#darren is hedwig

[datshitrandom]

Darren Criss x Broadway (& Off Broadway) 

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2012) ⇢ Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015) ⇢ American Buffalo (2020) ⇢ Little Shop of Horrors (2024) ⇢ Maybe Happy Ending (2024) 

[d-criss-news]

From Hedwig to Helperbot: Darren Criss Looks Back on His Stage Journey

It’s nap time for Darren Criss’s newborn son, Brother, when the Glee star hops on our video chat. The camera’s off, but he quickly turns it on to say hello face-to-face dressed in workout clothes — a green sleeveless top and a ball cap — as he tries to do some chores at the same time.

Criss has a limited window at home as he prepares to star in the new musical Maybe Happy Ending, now playing at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre. The story, with book, music, and lyrics by Will Aronson and Hue Park, takes place 100 years in the future in Seoul, South Korea. Criss plays Oliver, an obsolete Belperbot along the lines of Siri or Google, “except more human-like, who is definitely past his prime and has been just waiting [in a Helperbot retirement facility] for his owner to pick him up,” Criss describes to Broadway Direct of the role. He stars opposite rising star Helen J Shen, who plays Oliver’s retired Helperbot neighbor. “It almost feels like two people in an old-folks’ home trying to connect with a family member.”

The plot sounds dramatic, but “make no mistake: This is a musical. It’s a musical comedy,” says Criss. “It has a lot of heart and a lot of joy and a lot of humor and amazing music, and it’s a hell of a spectacle.”

His friend Michael Arden, who won a Tony Award for his direction of Parade, was a big reason for Criss to sign on to the project — and serve as an executive producer as well. Arden brought the show to Criss’s attention many years ago, and again recently when Criss was starring in Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway.

“This had been kind of percolating for a while, and between the pandemic and strikes and just a lot of other things, that really comes down to timing. So the stars just kind of aligned,” Criss says.

Criss, a figure on Broadway for well over a decade, started to gather a following while at University of Michigan as a founding member of Team StarKid, the student-run theater company behind the viral Harry Potter musical parody A Very Potter Musical. His big break came on the hit Fox TV show Glee back in 2010. The show had already aired for a full season before he was cast as Warbler Blaine Anderson and future love interest to Chris Colfer’s Kurt Hummel. If not for Glee, he believes his career would not have had the same trajectory.

“I felt like this was my master’s in performance of music on camera,” Criss says, admitting that, until Glee, he didn’t consider himself a singer — rather, a musician who acted. “I have that show to thank for giving me any headway in the musical-theater space.”

In the middle of filming Glee in 2012, his Broadway debut called. Criss was asked to succeed Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for three weeks during a winter break from filming Glee. “I left on, like, a Friday night from my last day of shooting. I started rehearsal on a Saturday. Within 10 days, I was on a Broadway stage. I left my Sunday matinee, got on the plane, and went to work [at Glee] Monday morning as if nothing had happened. So it was a bit of a fever dream. It goes by as quickly as it came, like all other moments in life.”

Three years later, Criss stepped into his next Broadway role. This time, he played Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch for about two and half months, succeeding John Cameron Mitchell. “People always ask me, ‘What’s your dream role?’ I’m like, ‘I kind of did it,’” he says of the opportunity. “Hedwig was a role I always loved so much when I was a teenager, and getting to jump into it was so special to me and my wife. We both love Hedwig so much. It’s a big part of our relationship.”

More recently on Broadway, Criss starred in the play American Buffalo with Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell in 2022 for a three-month limited run. “I completely idolized them,” he says of his scene partners. “I mean, if you see a pattern here, I recommend this to everybody, to just chase their heroes. I’ve just been chasing my heroes my whole life, and I’m not being bashful about it at all.”

Getting Rachel Evan Wood to play Audrey opposite Criss’s Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre earlier this year was something that he says was his idea.

“I pitched her pretty hard,” he said of getting casting directors to choose the Westworld actress as his costar. “When they heard her sing, I think it was very clear that this wasn’t like a favor to anybody. She was doing us a favor. The fact that she said yes just blew my mind.” The role of the nerdy floral shop worker wasn’t something Criss thought he’d get the opportunity to add to his résumé “because it just was never something that I thought anybody would let me do. … I wasn’t sprinting to that in the way that I was the other things in my life.”

Criss welcomed Brother, his second baby, this past June with his wife Mia. The timing couldn’t be more coincidental, since their first, Bluesy, was born during his run of American Buffalo.

As our conversation comes to a close, Criss says he kind of got all of his chores done and haphazardly put things away and folded laundry. The next project he wants to pursue is his writing, something he hasn’t tackled much in five years. Until then, he’s reveling in Maybe Happy Ending.

“I do find myself at a loss for words, trying to truly put into words how special this experience has been,” he adds. “I think it really is a thing of beauty that can really add quite a bit of ornamentation in perhaps a grim world.”

[justasimp4darrencriss]

Knew him from Starkid 💕💕💕

[ipwarn]

We have been blessed by so much goodness.

But we didn't get a Mia and Darren photo 😢

[srta-brandis]

Midnight Radio

Hello, i´m Rubi, but everyone can call me Angel. I´m a very fan of musicals, my actuly obsesion is Hedwig and the Angry Inch, i like to write, sing, acting, compose and draw/painting. Lately, i´ve been felling a little loney; that´s why i decide to open tumblr.

I´m non-binary, a Drag Queen/King, a Gleek, I write essays and fanfics, i´m new on internet, inglish it´s not my native lenguage.

I´ve been planning write a little history about HATAI, i´m in love w Hedwig and I don´t see people writing about how beautiful she is, so, my plan is a history about Reader x Hedwig; It would only be the beginning of all the things I write, I have many things in the draft (not in English) but I would like to see if I am accepted.

With love, late at night, hoping someone reads this, Kristal.

[pliablehead]

listen, i simply don’t think that Balance is allowed to be your ‘favorite’ TAZ arc, or that Perfect PokéRap is allowed to be your ‘favorite’ episode of unraveled, or that john cameron mitchell is allowed to be your ‘favorite’ actor to portray hedwig. like. obviously. obviously those are the ones we all pick because those are the upper echelon of the shit. but like choose the one that is your favorite because of the things you like, yfm

[flintsdragon]

can you BELIEVE this song exists???? But like can you actually????

[justmylilblainewardrobe]

Update: Both pieces of Blaine’s wardrobe have been sold! ˵ ´ ˘ ` ˵ ♡ All items in this post have found their new homes. ♡ Hello! ˵ ´ ˘ ` ˵ ෆ｡◌ I’m selling my little set of Blaine outfit from the Glee Auction 2016, and of course I can ship internationally (from Singapore!) to wherever you are! ♡

It’s a set of two from Blaine’s wardrobe in Season 4 Episode 15, “Girls (and Boys) On Film,” from the scene where Blaine gets grumpy with Mr Schue because he did his lil’ cop-out and told them they’re all winners. (”You always do that!” ૮ •ิ ﻌ •ั ˵ა) The sweater is the “Navy Waffle Knit Long-Sleeve V-Neck Sweater with Red & White Stripe,” from Fred Perry. (You can also find Fashion of Glee’s post here, albeit it’s in kid’s size!)

And the shirt is the “Gray Long-Sleeve Button-Down Shirt,” from Ben Sherman.

They also came included with their copy of certificate of authenticity for Lot 341 (the collection they’re from) from Profile in History (I wasn’t sure if it’s safe to post the whole certificate here, so please feel free to message me for the photo of the whole certificate! ˵ ´ ˘ ` ˵). ♡

If it’s alright I’m just hoping to make back what I got them for or at a similar price ($240 USD). ♡

Update: The Hedwig hoodie has been sold! ˵ ´ ˘ ` ˵ ♡ I also have a Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hoodie Sweater from the 2016 Tour when Darren reprised his role as Hedwig in San Franciso!

I don’t remember anymore how much it sold at retail... I think it was more but if I’m wondering if $50 USD would be alright? ; o (\ (But please feel free to message me! ♡)

It had the blessing of being “spat” on by Darren’s Hedwig (the bit when she sips from her sippy bottle and shows us her “Rock and Roll” gesture—but of course it was properly washed and cleaned after!), and hugged by Darren at stagedoor. ♡ 

Thank you for much for reading till the end! ♡ Be kind to yourself and others, and remember to take care ˵ ´ ˘ ` ˵ ෆ｡◌ (Ps. I just made this lil’ sideblog because my main is now filled with bots following me, but my main is @minareirei​ ! ˵ ´  ` ˵ ՞ ՞ They share the same inbox so you can message me on either of them!)

[kriskubed]

Hedwig has everything- sass, heartbreak, humor, triumph, audience participation… and honestly how fitting would it be for Hedwig to win the loser’s bracket?? Plus it’s Pride! VOTE HEDWIG!

[datshitrandom]

 Darren Criss on Broadway | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2012) ⇢ Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015) ⇢ American Buffalo (2020) ⇢ Maybe Happy Ending (2024) | ♡, ♡, ♡, ♡

[d-criss-news]

Via Darren's Instagram Story (October 16th, 2024)

[ipwarn]

Stephen Trask was on stage with Darren last night and no one told me? Rude.

[yogrl335]

It’s a bit after 11 PM and I’ve just gotten home from a day trip with a niece to NYC to see Maybe Happy Ending. I am so impressed with this show and the entire cast.

Darren and Helen are obsolete helper bots discarded to await their eventual system failure. Oliver is a model 3, Helen a somewhat more recent model 5.

I won’t go into the details; it’s so nice to see something completely new. Suffice it to say that everyone in the audience enjoyed it. I saw no empty seats at all.

The story is sad, happy, funny and feels very real. The sets are amazing. The music is lovely and moves the story along. I highly recommend it.

I’ve seen Darren in three musicals. I wasn’t too impressed in How to Succeed, I thought his voice was not as strong as the rest of the cast and the musical felt dated. Hedwig was fantastic and Darren was astonishing in the role. Maybe Happy Ending ranks as high as Hedwig. His voice is strong and sure and his portrayal touches the heart. Helen J Shen is also marvelous. This is essentially a two person show and they carry it easily. Dez has a great voice and stage presence and Marcus Choi is also very good.

Well worth seeing.

[sillyname30]

I hope no one gives him (or any of the cast) a hard time about stage dooring if he chooses not to. I’ve seen a few people on Twitter mention their excitement for it who I assume aren’t aware that he hasn’t done that in a while. He’s so kind and generous but no one wants to be out there for an 1hr+ with no pay.

I’m guessing he’ll come out tonight or when the show officially opens, but I’ll be very surprised if he does it regularly. I get the feeling he values his sleep more nowadays.

I expect Darren will do it like he did with Little Shop. Come out at the stage door, say a few words and that's it. When Darren did Hedwig he could sleep in and he was younger. When Bluesy is up in the morning she is up, no matter what time daddy went to bed. And I guess the baby doesn't sleep through the night anyway. I'm afraid not everybody will understand it and some people will be pissed, but they pay for the show not the stage door.

[fandom-alley]

Ahhh I just met Darren Criss! He said that we matched, which I did on purpose because I knew he would be wearing a Christmas cardigan. And then I told him I saw him in hedwig when I turned 20 and he said do I even want to know how long ago that was and made a face like he was thinking about it. So I said it was 8 years ago and he laughed and goes ok next! As a joke and then I laughed and on par with me awkwardly patted his shoulder and said bye while he thanked me for coming. I was so nervous, he was so nice, and I am so awkward.

Can't wait for the actual show to start! Here's my pic with him! ( I should have turned the flash on lol)

[itwasanangryinch]

Consider instead: a revival of the stage show. Broadway bootleggers LOVE Hedwig (...ask me how I know, lol) and the actor who plays Hedwig also pre-records most of the vocals for Tommy and sings Wicked Little Town Reprise in the tiniest black leather shorts at the end.

I'm rewatching Hedwig and the Angry Inch(2001) because I haven't seen it since it came out. Rolin Jones said when asked what rock genre will Lestat sing in season 3 it'll be something between Hedwig and Rocky Horror. It's been twenty three years. It's due for a remake and casting anyone other Sam Reid for it would be a godamned CRIME.

I don't care which of these roles he'd get.

He'd honestly kill BOTH