'Maybe Happy Ending' : The Love Story That Could Steal the Tonys

Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ (Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

We’re less than a month out from the Tonys, and sure, most of the attention is on the flashy titles — the ones with massive marketing budgets, celebrity names above the title, and easy-to-explain loglines. But here’s the thing: Maybe Happy Ending is, in my opinion, the best new musical of the year. And if there’s any justice in that Radio City air, it might actually win. Yeah, I said it.

You’ve got this tiny little musical — no movie stars (okay, Darren Criss, but he disappears into the character), no franchise, no preexisting fanbase — about two obsolete helper robots falling in love in a rundown apartment in future Seoul. And somehow, it ends up being the most emotionally human thing I’ve seen all season. It’s small, it’s specific, and it’s absolutely devastating in the best possible way.

The score by Will Aronson is lush and layered, the lyrics by Hue Park are quietly brilliant, and the book? Incredibly smart. It never over-explains, never begs you to like it, and never wastes your time. It’s a musical that assumes its audience is intelligent, curious, and open-hearted — which, let’s be real, is a refreshing change.

And the direction? The design? The performances? All dialed into the same frequency. There’s no filler here. No empty spectacle. Just craft. Just care. Just two actors (shoutout to Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, both of whom should be Tony-nominated) giving raw, vulnerable performances that build into something quiet and shattering.

Now, let’s talk competition — because yes, this year’s Best Musical race is stacked.

Death Becomes Her has the glitz and the camp — and let’s be honest, it’s a blast. Buena Vista Social Club brings the music. Operation Mincemeat is clever. And Dead Outlaw? Ambitious and genre-bending.

What’s wild about Maybe Happy Ending’s Broadway arrival is that this could’ve been a hard sell — robots in love doesn’t exactly scream “Tony bait.” But that’s what makes the show such a revelation. It’s not chasing a trend. It’s not trying to be the next Hadestown or Kimberly Akimbo. It’s just telling its own weird little story, beautifully, and trusting that the right people will get it.

And I think they are getting it.

Look, there are bigger shows in the race. Louder ones. Flashier ones. But if voters are actually paying attention to the heart of this season — not just who had the best ad campaign, but who left the deepest impact — then Maybe Happy Ending is right there in the mix.

Last year reminded us that the Tonys still have room for an underdog with soul. This year, Maybe Happy Ending is that show. And it deserves to be crowned.

It’s a show about robots. But it’s made with more heart, soul, and emotional honesty than most shows about humans. So yeah, it’s a long shot. But maybe — just maybe — it’s the happy ending this season deserves.