Darren Criss takes us behind the scenes of Maybe a Happy Ending on Broadway

Darren Criss plays a robot in his new Broadway show, Maybe a happy endingbut make no mistake: IRL he’s a real human being with nerves, excitement and plenty of stories from his experiences on stage over the years.

“There are too many to count!” Chris, 37, exclusively reveals when asked what his craziest live experience has been in his Backstage Pass feature on the latest issue of Us Weeklyalready on newsstands. “Live theater is live theater. There are so many things that have happened that I couldn’t keep track of every single one.”

The fun alum’s last show, Maybe a happy endingopened on Broadway earlier this year after his successful appearances in shows like Little Shop of Horrors, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and How to succeed in business without really trying. While anything can happen in a live production, Chris revealed that his craziest live show happened during Small shop.

“There was heavy rain and there was flooding in the middle of the building and they had to evacuate within about 15 minutes of starting,” the Emmy winner recalled. “And we didn’t get to finish the show and I was so upset for the people who came. So it was kind of a wild experience.

Keep scrolling for more behind-the-scenes stories from Chris, including how he calms his pre-show nerves before taking the stage at the Belasco Theater for Maybe a happy endingwhich is now on Broadway:

Ritual in the dressing room

Honestly, I’m not very good at them. If anything, I just try not to eat near (my) performance. This is something basic. There are no real rituals. My dressing rooms are always pretty spartan. I’m not embellishing it. I’m just there to get the job done and celebrate a story.

I’m trying to do a better job of warming up. The best actors do, and I’m a bad student. I really need to get better at this. So, aspirationally I want to be someone with a locker room ritual.

The craziest live show

There are too many to count! Live theater is live theater. There are so many things that have happened that I can’t keep track of every single one.

I had an experience doing that Little Shop of Horrors and there was a flood in the midst. There was heavy rain and there was flooding in the middle of the building and they had to evacuate within about 15 minutes of starting. And we didn’t get to finish the show and I was so upset about the people who came. So it was kind of a wild experience.

On Preshow Nerves

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 about wanting to really nail things.

Performers tend to make these random bars that you have to hit to feel good about the performance, but that’s a complete fallacy. These are not real. You know, any show, as long as you can hit 75 percent of the things you want to hit, it’s usually going to be 100 percent of the experience for the audience.

How to calm nerves before the show

Do the show. You did the damn thing. There is no such thing as being brave. Just do what you’re nervous about. It is the act of being. You don’t become brave, you just do. I think making art frees you from the nervousness of worrying about what the art is going to be.

Perfect after party

Live band. I’ll probably go up and play with them whether they want to or not. Good whiskey, fun people, late hours and some jazz.

With reporting by Lexie Carson