To say that Dear Evan Hansen is a musical that divides audiences is an understatement. Nobody can deny it was a decade defining musical that skyrocketed Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s careers, made a star out of originator Ben Platt and convinced producers to create more musicals aimed at teens, but it’s one that others also find to be overrated and problematic, especially in light of its 2021 film adaptation’s negative reception.
Having seen the West End production and leaving with some mixed feelings (I fully understood Sam Tutty’s Olivier win), I was intrigued when a new UK tour was announced with a different creative team.
So does this new version of Dear Evan Hansen manage to step out of the sun, or leave me waving at a window for what could have been?
I was gifted a press ticket in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dear Evan Hansen
Cast
- Evan Hansen: Ryan Kopel
- Heidi Hansen: Alice Fearn
- Zoe Murphy: Lauren Conroy
- Jared Kleinman: Tom Dickerson
- Alana Beck: Vivian Panka
- Connor Murphy: Killian Thomas Lefevre
- Cynthia Murphy: Helen Anker
- Larry Murphy: Richard Hurst
Rating: ★★★
What is Dear Evan Hansen about?
Dear Evan Hansen follows the titular Dear (one for the Rupaul fans) suffering from social anxiety and depression while living with his absent mother . After outcast student Connor Murphy takes his life, a misunderstanding surrounding a letter leads his parents to believe that he and Evan were best friends. Trying to make everyone feel better while gaining the family he always wanted and the girl of his dreams, Evan’s lies spiral out of control once social media comes into the mix.
What are my thoughts on Dear Evan Hansen?
My personal relationship with Dear Evan Hansen has been a…complicated one. While several pieces of media have protagonists who make objectively awful decisions while having us empathise with the reasons behind them, my biggest issue with Dear Evan Hansen has always been that it doesn’t want to fully punish its protagonist or force him face the consequences of his sometimes despicable actions. While having moments of being called out, by the time his lie is revealed, people are fairly quick to forgive him. And that’s on top of some inherently creepy moments of Evan putting words in a dead boy’s mouth to woo his crush.
That being said, another watch of Dear Evan Hansen after a long period away from it did offer some new perspectives and nuances I missed the other times. Much of it could be seen as a cautionary tale about the dangers of people-pleasing, and how people can take online narratives at face value and don’t spot the obvious holes or have critical thinking. It’s also important to note that Evan’s actions aren’t malicious at the beginning and it’s only when he gains the validation that he misguidedly puts his energy into a seemingly perfect family that his actions become unlikeable.
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s score and lyrics, while I sometimes feel lean into the generic and insincere compared to the story it’s telling, still has plenty of bright moments when taken out of context. Whether it’s the classic Waving Through A Window, the rousing You Will Be Found or Requiem, they soar in the auditorium, helped by Michael Bradley’s musical direction for this tour.
With how quickly social media and the discussions surrounding mental illness have changed since the show originally premiered, I was hoping this new tour would attempt to update itself and find new edges to the characters, even leaning into the darker elements lying under the faux-inspirational message. While having a few changes, Adam Penford’s direction ostensibly leaves it feeling the same. Played broadly and for laughs, the tone occasionally leans into DCOM territory in its depictions of high school life and social media in the first act (used sparingly this time round), what felt lost at some points was the emotional weight until act two.
A lot of people will have questions about the aesthetic changes for this UK tour. While Morgan Large’s set design features panels similar to the original staging, this time they’re blurred windows which harken to the isolating waving through a window idea. Backdropped by Ravi Deepres’ video design, social media is featured in a limited way to indicate Evan’s isolation. One nitpick I had was the inconsistency of Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s choreography. While giving some numbers a burst of energy like Sincerely Me, moments where characters call or text/DM each other has them start looking into the audience to suddenly looking at each other, making the locations confusing.
What’s the cast like?
Ryan Kopel (Newsies) is a star in the making as (Dear) Evan Hansen. While it took me a while to warm up to him in his earlier scenes as the rambling and fumbling around felt a bit broad in act one, but he absolutely sells the emotion and distress he feels when he faces the fallout of his actions in act two. Undoubtedly a difficult role to perform several times a week while on tour, it’s amazing how settled he feels to be able to . His Words Fail is utterly captivating as he ends numbers with tears streaming down his face.
Alice Fearn’s Heidi is easily my highlight as she captures the struggle of connecting to her son while trying to make ends meet at the expense of spending more time with him. You understand the pain and insecurity she feels when she realises how much Evan has been seeing the Murphys, and when she blows up at him, it makes for one of the most palpable scenes. And of course, she gets to show off her powerhouse vocals, growling her way through Good For You.
This is mostly to due to the direction and characterisation changes, but the Murphys didn’t feel like a family unit (perhaps intentional to show their dysfunction?). Lauren Conroy gives the best characterisation I’ve seen as a sardonic and deadpan Zoe who refuses to grieve her brother. When she lets her emotions out in Requiem, it’s among the show’s rawest moments. Helen Anker’s Cynthia feels quick to bouts of anger and defensiveness that made it a bit hard to emphasise with the denial stage of her grief so early. The performer I feel the most sorry for is Richard Hurst as I could tell he would’ve been capable of performing the heartbreaking material for Larry’s arc which is sadly cut.
In the supporting roles, Killian Thomas Lefevre does a great job shapeshifting into the different versions of Connor we see from the real life, to the comedic in the fabricated emails and the in Evan’s mind. Tom Dickerson brings much-needed levity and comedy to the show as Jared, while Vivian Panka’s Alana managed to make me believe she feels the same loneliness ‘Connor’ felt while exaggerating her connection to him, whereas I felt the previous characterisation made her too obnoxious for it to ring sincere.
And I know everyone will want to know this, the ensemble don’t add much to the story. The problem lies in their lack of individuality and wearing the same costumes to imply they’re the same students who love Evan’s inspirational speech to suddenly harrassing and doxxing the Murphys.
What are my overall thoughts?
Does Dear Evan Hansen have inherent story issues I can’t ignore? Yes. Are there elements I can appreciate about it now? Also yes. Featuring a phenomenal cast who offer new perspectives to their characters (some I didn’t 100% agree with), this UK tour is mostly the same show fans will be sure to love but with a new paint job. With the tour recently announcing an extension and returning to some venues, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see Dear Evan Hansen if it reaches a city near you.
Dear Evan Hansen runs at the New Oxford Theatre until 30th November. Buy your tickets now.
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