The charming new musical, “Maybe Happy Ending,” now playing at the Belasco Theatre, with music composed by Will Aronson and the book and lyrics penned by Mr. Aronson and Hue Park, will certainly make an audience leave the theatre smiling and thinking. Unlike many of the big, bombastic musicals arriving on the Great White Way, this is small and quiet, with a big heart pumping complicated emotions loud and clear throughout the theatre. It is fragile and unassuming, but powerful, weaving together life lessons taught by humanoids, that are meant to be grasped by the human soul. The production creates an atmosphere of wonder that makes you wonder about love, life, family, separation, and mortality. Director Michael Arden handles the material gently, never bowing to sentimentality, but approaching the subject matter with intelligence, humor and passion. He has corralled the talents of his creative team to produce a cohesive, stylish and ingenious new musical.

The plot revolves around two humanoids that have been sent to a senior HelperBot retirement facility outside of Seoul, Korea. They are there to live out the rest of their existence until their batteries no longer are capable of recharging, or replacement parts have become extinct, forcing them to stop operating. We meet HelperBot 3 Oliver (an incredible Darren Criss), who was sent there by his owner James (a convincing Marcus Choi), who has become ill and can no longer afford to keep him but promises to return and retrieve him sometime soon. Oliver lives a systematic life waiting for the mail, especially his jazz magazine about the music he learned to love from James, and caring for Hwaboon his orchid plant. Oliver has become enthralled with the jazz singer Gil Brentley (crooner Dez Duron), who appears sporadically on stage, delivering sentimental love ballads. Oliver anxiously awaits the day James will return to bring him home. Everything is fine until there is a knock on the door by his neighbor Claire (a delightful Helen J. Shun), who needs to borrow his charger since hers is not working. Claire is a later model HelperBot, being less enduring than the sturdy older model that is Oliver. The two form a new routine as their relationship starts to develop and they reveal their secrets, hopes and desires. Soon reality seems to intrude, and their journey comes to an end, only to inspire the start of a new journey with hopefully a different outcome.

The cast is remarkable, and the chemistry between Oliver and Claire is penetrating and not at all mechanical. Mr. Criss and Ms. Shen are astonishingly believable as humanoids, but as endearing as any mortal found in a romance novel. They are a perfect balance of emotion and intellect. Mr. Choi creates a stable James and is fully competent, appearing as James’ son Junseo. Mr. Duron entertains with expressive, soft, solid ballads reminiscent of the Rat Pack era. Along with the shining cast, the scenic design by Dane Laffrey is sparkling, eye catching and fluid, enhanced by the clean moody and atmospheric lighting design of Ben Stanton. Costume design by Clint Ramos Is appropriate, using a sleek, tailored style for the humanoids accenting their robotic nature, and warm, homey, comfortable clothing for the humans. The music by Mr. Aronson will not have you leaving the theatre humming a tune, but it is pleasant, reliable, clever and intelligent, complimenting the characters.

This musical is set in the near future but is certainly relevant in addressing the moral issues and emotional angst facing society today. Sometimes good things come in small packages and this gift being given to Broadway this season is a perfect example. Perhaps the real magic of this production is not “happily ever after”, but merely the simple fact that the choices made in “Maybe Happy Ending” are just as satisfying and certainly more realistic.