While original musicals are a dime a dozen on Broadway, one that hits the world and lingers in a lasting way has become quite a rarity. Due to how inaccessible new Broadway shows are because of price and location constraints, it can be tricky for something to enter the public consciousness and pop culture lexicon the way shows like The Book of Mormon and Hamilton did last decade. However, with Maybe Happy Ending, we might be witnessing the early stages of the next iconic show.

Originating in Seoul in 2016 with book and music by Hue Park and Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending follows two retired helperbots who discover life and love as they try to understand their own existence. The 2024 Broadway production of the show stars Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen in the lead roles. Though the show is brilliant on multiple levels, it lives and dies on our leads’ performances and chemistry. Thankfully for Maybe Happy Ending and for us as audiences, their performances are electric and their chemistry is dazzling to watch. Darren Criss is a Broadway staple at this point and it’s clear here why. His naivety as Oliver is so endearing and he brings the perfect amount of humanity to this inhuman character, retaining some amount of robotic quality in a wildly successful balancing act. Helen J. Shen is shockingly in her Broadway debut here (as I assumed she was as experienced as Criss), matching her costar effortlessly. She brings more bite to the relationship without ever getting irritating and makes their dynamic consistently exciting and adorable. Romance is bouncing off the theater auditorium as we see their relationship develop, and it’s hard not to leave the theater smiling. The sheer joy that Maybe Happy Ending evokes would not be possible without these two, whose every scene could have been hours long and I wouldn’t have a complaint in the world. Their singing is pitch-perfect as well, making every note of each song resonate as they ring through the ears. Dez Duron enchants with his musical interludes as well, as his Sinatra/Buble style melodies perfectly set the mood for the show. Though he only has one (albeit excellent) musical number, Marcus Choi is also a delight in the multiple roles he played throughout the show and grounds the musical with a raw humanity. 

The obvious issue with praising these incredible performances is that in a matter of time these four won’t be performing these characters, and the eventual tour of the show will have different casts as well. Yet as incredible as this quartet is, there is absolutely value in seeing the show regardless of who happens to be in it. There are aspects of Maybe Happy Ending that will stay the same in every production: namely, the incredible set design. It’s hard not to be in awe of the sets themselves, perfectly capturing a futuristic Seoul that feels familiar yet clearly not of our time. Even the robot’s rooms have so much life to them and reflect each character’s personality perfectly! The most impressive feat, however, is the high-wire act that must be happening as the sets move on and off-stage. Part of me was expecting us to have seen all the sets by a certain point, but more incredible sets kept coming onstage and made the world feel so expansive. The transformation of the Belasco theater was truly magical, ensuring the two robots’ journey felt lived-in. One of the greatest parts of the show was how the walls would sometimes close in around the characters, creating a small close-up on them that enhanced the intimacy in particular moments.

The book and music of the show work hand-in-hand as most musicals do, with the sung and spoken dialogue both having so much charm and wit. The show’s writing has gotten many comparisons to early Pixar work due to its imagination and whimsy, but it also evokes a classic Hollywood screwball comedy tone and energy that makes it a delight to watch. The music is also top-notch! The songs of the lead characters are always heartfelt but often humorous, while Dez Duron’s wonderful songs tie the show’s themes together perfectly. The play takes a lot of unexpected directions, and by the end left me not only charmed but emotionally taken by the show’s view on love, the human condition, and the connections that get us through our finite, fleeting lives. 

Maybe Happy Ending clearly has a long life ahead of itself, both on the world’s biggest stage in Broadway and on the announced national tour for late 2026, which will only spread the heart of the show to more and more audiences. We can only hope a worldwide tour begins at some point for international fans of theatre. If you have a chance to see Maybe Happy Ending, wherever that might be, it is absolutely worth your time and money. It is an achievement indeed that arguably the most human show on Broadway right now is one that follows two robots.

9/10