Anthony Norman (Evan Hansen), John Hemphill (Larry Murphy), Lili Thomas (Cynthia Murphy), Alaina Anderson (Zoe Murphy), in the 2022-2023 North American Tour of DEAR EVAN HANSEN (Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)
Dear Evan Hansen
Paramount Theatre
Through March 12, 2023 get tickets and more info here.
Dear Evan Hansen is a musical about the power social media has in the lives of society, especially the lives of teenagers. How it can be used for good, and how people can use it for the negative. Playing for a limited engagement at the Paramount Theatre, this show is a beautiful reminder of the good society can achieve, when joined together – even by a lie.
The story revolves around a teenager named Evan Hansen, who is crippled with social anxiety. His therapist has instructed him to write notes of encouragement, addressed to himself, to help boost his spirits throughout the day. After a school hallway collision, Evan drops the letter and it is picked up by a troubled student named Connor. Connor is troubled enough to go home and take his own life. After Connor’s suicide, the letter is found by his parents. They assume that Connor and Evan were close friends. Evan lets them, at first trying to give the family comfort, and then letting the lies continue as he feels a sense of belonging for the first time. Evan also has a long-time crush on Connor’s sister, Zoe. After he is roped into giving a speech at school, Evan’s story about how he and Connor were really secret friends grows out of hand. The lie gets bigger until it becomes compounded with another lie, and another, until it is believed by thousands, until Evan realizes that there’s no way out.
The cast is small for a musical – only eight cast members. All do well enough with the roles they are given, and each character has a moment to express themselves in song. The ‘adults’ of the show seem to be holding back their emotional dramas except in song. The two mothers, Conner’s mother (Lili Thomas) and Evan’s mother (Coleen Sexton) are good about telling us their struggles and sorrows, but we only believe it when they sing. Ms. Thomas in the opening number “Anybody Have A Map” let’s the audience in on the struggles she endures as a ‘rich mother’ with a daughter and a problem son. In contrast, it’s not until the ending song “So Big/So Small” that Ms. Sexton captures the audience’s hearts, as she sings about the troubles of a struggling single parent, a failed marriage and how to explain the situation of divorce to a small child. Connor’s father (John Hemphill) plays the role as a stoic father, that fails to connect with his son and struggles to show emotions at his loss. This is brought full circle in the duet “To Break in a Glove” when the character lets the audience see how much he misses his son, and the fondness for the substitute of Evan.
The five ‘children’ of the show definitely are the leads. Connor (August Emerson) appears early, and his reappears as a subconscious balance in Evan’s mind. Alana Beck (Micaela Lamas) is a schoolmate, and she shows how the society can easily get caught up in the fantasy of a lie, as long as it works for them. Jared Kleinman (played by understudy Reese Sebastian Diaz) is Evan’s ‘family-friend’ and accomplice in helping Evan forge and promote the false relationship between Connor. His role is that of comic relief and Mr. Diaz does it very well. He brings the right amount of cockiness and nebbish appearance to his nerdy high school persona. He definitely is the lead in the song “Sincerely, Me”. Zoe Murphy (Alaina Anderson) is Connor’s sister. When Ms. Anderson sings “Requiem”, she brings IT to the stage. The song laments not only the loss of a brother, but also the loss of not feeling remorse and the empty emotions left behind. It’s haunting and beautiful, and Ms. Anderson carries it well!
Of course, the main character is Evan Hansen (Anthony Norman). Mr. Norman does very good work in bringing the boy with social anxiety to life. He shows Evan’s nervousness, awkwardness, and anxieties while delivering the powerhouse numbers “Waving Through A Window”, and “You Will Be Found” – which has become the show’s unofficial anthem.
The show’s story is one that shows how beautiful social media can bring together a world of people, that normally would not be joined. It says clearly, and lyrically, “You are NOT alone”, that someone is there to help, and “You will be found”. The message is clear and positive. If there is a flaw with the show it is that Evan gets away with the entire thing. Even after the truth of his lies are exposed, there seem to be apparently no consequences for the actions of his behavior on a grieving family, his own family, or even his own life. He just continues on with life as if nothing happened. That isn’t the point of the musical, of course, and if one stays within its focus, the message is uplifting enough to carry with you as the audience leaves the theatre.
Dear Evan Hanson began on Broadway November 14, 2016 and ran for over 1672 performances. Starring Ben Platt in the title role (which he would repeat in the 2021 film), the musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards. The musical won six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Actor in Leading Role of a Musical (Ben Platt).
Dear Evan Hansen
Paramount Theatre
Through March 12, 2023 get tickets and more info here.
