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Enjoy the Wonderful Cast of Dear Evan Hansen at
DPAC -- And Enjoy Tahirah Whittington's Cello!

The North American Tour of Dear Evan Hansen, playing through Sunday at DPAC, stars (from left) Anthony Norman as Evan Hansen and
John Hemphill, Lili Thomas, Alaina Anderson as Larry, Cynthia, and Zoe Murphy (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

The lines at the Durham Performing Arts Center to see Dear Evan Hansen on Tuesday night, Nov. 1st, were filled with mostly young people. The show has fans. That's because it strikes a chord with the "youngs," who are way more aware of how isolating and manipulative social pressure can be.

The "olds," seeing the show for the first time, may not feel that they fit into the demographic. But at its core, Dear Evan Hansen is a show about how people navigate relationships, which makes it relatable to a wide audience. This musical is smart, which is why it won six 2017 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical; the 2018 Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album; and three 2020 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.

Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have composed for movies, such La La Land and The Greatest Showman. Most of the score for Dear Evan Hansen consists of emotive rock ballads, such as "You Will Be Found," but the show's songs are influenced by bluegrass, folk and alternative rock.

The orchestra at DPAC, conducted by Garret Healey (who also played the keyboard), was located on-stage right on a high platform. For those of us sitting audience-left, we enjoyed watching as well as hearing cellist Tahirah Whittington. Even though I had heard the cast album, it was a beautiful and pleasant surprise to hear how beautifully the strings are incorporated into so many of the musical numbers.

Steven Levenson's script artfully builds on the moments in which Evan, socially awkward and eager to please, tells a handful of lies that turn into his twisted journey to create a stronger, more confident version of himself.

Anthony Norman and Coleen Sexton star as Evan and Heidi Hansen at DPAC (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

The play begins with shy, nerdy teen Evan Hansen (played by Anthony Norman) in darkness -- his face lit only by the light from his laptop screen. We immediately know that this is going to be a story about how social media affects mental health. The lights come up; and immediately, there are funny moments with Evan and his mom, Heidi. Comic relief serves well in a show that displays strong emotions and touches on difficult issues, such as suicide.

Evan's mom is portrayed by Coleen Sexton, who appeared on Broadway as Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde and on national tours of Wicked and Legally Blonde. Sexton is able to bring a realism to what, in less skilled hands, might be a cliché of "The Struggling Single Mom." Evan and Heidi's first interaction sets us up to realize that this mother/son relationship is real, funny, sad, and sweet. As a side note, Sexton performed the best version that I've heard of "So Big/So Small" in Act Two -- a challenging song, because of the oft-repeated lines "when it all feels so big 'til it all feels so small."

The opening montage "Anybody Have a Map?" is a great introduction to the main characters, while also introducing us to the visual approach for the show. Scenic designer David Korins, lighting designer Japhy Weideman, and projection designer Peter Nigrini have collaborated to take what at first appears to be a very spare set, and fill it with rich visual imagery, timed perfectly to the key moments in the dialogue and the music. Director Michael Greif (who directed the show from the beginning premiere at Arena Stage in Washington, DC in 2015) moves the production forward with creative staging that inspires and informs.

When we meet Connor Murphy (played by Nikhil Saboo), we see his dark side -- a troubled loner who's a bit of a bully. The character of Connor becomes the catalyst for the events to follow. The talented Saboo displays his comedy and dancing chops toward the end of the first act and into the second, serving as a kind of alter ego to Evan.

The other first-act montage is "Requiem," which gives us insight into how variable grief can be. Connor Murphy's parents, Cynthia (portrayed by Lili Thomas) and Larry (played by John Hemphill), are seasoned performers that show us how the loss of a family member not only brings sadness, but a range of unexpected and unexplainable emotions. A special nod to Alaina Anderson, who plays the role of Connor Murphy's sister Zoe, bringing her energy and talent to a complicated character.

Anthony Norman and Alaina Anderson star as Evan Hansen and Zoe Murphy (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Evan's "friends" are not really, well, friends. For the Tuesday night's performance, the talented young understudy Reese Sebastian Diaz (subbing for Pablo David Laucerica) did a splendid job in the role of Jared Kleinman, a computer nerd who claims to a friend of the Hansen family. Micaela Lamas plays Alana Beck, an overachiever who introduces herself to Evan as a part of her over-involvement with all kinds of activist causes. Both characters grow to be friends with Evan at first, only to drop him as his choices become unacceptable.

The "Good for You" quartet in Act Two is a bold and memorable number. The various points-of-view of Heidi, Alana, Jared, and Evan overlap and blend, culminating with the final line, "So you got what you always wanted," resulting in enthusiastic applause from the audience.

It's tempting to draw comparisons to the film version of Dear Evan Hansen, released in September 2021 by Universal Pictures. I will only make one. In the screen version, the song "Words Fail," is performed by Broadway's Ben Platt (who was 27 at the time). The film version of this song seemed overwrought, and Platt's performance was way too large for the big screen.

The tour version of this song, sung by Anthony Norman, brings just the right amount of sadness, confusion, and regret: "I'd rather pretend I'm something better than these broken parts. Pretend I'm something other than this mess that I am. 'Cause then I don't have to look at it, and no one gets to look at it."

Dear Evan Hansen is not a sad show. Nor is it depressing. There are many uplifting moments in which characters find a way to work through their challenges and to do their best. Parents struggle to do their best for their kids. The kids struggle to stay afloat in a world of pressure from peers, parents, and the longing to "fit in." Enjoy the wonderful cast. And enjoy that cello!

The tour of Dear Evan Hansen, now playing at DPAC, stars Anthony Norman as Evan (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Steven Levenson's DEAR EVAN HANSEN (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1-6), directed by Michael Greif, choreographed by Danny Mefford, presented as part of WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway at DPAC, and starring Anthony Norman as Evan Hansen, Alaina Anderson as Zoe Murphy, Coleen Sexton as Heidi Hansen, Lili Thomas as Cynthia Murphy, Nikhil Saboo as Connor Murphy, John Hemphill as Larry Murphy, Pablo David Laucerica as Jared Kleinman, and Micaela Lamas as Alana Beck, plus Jeffrey Cornelius, Valeria Ceballos, Ian Coursey, Reese Sebastian Diaz, Gillian Jackson Han, Isabel Santiago, Daniel Robert Sullivan, Kelsey Venter, and Pierce Wheeler (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DPAC TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99uewzfWs4U. VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/c/DearEvanHansenMusical. WRAL GREATEST HITS OF BROADWAY AT DPAC: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/category/broadway. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://twitter.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/user/DPACLive. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. DPAC COVID-19 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/latest-updates-on-events-at-dpac/reopening-faq. THE TOUR: https://dearevanhansen.com/tour/, https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/dear-evan-hansen-518027#Tours, https://www.facebook.com/DearEvanHansen, https://www.instagram.com/dearevanhansen/, https://twitter.com/DearEvanHansen, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Evan_Hansen#National_tour, and https://www.youtube.com/c/DearEvanHansenMusical. TOUR CAST & CREATIVE TEAM: https://dearevanhansen.com/#company. THE MUSICAL: https://dearevanhansen.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/dear-evan-hansen-508236, http://www.iobdb.com/Production/6146, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Evan_Hansen. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://www.scribd.com/document/525888467/Dear-Evan-Hansen-Script. WARNING: The show contains adult themes, including discussions of suicide, and is recommended for ages 12 and up. NOTE: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe the show's 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5th, performance. TICKETS: $34.50 and up, plus taxes and fees. Call 800-982-2787 or click here to buy tickets. GROUPS (10+ tickets): 919-680-2787, Groups@DPACnc.com, and https://www.dpacnc.com/events/groups-services. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Susie Potter's Review.

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