THE ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ tour which reached Birmingham last night at The Alex was a musical I had not seen before. I have to say that anticipation turned out to be revelation!
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are undoubtedly amongst the most revered composing duos in the musical theatre world with a string of Grammy, Tony and Olivier stage and screen awards to their names but. ‘Evan Hansen’ is not just their music and lyrics, it is also their concept.
A story that concerns the pressures of teenage life, lived in the instant glare of an online spotlight, which explores grief, friendship and mental health is not exactly an easy project. In Steven Levenson, the duo found the perfect writer for the book – his structure is perfect, making us care about every character and their situation.
Yhe narrative grips, informs and is thought-provoking; likewise the lyrics in the wonderful song catalogue.
Ryan Kopel leaps across the curtain line with all-consuming charisma as Evan Hansen – our young protagonist. He shares his journey, his woes, joys and angst both in song and narrative in a joyous and remarkable performance.
Alice Fearn is compelling as Evan’s mother Heidi. She juggles being a single mum with a full-on career as a nurse. She knows and shows her maternal shortcomings but her love for her son is never in any doubt.
Killian Thomas Lefevre as the youngster who commits suicide, Connor Murphy, is akin to James Dean in ‘Rebel Without A Cause’, moody and beyond help (not a spoiler – it is this incident is that drives the narrative). It is through pure writing genius that Lefevre gets to continue developing his ‘doomed’ character after he is dead.
Murphy’s grieving family never get to understand their son’s suicide. His father Larry, mother Cynthia and daughter Zoe – played respectively by Richard Hurst, Helen Anker and Lauren Conroy – are all individually notable and collectively perfect as they all but adopt Evan as a replacement for their dead son.
Tom Dickerson and Vivian Panka add bounce and spark to the story as Evan’s eccentric college consociates Jared Kleinman and Alana Beck.
Picture by Marc Brenner. s
Musical Director Michael Bradley brings together a band that merge the music into the story in a way I’ve rarely heard before and as such I am compelled to namecheck them. Phil James and Adam Smith on guitars, Gordon Davison on bass, Guy Richman drums, Douglas Harrison violin, Elizabeth Boyce iola and Francesca Cull on Cello.
Nottingham Playhouse’s director Adam Penford merges the whole company together into a seamless triumph.
Dear Evan Hansen proved to be one of my most memorable theatre nights ever – still reeling from it the day after. A masterpiece!
Dear Evan Hansen is at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre until Saturday, October 26. Click here for times, tickets and more information.
