Darren Criss Takes Us Backstage at Maybe a Happy Ending on Broadway

Darren Criss plays a robot in his new Broadway show, Maybe a Happy Endingbut don't be fooled: IRL he is a real person with emotions, excitement and a number of stories from his experiences on stage throughout the years.

“Too many to count!” Criss, 37, is particularly revealing when asked about his live show experience in his Backstage Pass article in the latest issue. Us Weeklyon newsstands now. “Live theater is live theater. There are so many things that have happened that I can't sit and look at them all.”

I Glee recent alum show, Maybe a Happy Endingopened on Broadway earlier this year following his successful run in plays like this one Little Shop of Horrors, Hedwig and the Angry Inch again How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. While anything can happen in a live production, Criss revealed that his live show experience happened on time The Little Shop.

“There was a lot of rain and there was flooding in the middle of the building and they had to come out for, like, 15 minutes to start,” the Emmy winner recalled. “And we didn't finish the show, and I feel bad for the people who came. So that was a wild experience.”

Keep scrolling for more behind-the-scenes stories from Criss, including how she calms her show nerves before taking the stage at the Belasco Theater for Maybe a Happy Endingnow on Broadway:

Dressing Room Culture

Honestly, I'm not really good at that. If anything, I just try not to eat around [my] to work. That's kind of a basic thing. There are no real traditions. My clothes are always very nice. I don't decorate. I'm just here to do the work and celebrate the story.

I'm trying to get better at warming up. The best players do that and I'm a bad student. I really have to get better at that. So, I want to be someone who has dressing room culture.

The Craziest Live Show Experience

There are too many to count! Live theater is live theater. There are so many things that have happened that I can't keep looking at them all.

I had one experience when I did Little Shop of Horrors there was a flood in between. There was a lot of rain and there was flooding in the middle of the building and they had to go inside, like the first 15 minutes. And we didn't finish the show, and I felt bad for the people who came. So that was a wild experience.

In Preshow Senses

I think someone once told me that being nervous means you care. So that's always good. I'm nervous, but not for the reasons you might think. It's because of the desire to really nail things down.

Players often make these arbitrary goals that you have to score to feel good about the performance, but it's a complete scam. Those are not real. You know, every show, as long as you can hit 75 percent of the things you want to hit, that's usually going to be 100 percent of the audience experience.

How to Calm Your Emotions Before

Make a show. You did something bad. There is no such thing as courage. It does just that—creepy. That is the act of being. You don't have courage, you just do. I think making art frees you from the fear of worrying about what the art will be.

A Good Party

Live band. I will probably go up and play with them whether they like it or not. Good whiskey, fun people, late hours and a little jazz.

With reporting by Lexi Carson