Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C.

Dear Evan Hansen
Arena Stage


Ben Platt
Adolescence has always been hell, but access to contemporary social media adds several more layers to the existing struggles of young people who just want to fit in. That's the underlying theme of Dear Evan Hansen, the ambitious musical receiving a world premiere production in the Kreeger Theater at Washington's Arena Stage.

At the beginning of the story, Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) is at loose ends as he enters his senior year of high school. His mother (Rachel Bay Jones) is loving but frazzled, working long hours as a nurse to pay the bills; his father hasn't been part of his life for years. He's coping with depression and so withdrawn he doesn't even want to interact with someone delivering food. When a tragedy occurs at school, a misunderstanding regarding Evan's relationship to the involved student causes him to break out of his shell spectacularly.

The musical's authors, Steven Levenson (book), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (music and lyrics), cleverly show how Evan's situation is only an exaggerated version of what his classmates are experiencing. Connor Murphy (Mike Faist) is mad at the world; his sister Zoe (Laura Dreyfuss) resents how Connor monopolizes the attention of their parents (Michael Park, Jennifer Laura Thompson); Jared Kleinman (Will Roland), a nerdy computer hacker, only hangs around with Evan because their mothers are friends; and Alana Beck (Alexis Molnar) acts strident rather than face her vulnerabilities.

The musical will need some polishing before it reaches its optimal form; it currently runs two and three-quarter hours, including intermission, and could do with some pruning. The plot goes into extensive detail as it follows a trajectory familiar from real life: the spontaneous memorials, sympathetic outreach from strangers who identify with a tragic situation, activism efforts in the aftermath of the event.

The entire cast is operating at the top of its skills, but Platt's impassioned performance serves as the core and anchor of the production. Music director and keyboard player Ben Cohn gets an amazingly full sound out of his six musicians.

Director Michael Greif previously worked at Arena on the brilliant Next to Normal, which has some thematic similarities to Dear Evan Hansen. He plays up the emotions of the characters against the sensory onslaught of David Korins' constantly shifting scenic design, Japhy Weideman's vivid lighting, and Peter Nigrini's overwhelming projections.

Arena Stage
Dear Evan Hansen
July 10th - August 23rd
Book by Steven Levenson
Music and lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Evan Hansen: Ben Platt
Jared Kleinman: Will Roland
Heidi Hansen: Rachel Bay Jones
Cynthia Murphy: Jennifer Laura Thompson
Connor Murphy: Mike Faist
Zoe Murphy: Laura Dreyfuss
Larry Murphy: Michael Park
Alana Beck: Alexis Molnar
Additional voices: Stephan Amenta, Mary Bacon, English Bernhardt, Elsa Carette, Katrina Dideriksen, Miles G. Jackson, Stephen Kunken, Carrie Manolakos, Ken Marks, Emma Meltzer, Max Reinhardsen, Zak Resnick, Natalie Rich, Brenda Wehle, Tim Young, Nat Zegree
Directed by Michael Greif
Choreography by Danny Mefford
Kreeger Theater, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Sixth and Maine avenues SW Washington, DC Ticket Information: 202-488-3300 or www.arenastage.org


Photo: Margot Schulman