Patrick Ryan

"[...] Criss, on Broadway for a fourth time, is delightful as the eager-to-please Oliver, whose sunny outlook gets clouded by the sobering realities of life. Portraying a fish out of water, one could easily overdo the robot’s wide-eyed wonderment and stiff, mechanical movements. But the “Glee” star is smartly subtle, deftly landing many of the show’s funniest punchlines and sight gags. (In a clever bit of stage magic, Oliver briefly short-circuits and smokes up after nervously downing a cocktail.) " [...] “Maybe Happy Ending” is undoubtedly the most original musical to grace Broadway since 2022’s “Kimberly Akimbo,” another small story with big ideas and even bigger emotions. With gentle humor and pathos, Park and Aronson manage to tap into the most human of questions: Is it still worthwhile to love, knowing that pain and loss are inevitable? "It’s the kind of show that’s hardwired to make you cry. But judging by the resounding sniffles from our audience, there’s nothing artificial about this rare, tender gift of a musical."

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING: A Visionary Ode to Emotion — Review by Juan A. Ramirez

"The story concerns Oliver (Darren Criss) and Claire (Helen J Shen), two “helper-bots” residing in a sort of purgatorial dorm for obsolete technology in near-future Seoul. Oliver is all bright smiles, perfectly gelled hair, and a ‘50s sense of politeness, which gives Criss a chance to play into his own squeaky-clean persona, and wring humanity out of a Kabuki-level performance of surface sheen. (Clint Ramos did costumes; Craig Franklin Miller hair; Suki Tsujimoto makeup.) He’s spent the past decade or so mindlessly amassing stuff he gets delivered, poring over the Jazz Monthly subscription his owner left him, and hoping he’ll one day return for him. " [...] "[...] One becomes aware, throughout its lush 100 minutes, of what a humbly groundbreaking experience is unfolding onstage. This is a very special show; a tender, visionary ode to the space we’re able to create and hold for feeling, and the hope that it may continue."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Review: Robot Love by Dan Rubins

"[...] Arden deploys a series of theatrical gestures too breathtaking to spoil here. It’s stagecraft that illuminates the musical’s messages about the value of looking up and outward from our devices while simultaneously pointing towards theater’s unique ability to transcend technological bells and whistles in the service of a more natural, unadorned beauty. Criss and Shen, too, turn the slightest of touches into electric connection. Criss, expert at gluing a not-quite-human grin to his face and circling Oliver’s apartment with mechanical grace, lets his rigid, aloof character gradually thaw out. He inherits a century-spanning tradition of musical theater characters, from Marian Paroo to Henry Higgins, slowly shedding their tough exteriors, unleashing a bottled-up potential for passion, though Oliver just happens to be a literal robot. Shen, charmingly kooky off-Broadway in Teeth and The Lonely Few earlier this year, makes an explosive Broadway debut as Claire: Only 24, she has a preternatural gift for marrying the tender and the deadpan. Both do Aronson’s music, which he orchestrates himself with a richness that deliberately belies the HelperBots’s artificialness, full justice." [...] "[...] But a musical made as well as Maybe Happy Ending deserves to be with us for some time to come."

Maybe Happy Ending review: Darren Criss is effortlessly charming in a visually dazzling romance between robots by Shania Russell 

"Shen and Criss share an easy chemistry as Claire and Oliver, a mismatched pair who delight with their charming interactions. As the older model, Oliver is the more robotic of the two, an amusing distinction for which Criss nails the physical comedy. Oliver is gleefully stilted where Claire is natural and relaxed. Together they are playful, his sass matching her snark, his optimism complementing her jaded outlook. Despite the perpetual pep in his step, it's Oliver whose path forward seems unclear, as Claire embraces the potential offered by the time that remains to her. From that push and pull emerges a constant, endearing tension." [...] "Despite Oliver’s earnest nature — familiar territory for the Glee alum — Criss is not the one stealing the show. Charming as Oliver’s pronounced quirks are, his interiority feels as though its held at arms length — especially when compared to Claire, whose fraught emotionality pulls focus courtesy of Shen’s moving performance. Oliver may have his optimism challenged and his nerves tested, but he remains much the same, clinging to life’s simple joys. Alas, charm goes a long way. Criss is often his most compelling when given a character with edge (his stint as the titular East German rocker in Hedwig and the Angry Inch or his Emmy-winning turn in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) but here he is charming, spirited and wonderfully funny." [...] "[...] There’s nothing robotic about this production: it wears its heart on its sleeve and on charm alone, succeeds"

Review: Maybe Happy Ending With Darren Criss and Helen J Shen, a Balm for Trying Times by David Gordon

"From his stiffly humorous movement (choreographed by Moni Yakim) to the unblinking sincerity in his delivery, Criss is immensely impressive as he captures the discreetly emotional essence of this outdated bot. His tightly coiffed hair (styled by Craig Franklin Miller) and shellacked makeup (Suki Tsujimoto) go a long way in helping him bring us to an uncanny valley that’s legitimately freaky. Shen is effortlessly charming, infusing Claire with a shy humor that makes her utterly lovable. Together, they share such easy chemistry that you find yourself rooting for these two lonely robots to be together forever." [...] "Despite its flaws, Maybe Happy Ending exudes an undeniable charm and warmth, which sets it apart from many other new Broadway musicals these days that go for bombast over emotion. Refreshingly original, this story about two robots who, for a brief moment, meet each other halfway, becomes a poignant celebration of finding connections in an ephemeral world. It’s a comforting reminder that love and friendship, however temporary, make the journey worthwhile."

Maybe Happy Ending. These are the robots you're looking for by Adam Feldman

"In a Broadway landscape dominated by loud adaptations of pre-existing IP, Maybe Happy Ending stands out for both its intimacy and its originality. Arden and his actors approach the material with a delicate touch; they trust the romantic comedy to be charming, which it is, and let the wistfulness emerge naturally. In the faint artificiality of both his movement and his appearance–pale face, neat dark hair, red lips, high-waisted pants—Criss’s Oliver endearingly evokes the silent-film clown Buster Keaton. (He also sometimes suggests a neurodivergent adult.) Shen’s more naturalistic Claire—she’s a Helperbot Five; he’s just a Helpbot Three—has a winsome, Eponine-y combination of pluck, resignation and piercing pop-vocal emotion." [...] "Can a show as strange and special as Maybe Happy Ending find a place for itself on Broadway today? I like to think that maybe it can. But as the show reminds us, everything is ephemeral: “We have a shelf life, you know that,” says Claire. “It’s the way that it has to be.” The fact that this show is casting its firefly glow on Broadway at all feels like a gift. In its gentle robot way, it helps us see ourselves through freshly brushed eyes."

Maybe Happy Ending review: heart-grabbing robot Broadway musical by Adrian Horton

"This refreshingly original musical, first staged in Seoul in 2016 and directed here by Michael Arden (most recently of Broadway’s excellent Parade revival), makes swift work of time and space; sheer layers of digital displays (video design by George Reeve), impressively constructed modular sets (scenic design and additional video design by Dane Laffrey) and Criss’s rote movements succinctly illustrate the patter and (robot) heartbreak of Oliver’s daily routine over 12 years in the Helperbot Yards, waiting for an owner who never comes back." [...] "[...] Criss’s at first overtly physical performance – the startled, staccato movements and jerkiness of a machine – settles along with Clarie’s scorn into beloved familiarity over the course of the show’s 1 hour and 45 minutes. Both robots struggle with their obsolescence and hard drive memories of past humans, and the strange tale kicks into gear once they hit the road as reluctant buddies in a quest for answers." [...] "Which may hit one’s hardened soul – it did mine, a bit – while still pulling some punches. You will likely leave without a song stuck in your head, but with a lump in your throat nonetheless."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ review: Romantic robot musical is glorious on Broadway — really by Johnny Oleksinski

"The sublime start of “Maybe Happy Ending” is the closest I have ever come to experiencing a Pixar movie on Broadway. Oliver, a lonely robot played by Darren Criss, goes through his usual daily routine — over and over and over again." [...] "This big swing of a musical wouldn’t work without the perfectly tuned performances of Criss and Shen. These roles could easily be twee and irksome — they are anything but. Criss’ Oliver is a smiley mix of J. Pierpont Finch from “How To Succeed” and Pee-Wee Herman with a bit of earnest boy next door. He’s a bucket of bolts with a heart of gold."

When Robots Meet Cute: Maybe Happy Ending by Sara Holdren

"Park and Aronson get a lot of mileage out of the pair trading barbs over their different model types — one of the most genuinely funny bits involves Claire recalling a function by which the Helperbot 3 must respond with “You’re welcome” any time someone says “Thank you” — and it’s all very Threes Are From Mars and Fives Are From Venus. It’s a little easy, but the show’s not trying to be hard, and Shen and Criss are the ones who make it work. Shen especially is a delight to watch, with an open, emotive face full of quicksilver expressions and a tartness that can turn explosive when she needs it to. “You just said it was my turn!” she roars at one point during a shared song in which Oliver keeps blithely noodling over her. It is — another requisite of the genre — #relatable." [...] “Why, love?” croons Gil Brentley from Oliver’s record player. “Why did we bother to try love? … When all things end in good-bye, love, / Why did we dream that this fate would not be ours?” If you find yourself cruising the streamers at night, sipping chamomile tea and searching for Sliding Doors and Sweet November and French Kiss, then Maybe Happy Ending is waiting for you."

[aaronstveit]

Favorite Musicals: Company George Furth • Stephen Sondheim

Company! Company! Company! Lots of company! Life is company! Love is company! Company!

[pdouwes]

WILLEMIJN VERKAIK as ANNE HATHAWAY in & Julia - Das Musical (Hamburg, 2024)

[madisoncounty]

it's may, it's may, the month of yes, you may HAPPY MAY!

[jesterlesbian]

JONATHAN GROFF wins his first Tony Award for Lead Actor in a Musical as Franklin Shepard in the revival of Merrily We Roll Along

[wewriteletters]

Is anybody listening?

[nick-nellson]

Wicked (2024) dir. Jon M. Chu

[sync-up]

WINNY HERBERT as HERMES | Hadestown (2024)

[olympain]

Best Direction of a Musical — Michael Arden, Parade

[ashleyslorens]

EVA NOBLEZADA as EURYDICE HADESTOWN

[holly-mckenzie]

Gather 'round, you vagabonds pickin' fruit and hoppin' freights. Anyone who's wondering, wondering why the winds have changed. I'll sing a song of a love gone wrong, between a mighty king and queen. Gather 'round and I'll sing a song Of Hades and Persephone.

HADESTOWN  | 2016 | New York Theatre Workshop

[datshitrandom]

Darren Criss | Maybe Happy Ending Broadway Gala Celebration | November 11, 2024

🎥: 🤖 🩵 🤖 🩷 🪴 💜 ✨

[graciehart]

LIE DETECTOR TEST with Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, & Daniel Radcliffe

[pdouwes]

Make the king feel young again. Sing for an old man!