Latest news with #HelenJShen
CBC
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
What will Maybe Happy Ending's casting controversy mean for the show — and the industry?
Social Sharing The musical Maybe Happy Ending has made waves this season on Broadway. Starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, the unique new show is a comedy set in Seoul, South Korea that follows two robots as they find love at the end of their batteries. At this year's Tony's it not only won the most awards, but it also broke ground, with lead actor Criss becoming the first Asian American to win best leading actor in a musical. Recently, the tides have begun to turn for the show, however, as it receives backlash for its latest casting announcement. After Criss set his date to depart the show, the production announced a white actor, Andrew Barth Feldman, will be stepping into the lead role. Today on Commotion, theatre critics Glenn Sumi and Joshua Chong join guest host Rad Simonpillai to talk about what Maybe Happy Ending 's Broadway casting controversy could mean for the future of the show as well as the industry. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Rad: Joshua, the two main characters are helper robots who are sent to live out the rest of their batteries at a robot retirement home. I mean, this is an eccentric premise, right?... Kind of this underdog narrative. So what is it that made this show such a big hit with audiences? Joshua: It was so refreshing, after so many years of these jukebox musicals, to get a totally new, original musical. And the score was so special — jazz influences, hints of Sondheim. And it was refreshing to see a totally new musical be so successful on Broadway. I was in New York when it was in previews. People thought it was going to close after a few weeks. There were no big names — maybe Darren Criss, but he's not really an A-lister on Broadway — and for it to succeed was incredible. It's about robots and whether they can fall in love. It's a robot story: Wall-E, meets Up, meets Once, the musical. But it's a really human story as well about what we do with the rest of our lives. Rad: OK. Glenn, let me talk about this backlash to Andrew Barth Feldman's casting. The creators of the musical responded with a middle-of-the-night Instagram post. They said that they wanted their show to be, and I'm quoting here, "comfortably performed by anyone, anywhere, yet distinctly set in Korea." What did you make of their statement? Glenn: Yeah, I just think it's a little wishy-washy. I mean, in that statement, they said that every role could be played by an Asian performer, but without the intention that the robot roles always would be. I just think it is really wishy-washy. It's like wanting to have their cake and eat it too. I get it. Obviously, they want it to work internationally and on tour; that's how you make money. I was trying to think of a comparison and I thought of you and film, Rad. So you know how the original script for Ridley Scott's Alien, Ripley was supposed to be played by a man. And then Sigourney Weaver comes in there. They didn't have to make a lot of changes to the part, but it made history, especially because there were virtually no action roles for women at the time. So what if Alien had been a big success, and then in the sequels, Ripley was changed back to a man. I mean, that's sort of how it feels. Rad: That upsets me already. You knew exactly how to cut right to my core. Joshua, there's actually another layer to this that's complicating all of this. And that's the lead actress, Helen J. Shen, is in a relationship with Andrew Barth Feldman, who took on this role. So what has she said about this? Joshua: It's so complicated for her, and she actually posted about this shortly after this controversy erupted. She acknowledged the pain that the Asian community is feeling and understands that a lot of people saw this production as an opportunity for Asian actors, especially male actors, who did not have these opportunities previously. But she also said it's complicated because she is in a relationship with Andrew, and she said it is going to be a joy to play opposite him eight times a week, for these nine weeks that he's in the production.
New York Times
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Maybe Happy Ending' Casting Change Ignites Debate About Representation
The Broadway musical 'Maybe Happy Ending,' about two helperbots who form a bond at a robot retirement home in Seoul, has been riding high after winning six Tony Awards in June, including the coveted best new musical honor. But the show's recent decision to cast Andrew Barth Feldman, a white actor, as one of the helperbots after the current actor in the role, Darren Criss, who is of Filipino descent, departs next month has raised alarms among Asian American actors and spurred a weeklong conversation about representation. Feldman ('Dear Evan Hansen,' 'No Hard Feelings'), who is scheduled to step into the production for nine weeks starting Sept. 2, is also the boyfriend of the musical's lead actress, Helen J Shen. 'Maybe Happy Ending' opened on Broadway last fall, and seven of the show's eight actors (four onstage and four understudies) are currently played by actors of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and/or Pacific Islander descent. In a statement, the show said that casting and production decisions were the result of 'thoughtful deliberations' by its creative team. 'We are proud to have created a show where every role can authentically be portrayed by an Asian actor, although the roles of the robots were not envisioned to always be cast that way,' the statement read. 'We also appreciate that, for many within the A.A.P.I. community, seeing the original Broadway cast represented an inspiring milestone of visibility and representation.' A separate lengthy statement was posted on social media early Thursday, and in the comments, fans and supporters debated the decision. This year three Asian American performers (Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss and Francis Jue) won Tony Awards in three acting categories, which was a first; four other Asian American actors were also nominated. Amid the dialogue about representation, Conrad Ricamora, a star of the Broadway play 'Oh, Mary!,' took action. Last weekend, he started a scholarship fund called 'The Right to Be There' for Asian American men pursuing an acting degree. He said in an attached letter that he had been carrying grief from being told that he did not belong. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
South China Morning Post
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Helen J. Shen, the rising star set to appear in The Devil Wears Prada 2
Helen J. Shen, who first gained recognition for her performance as the helperbot Claire in Broadway musical Maybe Happy Ending, is set to star in The Devil Wears Prada sequel alongside Meryl Streep , Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt – further solidifying her rising star status. Helen J. Shen plays Claire in the Broadway musical Maybe Happy Ending. Photo: @maybehappyending/Instagram The recently confirmed follow up to 2006's film The Devil Wears Prada is reportedly scheduled for release in spring 2026, and sees Miranda Priestly – editor-in-chief of the high-fashion magazine Runway, played by Streep – contending with the decline of print media, per The Hollywood Reporter. As for whether Anne Hathaway 's Andy is still working as a journalist at the fictional New York Mirror, as she was at the end of the first film, remains to be seen. Advertisement Helen J. Shen will appear in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Photo: @helenjshen/Instagram While we don't yet have details about her role in The Devil Wears Prada 2, we do know that Shen was recently nominated for outstanding lead performance in a musical at the 2025 Drama Desk Awards for Maybe Happy Ending, and won a 2025 Theatre World Award for her outstanding debut performance in the same show. Here's everything you need to know about the rising young star. She's a musical theatre actress Helen J. Shen has acted in multiple stage productions including Teeth and Sunset Boulevard. Photo: @helenjshen/Instagram In 2022, Shen appeared in The Lonely Few's world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, staring as JJ, and reprised the role at the MCC Theater in New York in 2024. That same year, she also appeared in Anna Ouyang Moench's Man of God at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Helen's regional theatre credits also include playing Keke, the Promise Keeper Girl, in Michael R. Jackson's off Broadway musical Teeth, and portraying Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard at ACT of Connecticut in 2023. She originally set out to be a pianist Helen J. Chen is classically trained in piano. Photo: @helenjshen/Instagram Born in Bernards Township, New Jersey, Shen began learning classical piano at the age of five, continuing through high school, while taking part in community theatre. Shen believes that piano taught her self-discipline and focus, as well as the ability to handle pressure, per an interview she gave to Vogue last year.
Sky News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Androids rom-com Maybe Happy Ending wins six major Tony Awards
Maybe Happy Ending, a romantic-comedy about a pair of androids falling in love, has won six Tony Awards, including best new musical. The story charts the relationship between two decommissioned robots, becoming a commentary on human themes and the passage of time. Starring Darren Criss and Helen J Shen, Maybe Happy Ending enjoyed huge success at the 78th annual ceremony held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sunday. The acclaimed Broadway production's awards also included Criss winning best leading actor in a musical, alongside prizes for best direction of a musical, best original theatre score, best book of a musical, and best scenic design of a musical. In other awards, Purpose, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drawing room drama about an accomplished black family exposing hypocrisy and pressures during a snowed-in gathering, won best new play. Jacobs-Jenkins becomes the first black playwright to win the award since August Wilson took home the accolade in 1987 for Fences. It underlines a triumphant year for Jacobs-Jenkins after scooping the Pulitzer Prize for Purpose - and winning back-to-back Tonys after his Appropriate won best play revival in 2024. Kara Young - the first black female actor to be nominated for a Tony in four consecutive years - became the first black person to win two awards consecutively, picking up the trophy for featured actress in a play for her work in Purpose. Sunset Blvd won best musical revival, handing composer Andrew Lloyd Webber his first competitive Tony since 1995, when the original show won. The current version is a stripped-down, minimalist production. Sarah Snook took home the trophy for leading actress in a play for her tireless work in The Picture Of Dorian Gray, where she plays all 26 roles. "I don't feel alone any night that I do this show," Snook said, dismissing the idea of her play as a one-woman show. "There are so many people onstage making it work and behind the stage making it work." Oh Mary! saw Sam Pinkleton win best director and Cole Escola landing best actor in a play. Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for his work in a revival of Yellow Face. Jak Malone won best actor in a featured role in a musical for the British import, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical. Eureka Day, Jonathan Spector's social satire about well-meaning liberals debating a school's vaccine policy, won the best play revival trophy. Stranger Things: The First Shadow - based on the 12-time Emmy-winning Netflix hit sci-fi series, won best scenic design, lighting design and sound design of a play. The production, which has been running in London's West End, also picked up a special award for its illusions and technical effects.
CBC
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Tony Awards laud android rom-com Maybe Happy Ending and history-making Purpose
Social Sharing Maybe Happy Ending, a rom-com musical about androids that crackles with humanity, had a definite happy ending at Sunday's Tony Awards. It won best new musical on a night when Kara Young made history as the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively, for Purpose, which also won best new play. Starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, Maybe Happy Ending charts the romantic relationship between two decommissioned robots, becoming a commentary on human themes and the passage of time. It won a leading six Tonys. With Purpose, a drawing-room drama about an accomplished Black family exposing hypocrisy and pressures during a snowed-in gathering, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins caps a remarkable year. In addition to winning back-to-back Tonys — his Appropriate won best play revival in 2024 — earned the Pulitzer Prize for Purpose. (That win came the day of the Met Gala, where he served on the host committee.) Jacobs-Jenkins becomes the first Black playwright to win for best new play since August Wilson took home the trophy in 1987 for Fences. He urged Tony viewers to support regional theatres; Purpose was nurtured in Chicago. Young, the first Black female actor to be nominated for a Tony Award in four consecutive years, became the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively with the featured actress in a play trophy for her work in Purpose. Young thanked her parents, Jacobs-Jenkins, her cast and director Phylicia Rashad. "Theatre is a sacred space that we have to honour and treasure, and it makes us united," she said. Sunset Blvd., with Nicole Scherzinger starring as a fallen screen idol desperate to reclaim her fame, won best musical revival, handing composer Andrew Lloyd Webber his first competitive Tony since 1995 — when the original show won. The current version is a stripped-down, minimalist production. Scherzinger also won for best lead actress in a musical, muscling aside a considerable challenge from Audra McDonald, who was gunning for her seventh statuette. It caps a remarkable career pivot for Scherzinger, once the lead singer of the pop group Pussycat Dolls and a TV talent show judge. "Don't give up," she said. "This is a testament that love always wins." Criss, who has starred in everything from Glee to The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, won his first Tony for Maybe Happy Ending, which he also co-produced. He said he shared it with Shen, who was not nominated. Notable Tony moments Sarah Snook took home the trophy for leading actress in a play for her tireless work in The Picture of Dorian Gray, where she plays all 26 roles. "I don't feel alone any night that I do this show," Snook said, dismissing the idea of her play as a one-woman show. "There are so many people onstage making it work and behind the stage making it work." Downtown cabaret star Cole Escola took home the best actor in a play trophy for playing a deranged, repressed and over-the-top ahistorical version of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary!, beating such Hollywood stars as George Clooney and Daniel Dae Kim. Sam Pinkleton won best director for Oh, Mary! and thanked Escola, saying he taught him, "Do what you love, not what you think people want to see." Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for his work in a revival of Yellow Face. He said he was gifted his tuxedo from another Asian actor who wanted him to wear it to the Tonys. "I'm only here because of the encouragement and inspiration of generations of wonderful deserving Asian artists who came before me," he said. "To those who don't feel seen," he added, "I see you." Jak Malone won best actor in a featured role in a musical for the British import Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, playing a woman every performance. He hoped his win could be a powerful advocacy for trans rights. Eureka Day, Jonathan Spector's social satire about well-meaning liberals debating a school's vaccine policy, won the best play revival trophy. It made its off-Broadway debut in 2019. The original cast of Hamilton, including creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, did a victory lap all dressed in black to mark the show's 10th anniversary on Broadway, with a medley including My Shot, The Schuyler Sisters, History Has Its Eyes on You and The Room Where It Happens. 1st-time host First-time host Cynthia Erivo kicked off the show from her dressing room in Radio City Music Hall, unsure of her opening number as the stage manager urged her to get to the stage. As she made her way through the backstage warren, she ran into various people offering advice until she reached Oprah Winfrey, who advised, "The only thing you need to do is just be yourself." Erivo then appeared at the stage in a red, spangly gown with white accents, hip cocked, as she launched into the slow-burning original song Sometimes All You Need Is a Song, written by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Initially alone with just a pianist, Erivo's soaring voice was soon joined by dozens of members of the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir, all dressed in white, making her look like a powerful strawberry in a bowl of whipped cream. In her opening comments, she singled out first-time nominees Louis McCartney, Sadie Sink, Cole Escola and "an up-and-comer that I think you're going to really be hearing quite a bit about — George Clooney." She noted that the 2024-2025 season took in $1.9 billion US, making it the highest-grossing season ever and signalling that Broadway has finally emerged from the COVID-19 blues. "Broadway is officially back," Erivo said. "Provided we don't run out of cast members from Succession," a nod to appearances this season by former co-stars Snook and Kieran Culkin and last season by Jeremy Strong. She and Sara Bareilles duetted for a moving in memoriam section, singing The Sun Will Come Out from Annie, and honouring its composer Charles Strouse as well as George Wendt, Richard Chamberlain, Athol Fugard, Joan Plowright, Quincy Jones, Linda Lavin, James Earl Jones and Gavin Creel. The best book and best score awards went to Maybe Happy Ending, with lyrics written by Hue Park and music composed by Will Aronson. Its director, Michael Arden, won — Happy Pride! he said — and it also picked up best scenic design of a musical. Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado won for choreographing Buena Vista Social Club and Peck noted a song from the renowned original album was played at their wedding. The musical takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders's 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary on the making of the Cuban album. Harvey Fierstein, the four-time Tony winner behind Torch Song Trilogy and Kinky Boots, was honoured with a lifetime achievement Tony and became emotional during his speech. "There is nothing quite like bathing in the applause of a curtain call, but when I bow, I bow to the audience, with gratitude, knowing that without them I might as well be lip-syncing showtunes in my bedroom mirror. And so I dedicate this award to the people in the dark."
