Hannah Kevitt currently plays Claire full-time through April 2, succeeding Helen J. Shen, who originated the role of Claire and ended her run in mid-February. Prior to that, she’d gone on 20 times.

Pre-MHE: She was a swing (an actor who covers multiple roles) and understudied Jennifer, Marty McFly’s girlfriend, in Back to the Future: The Musical on Broadway.

Places, please: “Broadway is a team sport, and there’s a lot of camaraderie. All four roles on stage in Maybe Happy Ending are such a big lift. When I’m on, I like to make sure that every department can operate as normally as they can.”

Director’s best note: “‘Robots can’t cry.’ The end of the show tackles really big topics – grief, loss, and love. If we get affected by that, the audience can’t.”

Dressing-room peek: “We’ve watched a lot of movies; we’ve had a lot of conversations about life. I read everybody’s horoscope. The guys have become like my brothers.”

Fun fact: “'How To Be Not Alone' is my favorite song to sing. It’s so pivotal, so intimate.”

Cast in January 2025, Claire Kwon joined the production to stand by for Shen and Kevitt. As of writing, she’s gone on 11 times, and she plays Claire full-time from April 3 to May 17.

Pre-MHE: She was a swing on Broadway in Almost Famous.

Places, please: “Demands are high for the roles in this show. We’re lucky that we do get a bit of notice to prepare.”

Director’s best note: “We’ve really been encouraged by this team to find our own version of the characters. We can bring who we are as people and as performers to the role.”

Dressing-room peek: “There’s usually something going on — books, talking, Legos.”

Fun fact: “I love that Claire has agency, and she is strong and powerful. She just gets to be herself.”

Daniel May began acting in theatre as a kid and never stopped. He’s the standby for James and Gil. “I’ve done upwards of 24 performances as James, and eight as Gil,” he said.

Pre-MHE: He made his Broadway debut in the 2002 revival of Flower Drum Song led by Lea Salonga.

Places, please: “I love the name 'standby' because it really is about waiting and supporting the onstage cast and being really ready to step into the role in a full way.”

Director’s best note: “To keep things simple and clear [...] and to trust ourselves.”

Dressing-room peek: “We’ve watched a lot of Pixar films. Our show sort of aligns with the Pixar universe. The Talented Mr. Ripley is on our watch list.”

Fun fact: “Before the show begins, James is reading a book that’s the actor choice. I’m still reading the same book — Pachinko — because I wait to read it until I go on.”

Christopher James Tamayo makes his Broadway debut as a standby for Gil and Oliver. “I have done the role of Oliver eight or nine times," he said. "With Gil, it’s upwards of 30."

Pre-MHE: He understudied the role of Marius in a national tour of Les Misérables.

Places, please: “A lot of being a standby is muscle memory, but a lot of it is independent study, too. Sometimes one of us will disappear every so often to watch the show, just to keep it fresh.”

Director’s best note: “Whenever Gil sings about love stories, he has a wisdom about him. He’s been where Oliver and Claire are before.”

Dressing-room peek: “I’m big into Legos. I’m building the huge Pokemon trio.”

Fun fact: “For me, the key to Oliver is that he’s very much like a newborn in a lot of respects.”

Steven Huynh makes his Broadway debut as a standby for Oliver and James. He's performed as Oliver 21 times and as James once.

Pre-MHE: He appeared off Broadway in Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas.

Places, please: “It's really special to carry the show and to be a part of the story, so I'm always grateful for any opportunity to step in and share that with our audience.”

Director’s best note: “Feel free to be inspired by but not limited to what the regular cast is doing.”

Dressing-room peek: “I read a Tony Award-winning play every week. Right now, it’s Red by John Logan.”

Fun fact: “We know in advance when we’re on. For those shows, I take the subway to the theatre and I listen to my favorite album, The Human Condition by Jon Bellion. It puts me in a great mindset to play a robot who learns what it's like to be human.”

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Photo credit: The standbys of Maybe Happy Ending. (May photo by Davy Mack; all other photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)