‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: A BEACON OF HOPE FOR A WORLD THAT NEEDS IT

REVIEW: DEAR EVAN HANSEN

BY RYAN LUÉVANO

I remember when, the now six Tony-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen first appeared on my radar when it inconspicuously opened Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in 2016. Within a short time the musical started creating a profound buzz, followed by winning a profusion of theatre awards. Then just the next year the musical was on Broadway, and the rest is history. As a native of the West Coast this musical was experienced in a second-hand fashion, from watching clips on YouTube, listening to the soundtrack, and even reading the playscript once it was released—none of this did the musical any justice.

L-R: Ben Levi Ross as ‘Evan Hansen,’ Aaron Lazar as ‘Larry Murphy,’ Christiane Noll as ‘Cynthia Murphy’ and Maggie McKenna as ‘Zoe Murphy’. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

Upon listening to the toe-tapping songs by the brilliant songwriting team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, musically it was clear as to what made Dear Evan Hansen so special—they’ve created a soundtrack that is so undeniably for today. Even with the show’s tuneful score, the show’s plot left me puzzled. A musical about a boy with severe social anxiety who fabricates a role for himself in a tragedy then continues to expand this lie throughout the show didn’t sound like something I could get behind. However, all of my confusion swiftly melted away when I experienced the show live in person at the Los Angeles premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre last week. My eyes are now finally open to the full Dear Evan Hansen phenomenon that’s radiant and compelling.

Dear Evan Hansen’s plot may seem odd from second-hand accounts, but once its story is played out on stage you’ll see that it’s a vital piece of theater for anyone with a beating heart. So what if Evan is a flawed character who tells a big lie, because it’s through his prevarication that he sacrifices himself for audiences. By doing so that we are led to remember that no one deserves to be forgotten, and everyone deserves to be loved. The show is far from a tragedy but is in fact a champion for the power of human connection.

L-R: Christiane Noll as ‘Cynthia Murphy’ and Jessica Phillips as ‘Heidi Hansen’. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

    Fresh from the road the Dear Evan Hansen national tour features a stellar cast that includes Ben Levi Ross in the title role, Jessica Phillips (Heidi Hansen), Jared Goldsmith (Jared Kleinman), Phoebe Koyabe (Alana Beck), Christiane Noll (Cynthia Murphy), Aaron Lazar (Larry Murphy), Marrick Smith (Connor Murphy), and Maggie McKenna (Zoe Murphy).

Ben Levi Ross as Evan is astounding. Ross uses his whole body to draw out Evan’s internal struggles outwardly. All his idiosyncratic movements, gestures and line delivery add up to a fully formed and unique Evan. Additionally, every time Ross sings it’s the best kind of surprise. One second he’s a quiet socially awkward kid, and the next he soaring to the limits of his voice nailing Pasek and Paul’s demanding pop-rock score—incredible song after song. Jessica Phillips follows suit with a stirring performance and potent voice, “So Big/So Small” is one of the most beautiful moments in the show. Zoe played by Maggie McKenna may never get a song to herself, but her contribution to “Only Us” has us begging to hear more from this budding young actress.

Ben Levi Ross as ‘Evan Hansen’ and Jessica Phillips as ‘Heidi Hansen’. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR?

Austin Cook keeps the supercharged musical motor of this show running as he enthusiastic leads the band from the keyboard—powerful grooves and glorious voices all around.

So there you have it, Dear Evan Hansen is contemporary musical storytelling at its finest. But don’t take my word for it, experience this show for yourself, then once you do allow its spell to enchant you beyond the dark auditorium. For when this happens you’ll find that a little kindness can go along way especially for the one person who really needs it today.