A darling and delightful new Broadway musical that opened on Tuesday at the Belasco Theatre, Maybe Happy Ending takes viewers several decades into the near future to introduce the notion of “Helperbots.” These domestic robots can be found in practically every home as loyal mechanical servants to the humans they resemble so closely.
Oliver and Claire happen to be Helperbots of different generations – Oliver is a model three and Claire is a more advanced model five – but already they have been deemed obsolete when Maybe Happy Ending begins. Strangers to each other, they reside as neighbors in a retirement community for outmoded robots outside of Seoul, Korea.
In La Boheme and Rent, a freezing Mimi enters the story hoping to light her candle. Here, Claire knocks on Oliver’s door needing to charge her battery before she actually freezes up. As their initially snarky friendship evolves, it becomes apparent that Claire is a more developed entity than the ever-boyish Oliver. We also learn about their previous existences: Oliver once was employed by James, a fan of mid-20th century jazz, who gave Oliver his vinyl recordings and vintage record player when they parted company. Claire retains unhappy memories of her owner Jiyeon’s troubles with the man in her life. Claire also is far more aware than Oliver of the significance that certain functions in their systems are wearing out – and the manufacturer no longer is making replacement parts. This intimation of mortality is introduced early into the 90-minute musical, which begins lightly and humorously and gradually deepens into a bittersweet romance.
[Read Melissa Rose Bernardo’s ★★★★☆ review here.]
Eventually the two head off together on a journey by car – a Helpbot 5 is capable of driving and Jiyeon bequeathed Claire her vehicle – and by ferry to Jeju Island, a lovely place where Oliver fondly expects to be reunited with James. Their trip proves to be disillusioning for Oliver, but not before he and Claire experience the summer wonder of clouds of fireflies illuminating the night skies. “Little forest robots,” he calls them. The fireflies, of course, symbolize the fleeting nature of life and love that the musical illuminates. In one song among more than a dozen that comprise the artful score, Claire notes how “everything must end eventually,” but somehow she and Oliver manage to cling together even as their electronics flicker and gradually fail. A musical charmer, Maybe Happy Ending offers a delicate, ultimately touching story distinguished by a graceful score and enhanced by fine performances and a beautifully designed production.
Originally produced in Korea in 2016 and then by Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in 2020, the musical is deftly crafted by Hue Park (book, lyrics) and Will Aronson (book, lyrics, music). Although the genuinely sweet nature of their work teeters a few times on the edge of going twee – Oliver converses with a little potted plant as a companion – the quick, crisp script, the neat, sensible lyrics, and the glistening music yield considerable pleasure. Popping up now and again via the vintage recordings that Oliver plays is a 1940s Sinatra-style crooner whose lush interpretation of American Songbook kinds of numbers titled “Why Love” and “A Sentimental Person” lends old-school emotion and resonance to a naturally less ardent but scarcely less lyrical score.
Swiftly directed by Michael Arden with great taste and smarts, the show employs ever-modulating moving portals to frame the action in different ways as the story travels from the city to that island and back. Often given a glow by Ben Stanton’s lighting, Dane Laffrey’s excellent, understated scenic design is complemented by George Reeve’s impressive video design that reveals the significant memories that Oliver and Claire retain of their former owners: Filling the entire proscenium, the large moving images are rendered in buttery sepia tones to contrast against the cooler environment of the overall visuals. Among the musical’s highlights is the unexpectedly lovely “Never Fly Away” sequence when Oliver and Claire view the fireflies and the orchestra materializes upon a turntable revolving around them; a gentle yet memorable interlude generated by the designers and artists.
The performances of Darren Criss as the chipper Oliver and Helen J Shen as the clear-eyed Claire are not so utterly adorable as to be cloying, but they are pretty adorable anyway. Dressed by designer Clint Ramos in cute boy-bot duds, Criss’ slightly androgynous looks suit Oliver’s character, whose movement reveals subtly robotic gestures. Making an auspicious Broadway debut, Shen gives her sensible Claire a warm voice and presence. Another newcomer, Dez Duron looks sharp and sounds dreamy as the big band singer. Marcus Choi, Arden Cho, Jim Kaplan and Young Mazino ably depict various people throughout the story.
Lately there’s been audience complaint – if chat boards can be believed – how some recent Broadway musicals blast out hellishly loud, banging music. Maybe Happy Ending is surely the balm for any such feelings, since its sometimes jazz-inflected score is orchestrated gently for mostly strings, keyboard and woodwinds with exceptional grace by the composer.
Maybe Happy Ending opened November 12, 2024, at the Belasco Theatre. Tickets and information: maybehappyending.com
