#darren is hedwig

[na-page]

2024 ‣‣ Maybe Happy Ending 2024 ‣‣ Little Shop of Horrors 2022 ‣‣ American Buffalo 2015 ‣‣ Hedwig and the Angry Inch 2012 ‣‣ How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

DARREN CRISS - Broadway | Through the years | 2024 ‣‣ 2012

[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.”

[datshitrandom]

Darren Criss | Belasco Theatre Marquee 2015 ⇢ 2024 | 📷 by Walter McBride & Jacob Stuckelman

[justasimp4darrencriss]

Knew him from Starkid 💕💕💕

[ipwarn]

We have been blessed by so much goodness.

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

[endiness]

DARREN CRISS Hedwig and the Angry Inch

[srta-brandis]

Midnight Radio

Hello, i´m Rubi, but everyone can call me Kristal. 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

[vitamin-zeeth]

I'm done with glee for today time to watch the slime tutorial I found of Hedwig and the angry inch

[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!)

[na-page]

DARREN CRISS - Broadway Opening Night | 2024 ‣‣ 2022 ‣‣ 2015 ‣‣ 2012

[d-criss-news]

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

[datshitrandom]

Darren Criss | Belasco Theatre Marquee 2015 ⇢ 2024 | 📷 by Walter McBride, Jacob Stuckelman & MHE

[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!

[ipwarn]

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