Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room?
That despite your efforts, nobody can hear you, nobody can see you? Have you ever felt that you have no friends? Have you ever wondered what the reception would be like if you abruptly left the world? Would people acknowledge it? Would people care? Would anyone miss you? Would you be remembered?
These are things that Evan Hansen struggles with daily. Friendless, broken arm, constant anxiety, and a lonely existence, everything to Evan is a battle and an uphill climb that he just can’t quite conquer. With no end to his inner turmoil, Evan’s life suddenly changes when he is pushed into a position where a misunderstanding shakes his world and challenges his entire being.
With its book by Steven Levenson, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, directed by Dean Bryant, with resident director Liam McIlwain, produced by Michael Cassel Group and Sydney Theatre Company, comes the Australian premiere production of Dear Evan Hansen, finally in its Melbourne season.
I say “finally” because I’ve been waiting for this musical to come to Australia for the longest time. I distinctively remember watching the Tony Awards live broadcast on streaming back in 2017, Ben Platt’s phenomenal performance and wishing that the show would eventually make its way to our shores. There’s even been a 2021 cinematic adaptation that I have admittedly purposefully avoided. I wanted my first experience of Dear Evan Hansen to be on stage.
The musical, which initially premiered on Broadway in 2016, cleaned up the 71st Tony Awards winning 6 out of the 9 categories it was nominated for, including Best Musical. However, this specific production of Dear Evan Hansen, in its Melbourne premiere, is uniquely Australian; a non-replica that feels fresh, exciting, updated and reinvents itself.
Tackling topics of familial love, friendship, mental health, loneliness, suicide, loss and grief, Dear Evan Hansen’s music is surprisingly upbeat. It’s smart, moving and brave. Despite its serious topics, Dear Evan Hansen is funny in all the right places and is defiantly feel-good in its own unique way.
Visually, Dear Evan Hansen is minimalistic but stunning and the projector screen used in the production is a technological marvel, with mesmerising video design by David Bergman, particularly evident when social media is shown being used in the show. Its minimal set design by Jeremy Allen and fantastic lighting by Matt Scott only assist to enhance the experience of taking in Levenson’s compelling story, alongside Pasek and Paul’s stunning music and moving lyrics. The costume design by Isabel Hudson also help to create Evan’s world while also making the tale feel timeless, yet extremely relevant for today.
Beau Woodbridge in the titular role of Evan Hansen is incredible. His portrayal of the teenage character; naïve, innocent, unsure and socially awkward – is thoroughly convincing in the best kind of way. His Evan feels real. It’s a performance that is powerful, nuanced, spirited and profound. You are clinging for dear life, hanging on the edge of your seat while being flung on this rollercoaster journey of Evan’s life, and like a tiny fly on the wall or an invisible friend in his corner that he can’t quite hear or see (ironically), we are rooting for Evan, despite his misgivings. Woodbridge perfectly exhibits Evan’s kind and unconventional charm, successfully holding the character firm in a likable and relatable light. Not to mention, his voice is superb.
Jared Kleinman and Alana Beck, played respectively by Jacob Rozario and Carmel Rodrigues, are wonderful as classmate characters which provide as much humour as they do depth. Rodrigues’ Alana just wants to be part of a community and do what she believes is right. She’s quirky, bubbly, friendly and yet still feels lonely. Rodrigues’ stage presence is almost scene stealing with just how adorable she is in the role.
Rozario’s Jared is a different side of the same coin. Cheeky, playful, mischievous and with good intentions, Jared longs to belong and be involved. Despite the character’s blunt honesty for any other topic, he is not as forthcoming with his own emotions. I was thoroughly impressed with Rozario’s portrayal of the clever and a little mean spirited school kid, like any teenager could be. Their performance was captivating and fun in every sense of the word. Rozario is an absolute delight to watch. Especially when they’re beaming and having just as much fun on stage as you are witnessing them from your seat.
The Murphy family, consisting of son Connor, father Larry, mother Cynthia and daughter Zoe, played respectively by Harry Targett, Martin Crewes, Natalie O’Donnell and Georgia Laga’aia, are as great together as they are apart. The chemistry is evident and the way they bounce off each other, filled with an angst, frustration and restless love, feels all too familiar for those who have grown up in a family with siblings. Crewes and O’Donnell are strong in their roles as struggling parents desperately trying to hold onto something real. Even when they don’t have any lines, their facial expressions speak volumes, displaying just how seasoned and brilliant the two are.
The song ‘Requiem’ that Crewes, O’Donnell and Laga’aia perform together in a moment of deeply rooted grief is so hauntingly exquisite and shines especially with Laga’aia’s gorgeous voice, which soars in this number. I swear, everyone in the room was holding their breath to hear the ballad without interruptions. Meanwhile, Targett’s performance throughout the show as Connor is so jaw-droppingly good, his portrayal will linger on your mind long after you’ve left the theatre.
And then we have Verity Hunt-Ballard as Evan’s mum, Heidi Hansen. I never thought that the parent figure in a musical would resonate with me so much, but Hunt-Ballard shines as Heidi; a mother doing the most that a single parent can to provide for her growing teenage child. She wants to be everything and to do everything for her beloved son; to be his rock and his guiding light. Yet despite her efforts, Heidi feels like she’s losing touch of her special connection with Evan. It is a gift to see Hunt-Ballard in her element. The grit and exasperation that she displays in ‘Good For You’ is phenomenal and her performance of ‘So Big/So Small’ actually moved me to tears, as well as everyone else in the theatre. After this song was played, there was not a single dry eye in the house.
While the more popular songs ‘Waving Through A Window’ and ‘You Will Be Found’ are so great to finally hear live, it is ‘For Forever’, ‘If I Could Tell Her’ and ‘Only Us’ that really impressed me. Beau Woodbridge has a beautiful voice and gorgeous falsetto that embraces all these songs with such sincerity and care. In ‘Only Us’, Woodbridge and Laga’aia’s voices meld together so naturally and perfectly, while effortless serenading lucky Melbourne audience members with their characters’ mutual hope and affection.
Dear Evan Hansen is a must-see for all. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a fan for years or are experiencing everything this award-winning musical has to offer for the very first time. With wonderful morals and messages, fantastic music and a superbly talented cast that give it their all every night, Dear Evan Hansen provides audiences with an enjoyable experience that is deeply moving and gracefully flawless.
As someone who has social anxiety, I found Evan’s journey extremely relatable. The show is surprising a joy to witness. I felt anxious and stressed for the character as his story unfolded, and by the end, it felt like a weight had been lifted. I am very grateful to all involved who moved mountains to bring this beautiful musical to Melbourne and it is honestly a blessing for it to finally be here. Dear Evan Hansen is a wonderful journey worth taking. Please just make sure to bring along with you some tissues.
Dear Evan Hansen is a stellar inspiring coming-of-age story which openly visits all forms of love, passionately reminds us of hope and fiercely celebrates life.
Dear Evan Hansen is currently playing at the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne until February 16, 2025. It will then head to Canberra’s Canberra Theatre Centre from February 27 before visiting Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from April 3.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.dearevanhansenmusical.com.au
https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2024/musical/dear-evan-hansen
Photography by Grant Alexander.
