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[0:30] Robert Bannon: It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon.

[0:33] Robert Bannon: Well, welcome to The Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World, The Broadway Podcast Network, iHeartSpotify, wherever artists talk about art. When I moved to Detroit two years ago, I fell in love with the Fisher Theater and ATG Broadway in Detroit because it brings my home of New York City to Detroit and brings the shows that you love and maybe don't get a chance to see if you're not in New York City to your backyard. And across this country right now, Maybe Happy Ending is flying, selling out shows everywhere. And you need to get your tickets before it rolls into the iconic Fisher Theater. They're going to be here from October 20th to November 1st. The stars of the show, Claire and Steven, are here. I'm going to tell them about Detroit. We're going to go out for Coney Dogs. We're going to have a party. We're going to celebrate Maybe Happy Ending's debut right here in the Motor City. Welcome to the show.

[1:20] Claire Kwon: Awesome. Thank you so much for having us.

[1:23] Robert Bannon: So, Steven, this is not a new show for you. Both of you have been with this, they go way back with this show.

[1:30] Steven Huynh: Way back, way back.

[1:32] Robert Bannon: Steven, when did you find out that you were going to, firstly, tell me how the Broadway show came to you. How did the show come to your life?

[1:39] Steven Huynh: So the show came to me back in May of 2024. I had found out that Michael is directing this new show on Broadway, starring Darren Criss and Helen Jay Shen. And I was like, oh, this sounds really cool. And I worked with Michael before on the Lost Boys Workshop earlier that year. And so my agent sent me an audition for this musical that I didn't really hear about and I didn't know too much about. And I remember reading the script and listening to the demos in my room. And my girlfriend was in the room working and like all of a sudden I'm just crying. And she's like, are you OK? And I was like, yes and no. This is the most beautiful thing I've ever read. And in that moment, I was like, even if I don't get this, I want to see this succeed and I want to watch it.

And so I submitted a tape. And you know how like auditions go where like it self tapes. It goes out into the ether. And so like two weeks went by. I didn't hear anything. And then casting comes back and they're like, we would like you to tape for more coverage because we're still trying to figure it out. So I submit another tape and another month goes by and I didn't hear anything. And then my agent checks up with them and casting's like, we're still figuring it out. But just in case, can you send us like any vocal reels or whatever you have so that we have the most complete picture? And so I think all in all, I sent in like maybe 10 songs and like four sides for the show. And on July 10th or 11th of 2024, my agent calls me and he tells me that I'm making my Broadway debut with Maybe Happy Ending. And to be with the Broadway company from the beginning was the most incredible experience.

[3:39] Robert Bannon: Broadway debut. And there you go. With all those sides. They should have been equity should get involved and have paid you for those auditions. That's a full performance, Steven.

[3:49] Claire Kwon: And speaking of Broadway debuts, Claire, this was your Broadway debut as well. When how did the show come to you?

[3:56] Claire Kwon: It was actually my Broadway principal debut. Shout out to Almost Famous. I made my Broadway debut with Almost Famous. But yeah, this is my Broadway principal debut. I had a very funny kind of work around process with the show as well. I sent in a self tape in 2024, didn't hear anything back. And I remember reading the script and I also like broke into tears while I was at the airport. And I just thought it was so special and wanted to be involved in it. And I sent in a tape. I didn't hear anything. And so I and then I heard that the show was going up and I was like, OK, great. Like I'm happy for them. And I saw the show actually when it was still in previews in October of 2024. And I came in, you know, and I was like, you know, what's the show?

Whatever. And I saw the show, broke into tears, was heartbroken, was questioning all my life choices, being like, if I'm not in the show, like, what am I doing with my life? I have to quit. I can't do it anymore. And luckily I had a friend with me and he like talked to me off of a ledge and was like, you're doing great. Don't worry about it. And then I was doing Teeth, a new show at New World Stages. Actually, Helen Jay Shen also was in that show right before me at Playwrights and I got to see her and she was incredible. And so I was doing the show that I absolutely loved. And I was doing it through November, December and it closed in January and I was auditioning. And I was doing other things.

And I got a call from my manager on a random Tuesday and he was like, you're going to be a standby for Maybe Happy Ending. And I was like, what? Where is this coming from? I had heard like whispers, but I was I had assumed that I was going to have to go back in and do the whole process and everything. But no, then I joined, I joined as a standby and was supposed to stay for a short period of time and ended up being extended. And now we get to do the tour. It's a dream come true.

[6:05] Robert Bannon: I apologize if I didn't read when I read your bio, bad reading comprehension. When you read her bio, her other Broadway credit is there. Shout out to Solea Pfeiffer and all of the ladies and the band-aids and all the fun that was. The groupies of it all. At Almost Famous. So you and Teeth, which is a totally different type of show. Everybody, your parts, your pearls, your pearls.

[6:27] Robert Bannon: So Steven, for you hitting the road, I think like right now you're in like North Carolina or somewhere. You're bringing this show to places that don't normally get to see theater and Broadway shows like this. They also don't get to know about the culture that some of the shows about. And this story and the representation that you show, how does that feel? How important is this show for what it represents to so many people?

[6:51] Steven Huynh: Yeah, it's kind of like for me, it feels like a full circle giving back kind of moment. I grew up on the outskirts of Cleveland. And so my first exposure to Broadway was through national tours that would come in through Cleveland. And so to have the opportunity to do that and be somebody's first touch point for not just Maybe Happy Ending, but even theater itself or like musical theater. It's something that is a privilege, it feels like to me. And it's really wonderful to have this form of diversity in our company. We are a fully POC company, onstage acting company and offstage with our standbys. And so it really is something that is extraordinary and something that you don't see all too often.

And so it's just the culmination of being able to be someone's first experience with Maybe Happy Ending, someone's first experience with musical theater, and also to share it with the group that we are currently touring with, it's just become the most fulfilling experience. And like this first month has flew by and I can't wait for the rest of our year one of tour.

[8:01] Robert Bannon: Which brings me Claire. It's true, because it's not a giant. This is not 40 people on stage. So you all have to be pretty close knit. You are on buses and planes and hotels and trains and backstage and new blocking and new dressing rooms and where am I? Where am where? And so how is it as a tight knit? What's it like to work with this group of actors?

[8:24] Claire Kwon: It's absolutely incredible. I mean, Steven and I talked about this because we were both on Broadway together and we were really hopeful of this new company and we were like, it's you know, we know how intimate the show can be and how much one person's mood in the dressing room can change the whole your whole day. And I think we just got so incredibly lucky that we have this amazing, talented, kind company that not only cares about each other and cares about, you know, being the right vibe, being there for each other, caring for each other on all of these, you know, the challenges of traveling across the country and, you know, loading in and loading out a new show every single week and the hardship that comes with that.

But I also think that we care so much about the show and this whole crew and company and cast cares so much about uplifting and highlighting the show. And we know how special it is and how much it will move and resonate with all different kinds of people all across the country. And so I think that we take that responsibility very seriously. I can't wait. I need to try to show up and show out. You have to see this show. Tony winning.

[9:36] Robert Bannon: Listen, and here's another thing. My husband, so we went to see a show. I will not name the show. We went to see a show. He doesn't, he loves the shows, but he can't stay up late. He is old. He's not old. He's younger than me, but in his spirit, he's old. He kind of falls asleep. And then at intermission, he kind of sometimes is like, I can't stay awake. We have to take separate cars. This show, you got an hour and 40 minutes, no intermission by your merch, get your drink, get your life together, shut your phone off, sit down. And in an hour and 40 minutes, it's going to take, it's like one of the movies. It's going to take you on this beautiful, emotional journey. Steven, you brought up Michael Arden.

Of course, he's like a superstar at Lost Boys, this superstar show running right now. And this cast, the original cast, you talked to Claire, talked about Helen. You talk about Darren. How do you embody these characters without doing a Darren and Helen impersonation? How do you bring your own Steven and Claire to this?

[10:34] Steven Huynh: Yeah. So what, on the first day of rehearsal, I actually asked this question because I was understudying for Oliver and for James. And, you know, I want to respect the material that's written and to fit into the track that is created, but also like, you know, walk that line of bringing my interpretation to it. And the, one of the most profound things that Michael said immediately was that I challenge you to be inspired by, but not limited to what the onstage company is doing. And it's something that the whole Broadway company and touring company has embraced throughout our creative team. And so what's really special about this show is because there are two robots or two helper bots, as we call them, and each pairing of actors that embody Oliver and Claire have a completely different relationship to each other, to the show, to the themes that we provide in the music and in the dialogue.

And so never at any point in time did I feel like the Oliver I was stepping into wasn't mine and that I didn't have permission to make it my own. And I won't speak for Claire, but it feels like, you know, our creative team embraces the differences that we all bring together into these characters. And it's really wonderful that the show and what Will Aronson and Hugh Park have written, it holds space for every single version of these helper bots, really.

[12:09] Claire Kwon: Yeah, I just, can I add on to that, which is that I think the show is, I keep saying it's like an instant classic. It feels like The Sound of Music or, you know, Rocky Horror or something. It is really kind of iconic in both its design and its structure and its story. And I think what comes with that is that there is so much freedom because the structure of it is so sound and is so beautiful and will take you on a journey no matter what. I think that what is helpful is that Stephen and I have both had the privilege of working very closely and being in close relationship with the creative team and the writing team. And so intention, I think, is very important. And we were able to, you know, I was able to ask a lot of questions about what does this line mean and what is the function of the scene and all of those things that are very technical.

But the more questions we ask, the more freedom we actually have, because we know kind of what purpose it needs to serve. But the way that we get there can be different every time. And the show is really different every single night. And so I think that that's the fun of it. You know, that's why we don't work the office job. We might as well change it up every single night, you know?

[13:31] Robert Bannon: Yes. What I love so much, everybody, is that it's good bringing it around the country. So you can go to maybehappyending.com and get your tickets. They're going to literally be across the country from Iowa to Boston to Philadelphia to Los Angeles and et cetera. So wherever you live around the country, if you're not in Detroit or if you're not in North Carolina for this week or wherever you're going to be, then get your tickets to see the show. I think at the end, having seen the show without trying to, it's hard to not try to give it away. So I don't want to give it away. But the music is gorgeous score. It's like a jazzy, intimate, beautiful love story with heart. And it's, yes, it's about bots, but it's about, it's realistic and about mortality and life.

Stephen, if you knew you were going to love somebody and you didn't know who was going to end well, you're going to still love them? Isn't that like the most human experience ever? It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

[14:26] Steven Huynh: Exactly. And I think that is one of the predominant themes that we have in our show is choosing to love and to care for somebody, even if our shelf lives are different. And if I may outlast you that, and the heartbreak that comes from that, that's what makes loving somebody worth it. Because it's better to love somebody with every part of your being than to not at all.

[14:56] Robert Bannon: Oh, Claire, I just had a conversation with my husband who's not romantic, not emotional at all, zero percent. And I said to him, I'm an old white man and I'm going to be gone and you'll still be here and I can't. And he was like, shut up, Robert, and go sit down. This show makes you think about life. The world is mean, the world is crazy. And we need to really fall back on love and appreciate the people we love. Life is so uncertain. And I think that you get to tell this story that is very moving and it makes people be introspective. Is it exhausting, though?

[15:31] Claire Kwon: I mean, we barely leave the stage for an hour and 40 minutes. So, you know, there is that. But I also think there is a thrill to the fact that there's no break, there's no intermission. When I'm in the show, I am in it in the same way that the audience is in it. That's actually really one of the most exciting parts to do this around the country and to do it every single night is to see how different audiences engage and interact with the show and to know that for me as an actor, being on stage the whole time, I'm in that journey with you, I'm figuring it out as you are figuring it out. And we're in this together. And I think that that's also what makes the overall connection of the piece so special and resonant.

[16:16] Steven Huynh: I think so, too. Listen, if you're an old school musical theater person and you remember going to see Rent and you know when Mimi comes in with the candle and then they sing the song and they have this whole back and forth and then you fall in love with them. Well, when Claire walks in with the charger and she sees Steven, it's going to bring you that but for today. And it's going to take you on this wild journey and this love story that's going to be eternal and never be able to be forgotten. And do you know, I'm not from here, OK? Now, Steven's from Ohio. Where are you from, Claire?

[16:44] Claire Kwon: I'm from New Jersey. Shout out to New Jersey.

[16:47] Robert Bannon: Hey, Jersey. We're in New Jersey.

[16:49] Claire Kwon: I'm originally from Glen Rock, New Jersey, but now my family's in Fort Lee. Shout out.

[16:54] Steven Huynh: I grew up in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Claire?

[16:58] Claire Kwon: Shut up. Wait, really?

[16:59] Steven Huynh: Yeah, right around the CVS that's in Linwood, right by the Metropolitan Plant Exchange.

[17:04] Claire Kwon: Are you kidding?

[17:05] Steven Huynh: No.

[17:05] Claire Kwon: That's like down the street from my family home. This is insane.

[17:10] Robert Bannon: Claire and me are neighbors. Sorry, Steven, I've never been to Ohio, but I'm sure it's lovely.

[17:15] Steven Huynh: So firstly, yes. So this is what we need to do. This is my Fort Lee sister right here. My grandma, my Jersey brother.

[17:24] Robert Bannon: When I moved to Detroit, they have a made up holiday here called Sweetest Day, which is for women to give a gift to their men. It's like the Valentine's opposite. It is Saturday, everybody. If you're looking for the perfect date night, if you're looking for something to give someone on Saturday so that next week you can have a perfect night out, go to dinner, get dressed up and see something beautiful, original and fall in love and hold each other's hand and have a moment, maybe Happy Ending is the one that's going to get you the most points. You need to go get your tickets, go to ATT Detroit and go celebrate it right there live at the Fisher Theater. I'm so excited to see it. I'll be there Wednesday night. I'm bringing my husband. I'm bringing my cousins. We're all going to cry and sing and laugh. It's not all sad. Steven, you do laugh. It is very funny and entertaining.

[18:10] Steven Huynh: Yes. Yeah, yeah. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It makes you feel every emotion in between. It's the full human experience.

[18:18] Claire Kwon: And it's very also visual, visually stunning. And like for my friends who are in tech or into that kind of thing as well, very engaging and very it flows.

[18:28] Steven Huynh: It does. It flows perfect. It is perfectly as gorgeous if you like. It's not like an old school hokey pokey musical, which I love that, too. This is modern. This is the musicals for the future. This show is going to be done everywhere. And Steven and Claire are going to be looked at and admired and people are going to steal their songs and sing them badly in audition rooms forever. I'm so I'm so grateful for you guys to be here and I wish you the best luck. Have great shows this weekend and we'll see you here in Detroit. Coney Dog's on me.

[18:55] Claire Kwon: Thank you so much.

[18:57] Steven Huynh: Thank you for being here.