Podcast Summary: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Guest: Darren Criss

Episode: Darren Criss — On Getting ‘Glee’ & How ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Almost Didn’t Make It
Date: April 14, 2026
Location: Winston Bakery, Lower East Side, NYC

Episode Overview

In this lively, candid episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down with Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Award-winner Darren Criss for a feast of Taiwanese-American classics at Winston Bakery. Over scallion pancakes and mochi donuts, the two friends discuss balancing family life and theater careers, Darren’s serendipitous rise from viral college musicals to Glee stardom, his Tony-winning run in "Maybe Happy Ending," the persistent challenges Broadway faces, and share memorable encounters with icons from Daniel Radcliffe to Adele and Stephen Sondheim.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Family Life & Theater Schedules

• Both Jesse and Darren reflect on juggling busy family lives while performing in theater—a reality that transforms social interactions.
• Darren: “If you come see the show...there’s a section right afterwards...we can have office hours. We can catch up and it's nice. You don’t have to go anywhere.” (04:15)
• The two joke about inviting friends to events that suit parents’ schedules, like “bagels on Sunday.”

2. Food & New York Recommendations

• The hosts and bakery staff discuss Winston Bakery’s standout dishes and share excitement over trying bacon, egg, and Havarti cheese on scallion pancakes and mochi donuts.
• Darren talks about favorite places for family activities, highlighting how everything in New York can be an “adventure” for kids. (09:17)

3. Going Viral Before It Was Cool: A Very Potter Musical

• Darren recounts the accidental virality of his Harry Potter parody musical at Michigan and how it snowballed without any strategic intent.
  • “Like a lot of viral moments, no one's aiming for it. The more you aim for it, the farther you're guaranteed to miss...” (12:13)
  • Jesse confesses he thought Darren had majored in musical theater; Darren clarifies he was an acting major, not musical theater. (12:54)

4. Breaking Into Glee

• Darren demystifies how he landed the role of Blaine Anderson on Glee—not through viral fame or a MySpace video contest, but through repeated auditions and cosmic timing:
  • “I had auditioned for it several times...I'd be going on auditions. I was sort of like, you know, moonlighting as an actor, even though I had this day job...at the time, those things didn't intersect. It’s not like people in casting gave a shit about any online traction. They didn’t. Not yet, at least.” (18:00)
  • He credits the show’s success and his casting to “cosmic alchemy...because people really loved Chris Colfer’s character and they wanted something for him.” (19:01)
• Jesse and Darren chat about how Glee and Modern Family both premiered in the same year, with Glee feeling “white-hot” culturally. (20:19)

5. Contributing Music to Glee & Ryan Murphy’s Influence

• Jesse praises Darren for getting to put his own music in Glee, and Darren showers credit on Ryan Murphy for his support:
  • “He let me do it...He’s given me so many good things...my gratitude is endless.” (22:05)
  • Darren recalls being Emmy-nominated for Glee and losing to Amy Schumer “for a comedy song.” (23:19)
• On writing for Glee: “I was very sort of timid about it...but the fact I got to do it was pretty cool.” (23:02)

6. Passing Broadway Torches & The Miracle of “Maybe Happy Ending”

• The conversation shifts to Darren’s work on the original musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” which faced major production obstacles:
  • “This show from the very beginning had like, had every conceivable obstacle again...It’s just a true Cinderella story...that was like a goddamn miracle.” (27:23)
• The show ultimately won Best Musical, and Darren encourages the joys (and humility) of seeing one’s work done by others at regional and school theaters even if the production “misses the mark.”
  • “Those productions...can only happen when the project itself has become so culturally ubiquitous that people do it all the time. So you have to cross a certain threshold...” (30:19)

7. On Legacies and Letting Go

• Darren muses about the layered emotions of leaving a major role:
  • “The show is about the transience of beautiful things. So, in many ways, I’ve said goodbye to it every day. Every time I’ve done it, every time I’ve said hello to it.” (33:09)
  • “I'm going to be in and out of the show the rest of my life. I love doing it. It just simply does not get old, it knows no time. I love it so much.” (32:12)

8. Memorable Moments: Name-Dropping Adele, Sondheim, and Obama

• Jesse shares his “name-droppy” story about meeting Adele at John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s Super Bowl party, only to find Darren is Adele's “favorite actor” for his work in "Gianni Versace." (35:45)
• Darren reflects on the pride of meeting his idols, including Sondheim (with whom he performed in the HBO documentary "Six by Sondheim") and, humorously, ranks “Kermit the Frog, President Obama, and Sondheim” as icons on the same level. (39:05)
• On performing with Sondheim: “The power dynamic was that of, like, actors knocking around set. Not like, I’m in your thing and you’re the creator—which he’s had to do with a lot of actors in his career. It was like, crafty donuts, talking shit, cracking jokes.” (40:23)
• Both reflect on the luck and work of being able to meet their heroes, encouraging listeners to “track them down, actually...educate, cultivate, empower, and collect as many things as you can on the quest...” (37:35)

9. Value of Theater Community

• The conversation circles back to the importance and warmth of the theater community, the meaningfulness of Tony Awards, and their mutual admiration as “theater chums.”
  • “Tony’s is a different thing. It has a different substance to it. It came from a community that we both really respect and love so much.” (24:55)
  • “Can you imagine? We did a show together...that would be fun.” (42:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Broadway family logistics:
  “I get adult time with people. It’s so much fun. That’s the hang.” — Darren Criss (04:57)

• Accidental virality:
  “Like a lot of viral moments, no one’s aiming for it. The more you aim for it, the farther you’re guaranteed to miss, you know?” — Darren Criss (12:13)

• On getting Glee:
  “I give a lot of my career’s credit to the sort of alchemy, the cosmic alchemy... people really loved Chris Colfer’s character and they wanted something for him. I’m so lucky that that happened.” — Darren Criss (19:01)

• On writing for Glee:
  “I'm forever grateful for [Ryan Murphy's] belief in me... He's given me so much, so many good things... my gratitude is endless.” — Darren Criss (22:25)

• On challenging theater productions:
  “This show from the very beginning had...every conceivable obstacle. It’s just a true Cinderella story.” — Darren Criss (27:23)

• On the bittersweetness of closing a chapter:
  “The show is about the transience of beautiful things. So in many ways, I’ve said goodbye to it every day... It’s built into the very programming of the nostalgia I already have for the show.” — Darren Criss (33:09)

• On being present for your dreams:
  “It’s always beautiful when you’re living the thing that you’re like, oh, this is my dream... I know that these are the good old days. I know these are the times I will always cherish.” — Darren Criss (33:39, 43:43)

• On idols:
  “American icons: Kermit, Obama, and Sondheim. Major, major figures of culture.” — Darren Criss (39:05)

• On meeting Adele:
  “She sees you from across the room. And she goes, ‘Oh my God, my favorite actor just walked in.’” — Jesse Tyler Ferguson, recounting Adele’s reaction to Darren (36:19)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:05 – 07:00: Food banter & family life as working actors
• 11:00 – 13:10: The origin and virality of “A Very Potter Musical”
• 17:07 – 23:37: How Darren joined Glee and got to write music for the show
• 27:23 – 30:55: “Maybe Happy Ending” obstacles & the meaning of passing on theatrical legacy
• 33:09 – 34:19: The bittersweetness of closing a Broadway chapter
• 35:03 – 37:12: Jesse & Darren’s Adele story from John Legend’s Super Bowl party
• 39:05 – 41:22: Darren on working with Sondheim in “Six by Sondheim”
• 42:33 – end: Theater community, dreams, legacy, and mutual admiration

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode feels like an intimate hang between old friends, blending sharp humor, heartfelt nostalgia, and genuine warmth. The conversation is equally full of humility and pride, offering practical wisdom for creatives and theater fans on persistence, gratitude, and the beauty of fleeting artistic moments.

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