By Alayna Een and Eliza Een
In lieu of an overture, Dear Evan Hansen, brought to the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah, by Broadway Across America, serenades the audience with a cacophony of familiar text tones and notification alerts (brilliantly designed by Nevin Steinberg) that match the social media feeds scrolling intermittently across the large panel screens (designed by Peter Nigrini) that take up most of the vertical space on the stage.
Dear Evan Hansen (DEH), written by Steven Levenson, has been a theatrical phenomenon since it opened on Broadway in December 2016. It won six Tony awards, opened on the West End, toured around the country, and even had a movie adaptation in 2021 that featured the original lead and Tony award-winner Ben Platt. The music and lyrics in the show are composed by the dynamic songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (of The Greatest Showman and La La Land fame), whose iconic song “You Will Be Found” from DEH became an anthem that united and empowered people in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The story centers on an anxiety-ridden teenage boy, Evan Hansen, who writes a letter to himself as part of an assignment from his therapist. But when his letter is stolen by Connor Murphy, a troubled teen who later commits suicide, Evan has to choose between explaining the true origins of the letter and comforting Connor’s grieving parents. The seemingly innocuous deception grows, and soon he is at the center of a memorial campaign, has new friends, and becomes part of a family he’s always dreamed of. But when the lie spins out of his control, he must face the truth he’s been hiding from all along.
The phenomenal caliber of the actors is clear in how easy it is to believe that they’re all really high school students and struggling parents, though they portray those characters in distinct but relatable ways. Anthony Norman (Evan Hansen) compellingly characterizes Evan’s internal and external struggles and endears himself to the audience through his quirks and oddities. Norman’s commitment to the character solidifies the story and shines through in every song and every stumbling step. Alaina Anderson plays Zoe, the love interest for Evan and the surviving child of the struggling Murphy family. She demonstrates the complexities of these roles and her character’s feelings through her quick and cautious comebacks. Her airy voice builds in strength to emphasize key moments, such as the word “Monster” in “Requiem,” creating moments of high tension and emotion.
August Emerson (Connor Murphy), was genuinely scary as corporeal Connor, which stands in stark contrast to the almost goofy version of Connor that Evan and Jared create through the faked emails. Emerson’s later interactions with Evan, from handshakes to heart-to-hearts, show a great range of acting and brought the audience to laughter and tears. Pablo David Laucernica (Jared Klienman) is the epitome of a selfish teenage boy, complete with bad advice, frequent innuendos, and hidden insecurities. And while I don’t much like the character—I didn’t have much patience for selfish high school boys when they were my peers, and I certainly don’t tolerate them now—Laucernica’s portrayal is faultless and funny. Micaela Lamas (Alana Beck) plays a fascinating foil for Evan’s character, and I loved when she couldn’t stop herself from talking over Evan and emphasizing her involvement in the scene where they present Connor Project—it’s one of the funniest parts of the play.
While the teenagers drive the plot, the adults in the show contribute in beautiful ways. John Hemphill (Larry Murphy) is the stoic but silently suffering father, and he really shines in the touching duet with Evan “To Break in a Glove.” Lili Thomas (Cynthia Murphy) is both hurt and endlessly hopeful—a challenging dichotomy to portray, but Thomas does it expertly. Thomas’ intimate moments with other members of the Murphy family and Evan add weight to some of the important small moments of the show. From the opening number, “Anybody Have a Map,” to her emotional and powerful “So Big, So Small,” Coleen Sexton beautifully portrays Heidi Hansen as both sincere and fallible—and therefore relatable.
While the actors’ performances carry the story, the choreography, lighting, and set design complement the action powerfully. The stage choreography (Danny Mefford) during ensemble numbers focuses on movement and interactions between characters and often highlights the characters’ missed connections or loneliness. This is especially successful in “Sincerely Me,” with Norman and Emerson completely in sync and Laucernica belatedly copying their movements as he tries to insert himself into the story they are spinning. Japhy Weideman’s warm spotlight, which often brightens and widens on Zoe in scenes where Evan sees her as a way out of his loneliness, comes to represent the lies Evan is telling about his supposedly blissful friendship with Connor—an exceptionally good storytelling device. The set pieces are small, self-contained furniture units (a bed and nightstand for Evan’s room, a dining room table for the Murphy’s home) with some establishing visuals on the permanent screens. This pattern, designed by David Korins, is broken in the final scene of the play, making the resolution all the more poignant. In the final scene, the stage is filled with saplings and the ubiquitous screens are cleared away to reveal—for the first time—a brilliantly blue sky. And with that change, you find yourself believing it when Evan says, one last time, “Today is going to be a good day.”
This exceptional performance does credit to director Michael Greif and to the complex story it tells, which many viewers find especially resonant. While themes of belonging, love, and forgiveness are strong throughout, viewers should be prepared to encounter talk of suicide as well as profanity and innuendo.
Although this is my first time seeing DEH, my story with the show started years ago, as a teenager listening to the soundtrack and then as a fan watching the movie. When the national tour came to my hometown, my parents and younger sister were able to get some of the last tickets to the sold-out performance. Three days before the show, a close family friend committed suicide. For my parents, watching this show and hearing the message “you will be found” was like applying a healing balm. So I add my voice to many others, saying, ”Thank you, Evan Hansen.“
So come meet Dear Evan Hansen at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah!
Broadway Across America and Broadway at the Eccles presents Dear Evan Hansen, book by Steven Levenson, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Delta Performance Hall at Eccles Theater, 131 Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
February 28 to March 5, 2023, matinees and evenings
Tickets: $70+
(801) 355-ARTS (2787) or Toll-Free 1 (888) 451-ARTS (2787)
Broadway at the Eccles Facebook Page
Dear Evan Hansen Website
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