Lighting Designer Ben Stanton on the Collaborative Spirit of Broadway's Maybe Happy Ending

Ben Stanton picked up his fifth Tony nomination this past season for his lighting design for the critically acclaimed new musical Maybe Happy Ending, which recently became the most Tony-honored production of the season, winning six awards June 8, including the coveted Best Musical.

The charming and often-touching new musical鈥攃o-starring 2025 Tony winner Darren Criss and Helen J Shen as two Helperbots facing their own obsolescence鈥攆eatures direction by 2025 Tony winner Michael Arden, whose work is enhanced by the wonderful lighting of Stanton, most notably in a powerfully beautiful scene involving fireflies.

Previously Tony-nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Play (A Christmas Carol in 2023 and Junk in 2018) and Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Spring Awakening in 2016 and Fun Home in 2015), Stanton's other Broadway credits as a lighting designer include Ben Platt: Live at the Palace; Mary Jane; The Notebook; Days of Wine and Roses; Good Night, Oscar; The Collaboration; The Rose Tattoo; Derren Brown: Secret; Regina Spektor: Live on Broadway; Six Degrees of Separation; Fully Committed; An Enemy of the People; and Seminar.

Obie winner Stanton, who has worked extensively in London's West End, has also designed such Off-Broadway productions as Table 17; This Ain't No Disco, The Mother, Angels in America, and Murder Ballad. His work on stages around the country has garnered him nominations for Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, IRNE, JEFF and Henry Hewes Design awards.

In the interview below for the 半岛体育 series How Did I Get Here鈥攕potlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre鈥擲tanton shares why working on Maybe Happy Ending reminded him of working on another Tony-winning musical, Fun Home.

Where did you train/study?
Ben Stanton: I got a BA and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
I had an amazing mentor in lighting design Professor Penny Remsen at UMass.

What do you see as the main duties of a lighting designer before a show opens and after it opens?
The thing I love most about being a lighting designer is that we have the power to validate all of the creative choices happening around us. We can use lighting to reinforce the director鈥檚 vision, bring out the color in a beautiful costume, enhance the emotion in a performance, and reveal a scenic design in new and surprising ways. I see my role as a collaborator, bringing out meaning and depth in all of the artistry around me.

Once the show is open, it鈥檚 in the hands of our amazing crew and stage management teams. They are instrumental in maintaining the integrity of the design for as long as the show exists.

Maybe Happy Ending is such a technically intricate production. What were some of the specific challenges of designing the lights for this musical?
Maybe Happy Ending is definitely one of the most complicated shows I鈥檝e ever designed. The geometric, shape-shifting scenic design meant that there was always a wall, ceiling, or portal, standing between my lights and the actors. Each new scenic configuration required us to be inventive, often needing to employ lighting techniques I鈥檇 never tried before. The design evolved a lot during the tech process as we discovered what was working, and I鈥檓 so pleased with the final result. It wasn鈥檛 easy to get there!

Lighting-wise, is there one moment or scene in Maybe Happy Ending that you are particularly proud of? Why is that moment a standout?
The firefly scene is probably one of my favorites because the overall effect is magical, and a wonderful example of the generous collaborative spirit and unified visual language that have come to define this production. Every department contributed to that effect, and it鈥檚 seamless and beautiful.

What do you consider your big break?
I never really had a big break, but I designed several productions at the New York Theatre Workshop early in my career that helped establish me as a designer in the city. I feel very lucky to have had those early opportunities.

The cast of *Fun Home* on Broadway Joan Marcus

If you could leave one design from any show other than Maybe Happy Ending in a time capsule as representative of your work, which would you choose?
It would have to be Fun Home at Circle in the Square. I received my first Tony nomination for that show, and like Maybe Happy Ending, that production relied on deep collaboration, a minimal aesthetic, and innovative lighting solutions.

Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why?
There are so many people I can think of, but I will say that I鈥檓 constantly in awe of the production electricians I get to work with on my projects. They are always the smartest people in the room, insanely good at their jobs, and are tireless in their support of what we鈥檙e trying to do.

In such difficult times in this country and around the world, how do you think theatre can play a positive role, either for yourself and/or the community at large?
I think it鈥檚 incredibly important for any functioning society to gather together in person to hear and tell stories. It鈥檚 how we build understanding and empathy for each other, and I hope that theatre can continue to be one of the ways we do this.

What is your proudest achievement as a designer?
I鈥檓 married to a Broadway designer (projection designer Lucy Mackinnon), and we have two small children. My proudest achievement鈥攈onestly鈥攊s that we鈥檙e figuring out a way to work in this industry while also raising children and having an active family life together. It鈥檚 a constant challenge, but we鈥檙e so grateful we鈥檙e able to have the careers and the family we always dreamed of.