Darren Criss announced that he is returning to the lead role in Maybe Happy Ending this fall.
Criss, who originated the lead role of Oliver on Broadway and won a Tony Award for his portrayal of the robot, was originally announced to be departing the production after Aug. 31, with Andrew Barth Feldman taking over his role from Sept. 2 through Nov. 1. The casting of Feldman, who is white, raised alarms among members of the theater community, as the production takes place in South Korea and features a predominantly Asian cast.
Criss also made history in the role as the first Asian American actor to win best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical. However, the creators of the musical have said that the story is universal and that the lead roles, both of whom are robots, can be played by actors of any race. Members of the community spoke out against the casting, and other members took action, including Broadway actor Conrad Ricamora who started a scholarship fund for Asian male actors.
After the matinee performance Wednesday, Criss announced that he’d be returning to the role starting Nov. 5 after taking a temporary leave of absence. His return to the show was planned before the casting of Feldman was announced.
“After August 31, I’ll be hitting the road for just nine weeks before coming back in November to play Oliver full time, and in that period of time, I will be lending my charger to the marvelous Andrew Barth Feldman,” Criss said on stage.
“If you enjoyed your time here today, hopefully you’ll be able to come back and maybe get a chance to witness the brilliance and brilliant light that I know he will illuminate this wonderful, beautiful piece with in my absence,” Criss told the audience. “Maybe Happy Ending is easily the most remarkable, accessible, hopeful and joyous piece of art that I have ever had the privilege of being part of.”
He added that he hoped the show would have a long life on Broadway. Maybe Happy Ending opened at the Belasco Theatre in November 2024 and won the Tony Award for best musical, in addition to five other Tony Awards.
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