The incorporation of technology into our daily lives is continually evolving, from smart home devices that provide weather updates to mobile apps that navigate us home after a meal.

Darren Criss is experiencing this blend of human emotion and technology in a uniquely personal way. The Emmy-winning actor stars in the Broadway musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” alongside newcomer Helen J. Shen, a fellow alum from the University of Michigan. He plays a “Helperbot” named Oliver, who has been sent to a retirement home for outdated robots by his owner. In the facility, Oliver crosses paths with Claire (Shen), a newer model robot with a dying battery. Together, they flee their rooms in search of one final adventure: witnessing the fireflies in South Korea, where the musical takes place, and reconnecting with Oliver’s original owner.

“Since I’m playing a non-human character, I feel the urge to cry throughout the performance,” Criss, 37, shares with YSL News. “It’s not out of sadness, but because the show embodies such strong themes of resilience. Saying that this show revolves around loss is as misleading as calling it solely a Korean story.”

Criss, who has Filipino ancestry, feels that the show touches on themes of love and loss within the “timeless question of whether it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

“The musical does a remarkable job of addressing that question,” he adds. “These robots, though, lack humanity, so they can’t grasp that concept as humans do. It’s really the audience who can process this, and I hope they do.

“After each performance, I usually need about five minutes to let my emotions out because I spend the entire show fighting the instinct to express the one human reaction that feels most natural.”

“Maybe Happy Ending” toured across Asia before a production in Atlanta in 2020 led to its arrival on Broadway.

In addition to this project, Criss previously starred in a music-centered TV series that celebrated resilience: “Glee.” He reminisces fondly about his role as Blaine Anderson.

“It’s not something I’m embarrassed about; it means a lot to many people,” he comments. “It feels like reminiscing about a joyous occasion from years past. When people look back on that experience, it’s not with a sense of horror. After all, the show is called ‘Glee’ for a reason!”