Quirky, original, and sweetly adorable, new musical Maybe Happy Ending is a magical journey of love and wonder that gamely sees the very best in our throwaway world of consumer convenience.
With a lineage tracing back to Neil Simon comedies, Maybe Happy Ending is, on one level, a romantic comedy about two neighbours falling in love. The modern twist is that the neighbours are both redundant helperbots, living out their remaining days in cubicle apartments on the outskirts of Seoul, Koreal.
Jazz loving Oliver, a Helperbot 3, is fastidious, polite to a fault, and resolutely set in his ways. As a Helperbot 5, Claire may be a more recent model, but her charger is broken and her battery is losing its ability to retain power. In the vein of Toy Story, the helperbots retain precious memories of the value and support they brought to their owners.
The “happy ending” that may eventuate refers to both the blossoming romance between the two robots and Oliver’s dream of finding his previous owner, James. If two robots could find love, what would this look and feel like? If James has retired Oliver, would he really have any interest in seeing him again?
The unique scenario brings added interest to these central tropes as the one-act, 105-minute musical plays out very much like a movie. The book and lyrics by Will Aronson and Hue Park keep the audience guessing as to the outcomes, with twists coming all the way to the final scene. Gentle humour adds to the charm of the appealing story, with thought-provoking modern parallels bringing further interest.
Aronson’s immediately enjoyable music is played by an offstage band of nine musicians, deftly led by conductor John Yun. The score heavily samples Oliver’s preferred musical style of jazz, with fictional jazz star Gil Brentley (Dez Duron) often performing live on stage in sync with Oliver’s record player. Romantic ballads and duets have a simple, tender elegance that is a pleasure to hear.
Guided to Broadway by experienced director Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending has an engaging pace of storytelling that easily maintains audience attention. Oliver and Claire may be robots but their dreams and emotions clearly shine through their deliberately limited ranges of movement and expression.
Visual design is intrinsic to the success of Maybe Happy Ending, with scenic, costume, lighting and video designers working in close collaboration to produce stunning, groundbreaking results. With distinctly cinematic flair, the apartments come and go via the iris lens of light-rimmed black curtains. Further settings include James’ apartment and a road journey shared by the helperbots. Internal memories are brought to life by complex large scale projections / videos. Claire has an interest in fireflies, which results in a gasp-inducing full stage spectacle of fireflies at night in the countryside of Jeju Island.
Young veteran Darren Criss gives a pristine performance, bringing an endearing twinkle to C-3PO-like android Oliver. Criss imbues Oliver with affecting vulnerability beneath his compulsive manners, reflecting a world of inner thought and wonder at play.
Helen J Shen makes a highly auspicious Broadway debut, also bringing a level of vulnerability to the more capable and self confident Claire. In both acting and vocal terms, Shen capably holds her own opposite Criss, the two making a truly captivating pair.
Duron brings suave charm to jazz singer Gil Bentley. Marcus Choi plays the inscrutable James (and others) with neatly underplayed style.
Sure to develop a dedicated cult following in addition to its mainstream appeal, Maybe Happy Ending is a most worthy addition to the varied tapestry of Broadway. Attendance is highly recommended for the romantic and adventurous at heart.
Maybe Happy Ending plays at Belasco Theatre, New York. For tickets, click here.
Photos: Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman
Watch the music video for “When You’re In Love” from Maybe Happy Ending: