Maybe Happy Ending's decision to replace lead actor Darren Criss with Andrew Barth Feldman has continued to provoke responses throughout the theatre community. The latest: an open letter written by Tony Award winner BD Wong and signed by over 2,400 people, many of them theatre artists, including two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy, and Tony winners Francis Jue, Ruthie Ann Miles, and Ali Stroker. Other supporters include Golden Globe winner Awkwafina, Bowen Yang, Ann Harada, Jose Llana, Anthony Rapp, Telly Leung, and Leigh Silverman. The letter and signatories can be found on Wong's Facebook page.
Currently in Maybe Happy Ending, Criss plays Oliver, a humanoid robot living in South Korea. The role has historically been played by actors of Asian descent—Criss has Filipino heritage and in winning a Tony for his performance in the show, he was the first Asian American actor to win Lead Actor in a Musical.
On July 24, Maybe Happy Ending announced that after Criss' departure from the show, the role of Oliver will be played by Andrew Barth Feldman, who is white. He will play the role September 2–November 1.
The creators of the show, Hue Park and Will Aronson, said in a previous statement they had always imagined that the lead roles in the show, which are robots, could be played by actors of any race: "With Maybe Happy Ending, we wanted to write a show in which every role could be played by an Asian performer, but without the intention that the robot roles always would be."
Critics of the casting decision has expressed concern that, in an industry where Asian American actors receive far fewer opportunities to play lead roles, opening up the lead roles of Maybe Happy Ending to actors of any race takes away opportunities from Asian American actors.
Wrote Wong in his original open letter: "There was a subtle attempt to characterize a non-Asian actor playing this role as an example of 'inclusion.' A 'now, anyone can play it!' spin, because "anyone" sounds so "expansive." This totally mocks a marginalized community's struggle for opportunities! It ignores the statistical dominance of white actors in musical leading roles (MHE was a glorious, rare exception to this). It undermines the effort, the need, to discuss yellowface and appropriation.
"It also seemed unaware of its potentially negative optics.
"I know nobody takes casting decisions lightly. This 'pivot' unfortunately retracts the validation and celebration that MHE lent the Asian community (it does feel as if it was 'lent,' and now needs to be 'returned.') This is agonizing to witness and to feel in my heart. Nobody wins."
Following the publication of his letter on Facebook, and the gathering of over 2,400 signatures, Wong posted a follow up message, characterizing the outcry as: "A real, eternal outcry about race and representation, not an irrational rant about robots."
In response to the critiques, Maybe Happy Ending star Helen J Shen (who is also the offstage partner of Feldman) wrote on Instagram: "This has been an immensely challenging moment within my home with Andrew, and in this building filled with A/PI folks to say the least. I don't know what's forward, but to have this opportunity to play opposite my favorite actor in the world for nine weeks, who happens to be PERFECT for the role is a huge moment of joy for me. Every perspective on this situation contains truth."
Maybe Happy Ending's casting decision has led to numerous responses throughout the industry, with Telly Leung, Kay Sibal, Deborah S Craig, and the Tony Award-winning Asian American Performers Action Coalition all releasing statements.
Meanwhile, Tony-nominated actor Conrad Ricamora has started a scholarship aimed at male actors of Asian descent pursuing a degree in performance, writing: "Progress in our industry can be real and inspiring—but it's often fragile. Even after decades of work and some recent wins, Asian American men still face enormous barriers in the world of acting—especially in roles that are complex, leading, and human. And especially on stage."
