Video: Darren Criss Explains Why MAYBE HAPPY ENDING is a Rare Musical

Darren Criss is thrilled to be starring in a new original musical. The performer, who is currently appearing in Maybe Happy Ending, visited The Today Show to share his thoughts about this new show and why it is an exciting and rare opportunity for audiences.

During the interview, Criss noted that most musicals are based on pre-existing content- like books or films- making Maybe Happy Ending somewhat a rarity among new musicals. He encourages audiences to come to see the show, which he believes will "be part of the musical theatre lexicon for years to come."

The musical is set in the future, and Criss plays a retired helper bot who is looking to reconnect with his former owner. "In so doing, we explore an ancient question about humanity: Is it better to have loved and lost or never loved at all?" he explains. Criss goes on to admit that he finds it a challenge to perform the material, due to how moving it is. Watch the full interview!

Maybe Happy Ending is the new romantic musical comedy with music by Will Aronson, lyrics by Hue Park and book by both Aronson and Park. Direction is by Tony Award-winner Michael Arden.

Inside a one-room apartment on the outskirts of Seoul, Oliver (Criss) lives a happily quiet life listening to jazz records and caring for his favorite plant. But what else is there to do when you’re a HelperBot 3, a robot that has long been retired and considered obsolete? When his fellow HelperBot neighbor Claire (Shen) asks to borrow his charger, what starts as an awkward encounter leads to a unique friendship, a surprising adventure, and maybe even...love? Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award, Maybe Happy Ending is the offbeat and captivating story of two outcasts near the end of their warranty who discover that even robots can be swept off their feet.

Helmed by visionary director and Tony Award winner Michael Arden, with a dazzling scenic design by Dane Laffrey and book, music, and lyrics by the internationally acclaimed duo Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending is a fresh, original musical about the small things that make any life worth living.