Broadway's Maybe Happy Ending is working through a tumultuous casting dilemma following the announcement that the show's original star, Darren Criss, would be leaving the show and replaced by Andrew Barth Feldman. However, after significant backlash from the AAPI Broadway community, the show decided to redirect course and shared earlier today that Criss is actually not leaving, but rather taking a leave of absence.Maybe Happy Ending directed by out creative Michael Arden, who won a Tony Award earlier this year for Best Direction of a Musical follows a journey of discovery and love between two helper robots, Oliver and Claire, after they are deemed obsolete in a futuristic version of Seoul, South Korea. The show is performed by a predominantly Asian cast. Since Feldman's casting was announced, the show was lambasted for its decision to replace an Asian actor with a white actor. Criss's decision to come back to the show comes shortly after 2,400 people signed an open letter from BD Wong that asked Maybe Happy Ending's creators to reconsider their casting choice in light of what many considered to be an act of "erasure."There's a lot of drama going on with this show, but let us break it down for you.Darren Criss made history at the 2025 Tony Awards See on Instagram In June, Criss took home the Tony for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, making him the first Asian-American actor to do so. (As a co-producer, he also shared a win for Best Musical.) This was a big step in representation for the Asian community on Broadway. But shortly after his win, Criss announced that he would be leaving Maybe Happy Ending on August 31, taking his final bow as Oliver.Andrew Barth Feldman is announced as Criss's replacement See on Instagram On July 24, the show's official Instagram page uploaded a video that announced Feldman as Criss's replacement, sharing that he would be starting as the show's lead two days after the Glee alumnus's departure. The comments section was inundated with replies from people who were upset with the choice to cast a white man in the predominantly Asian show regardless of whether he is dating Helen J. Shen, the female lead, in the real world. Many saw the act as taking an opportunity away from another Asian actor."My heart and so many hearts of AAPI performers, especially us Koreans, were SO FULL seeing a story of our motherland with our language on a bway stage," one comment reads. "Seeing our sisters and brothers making history and bringing a beautiful story to life. And this choice has broken those same hearts. There are 3 AAPI actors already trained and versed in the role of Oliver, who have been bypassed... So much disappointment in the team at this show.""Honestly shocked to see yall choosing someone that is non-Asian for this show. No matter the talent that ABF has, this casting is off for this show," another comment reads.The backlash finds its way to other platforms and prompts a response from the show's creators See on Instagram The show's creators, Will Aronson and Hue Park, released a lengthy statement July 30 on social media, addressing the discourse surrounding their decision to cast Feldman."We wrote a show about robots so we could engage more intimately with the most basic human questions of love and loss, creating the roles of Oliver and Claire to be avatars of these universal questions," the two write in their joint statement."They were meant to be products created by a global company, and so never bore Korean names, even in the Korean version of the show. At the same time, we understand that for many in the AAPI community, the makeup of our opening night cast became a meaningful and rare point of visibility," it reads. "We've heard how strongly people connected to that representation, even if it wasn't our original intent, and how this casting decision has reopened old wounds."They go on to say that they are saddened that the show "could ever become a source of confusion, anger or pain." They round out the statement by saying, "We hope this gives a small window into our own thought process in the creation of Maybe Happy Ending."Helen J. Shen responds with a statement of her own See on Instagram That same day, Shen shared her thoughts on Instagram regarding the complicated situation, writing, "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." She continued, "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."The actress understands that "every perspective on this situation contains truth" and that "this conversation must be had," and that she would continue to amplify voices in the conversation around AAPI representation in the Broadway community.Silence from FeldmanEver since Feldman found himself at the center of the controversy, he has yet to release a public statement on the matter. The last statement he's released was attached to the official announcement in a press release."I am so in love with this show and with Helen J Shen. Ive been a plus-one on this Broadway journey from the beginning, and this brilliant team and beautiful company have already become such a big part of my life," he wrote. "That they trust me with this role, and are giving me the ridiculous gift of sharing it with Helen, is an honor beyond words.BD Wong's Open Letter to the casting directors of 'Maybe Happy Ending' See on Instagram BD Wong authored an open letter that he shared to his social media on August 10, asking the casting directors to reconsider their decision to have Feldman take the helm of this show. "It goes way beyond the back and forth about this particular casting decision and the 'ownership' that much of the Asian Community seems to feel over this particular character in this particular musical," he wrote in the letter, pointing to a time when a white actor replaced a Vietnamese actor in the 2016 revival of Miss Saigon. "Advocating for one's own representation is stultifyingly self-debasing," he added. "No, we don't want to 'get somebody fired.' We must express, though, how painful it is to be passed over, yet how used to it we've become. How incomprehensibly rare 'Asian Shows' are."The open letter gained over 2,400 signatures with new celebrities wishing to add their names in the comments.Criss announced to not be leaving after all See on Instagram After a matinee performance on Wednesday, Criss addressed the crowd and announced that his final bow won't actually be his last. After August 31, Ill be hitting the road for just nine weeks before coming back in November to play Oliver full time, and in that period of time, I will be lending my charger to the marvelous Andrew Barth Feldman, he said onstage after the show. "If you enjoyed your time here today, hopefully youll be able to come back and maybe get a chance to witness the brilliance and brilliant light that I know he will illuminate this wonderful, beautiful piece with in my absence." He finished his announcement by saying, "Maybe Happy Ending is easily the most remarkable, accessible, hopeful and joyous piece of art that I have ever had the privilege of being part of" and hopes that the show has a long run on Broadway.The show shared the news on their Instagram and the comments section felt that their were trying to salvage what they could of the casting mess that was made, but many critics were not convinced. "Great, but unfortunately the precedent of AAPI erasure has already been set," one commenter said. Another wrote, "This doesnt eradicate the mistake of casting Andrew. If you knew Darren was only taking a 9-week break from the show, why not have any of the swing/understudies take over for a short stint?" The comment continued, "Not only will it retain the Asian representation in the role of Oliver, it also provides an opportunity for lesser known Asian actors to lead a Broadway show (a luxury not often afforded by Asian actors). This distraction tactic is not it. You cant just let controversies wash away with time."