Review: Touring 'Dear Evan Hansen' Is Polished and Vibrant

Being a teenager is probably the most trying time of life, especially if you're bullied and have social anxiety. At seventeen, especially in the age of digital communication and social media, is the world ever even going to seem like a manageable place to exist in? Evan (Stephen Christopher Anthony) is at that age and living with his Mom Heidi (Jessica E. Sherman), who's worried about him, but her job as a nurse's assistant and aspiration to become a paralegal keep her away most days.�

"Dear Evan Hansen'' is the brainchild of Tony winner Steven Levenson, who won for his book for the musical in 2017. With songs and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (also Tony winners), the musical is what you'd imagine, but truly is so much more. And after all that hype, a big delay due to a COVID lockdown, the national tour finally arrives in Providence, and this is a polished, vibrant, and very exciting production.

Evan is instructed to write letters to himself by his therapist, and opens with a letter about his frustration with feelings of loneliness, isolation, and inability to express himself to others. Oh, and there's Zoe (Stephanie La Rochelle), a fellow student that he's crushing on, but Evan sees her as unattainable. It is one letter that figures prominently in this story, as it is mistaken as a suicide letter by the parents (John Hemphill) and (Claire Rankin) of another student, Connor (Nikhil Saboo), and they embrace Evan as the possible "secret" friend of their troubled son.

If it sounds melodramatic, it absolutely isn't; "Hansen" handles these difficult topics with grace and skill. Showing us how one misunderstanding, and a casual lie told in the heat of the moment, will gather momentum in the digital age. Misquotes happen to celebrities, not an unknown teenager with anxiety. After the lie is told, it complicates matters that Zoe is Connor's sister and she isn't completely sorry that he's gone. He was more than just a troubled kid, he was a "monster" to her. Evan's journey in this musical is not always a happy one, but it's easy to see the musical's appeal.�

A film version starring original Broadway cast alum Ben Platt was released in September of 2021, but garnered negative reviews and tanked at the box office. But this production is slick, well-acted and visually interesting. The mostly darkened stage is filled with computer and cell phone screens to highlight Evan's world, and the actors move skillfully through them; it's this world of emails and Facebook that he lives in, as indeed, so do we all. When fellow student Alana Beck (Ciara Alyse Harris) convinces Evan to start a foundation for the fallen Connor, he asks his only "friend," Jared (Alessandro Costantini), to perpetuate the lie by fabricating emails from Connor to Evan, highlighting their purported friendship.�

The cast is amazing. This is the ensemble that truly seems tailor made for such an important show. Handling these themes never seemed so entertaining, yet never cloying in its execution. Christopher gives a most heartbreaking performance. (He previously played this character on Broadway.), And he is well complemented by Sherman as his mother, Heidi. "Hansen" is a show that will remind every adult of the years of teen angst, and hat every teenager can relate to; it's a story incredibly well told. See this while it's here in Rhode Island – you'll be quite glad you did.

"Dear Evan Hansen" is running through April 10th at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) 220 Weybosset Street, Providence RI 02903. For information or tickets call 401-421-2787 or visit www.ppacri.org.

Please note: PPAC requires requiring proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test result. Masks are optional.