Dear Evan Hansen is
a grand musical that has finally arrived in Toronto to fulfill musical lovers’
great expectations. It tells a story about teenage angst, growing up and the
pain of high school students of dysfunctional families.
Evan Hansen (Robert Markus), the central character is a seventeen-year
old high school student from a broken family. He is a misfit with emotional
issues and is variously described as a geek, a nerd and a loser. Above all,
Evan is an accomplished liar not so much out of inborn mendacity as an awkward
survival tool, an emotional crutch. He is in therapy trying to establish human
contact and he is writing letters to himself (hence the title) about having a
good day when he is having anything but.
The cast of DEAR EVAN HANSEN – Canadian Company. Photo by Matthew
Murphy, 2019.
Connor (San Patrick Dolan) is another student, drug-taking bully and a psychopath
who has no friends. He finds one of Evan’s letters which suggests that he and
Evan are good friends. When he takes his own life, his parents find the letter
and are convinced that their psychotic son actually had a friend.
The letter and the subsequent lies create an entire legend about the
friendship and the love between the two boys and especially their love of an
apple orchard. The lie is buttressed by Jared (Alessandro Costantini), a
clownish student who is a “family” friend of Evan. The creepy Connor becomes
posthumously not only famous but heroic. Alana (Shakura Dickson) is a talkative
and high-strung student who finds a mission in establishing the Connor Foundation
again built on lies. All these teenagers are broken and most people can relate
to high school anxieties or parental fears and worries.
Connor’s parents are Larry (Evan Buliung) and Cynthia (Claire Rankin),
well off but unable to make contact with Connor or their daughter Zoe (Stephanie
La Rochelle) or each other. Evan’s mother Heidi (Jessica Sherman) is a highly
sympathetic person, a single mother struggling to meet financial needs by
working hard and trying to help her troubled son.
The finely wrought book by Steven Levenson takes us from the painful awkwardness
and anxieties of not only Evan but also Alana, Zoe and even Jared, who despite
his braggadocio and acidic sense of humour, shows signs of anxious relations
with his parents to whom he lies as a matter of course.
The uneasy relationship of Connor’s parents descends into excruciating pain
as they grieve for their son’s death and latch onto Evan’s lies to find
something positive in their son’s life and suicide.
Robert Markus and Jessica Sherman in DEAR EVAN HANSEN – Canadian
Company.
Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2019.
Heidi struggles to maintain her pride and dignity amidst poverty and to
take care of her son in the time left to her by long hours of work. Sherman
sings So Big/So Small near the end,
recalling the day her husband left her alone to raise her child. She sings of
the pain of separation, of the (unwarranted) guilt of being unable to fulfill
all of Evan’s needs but most of all expressing the undiminished splendour of
maternal love and devotion.
The performances of the cast take you in as they all appear to be the characters
they represent rather than acting. That is as high a commendation as one can
give actors.
The set by David Korins consists of a largely empty stage with numerous
projections on a black background. With the projections of Peter Nigrini, the
set allows for fluidity and quick and seamless scene changes with some pieces of
furniture being rolled on and off the stage as necessary. All is expertly
handled by director Michael Greif.
The music and songs provide for some memorable highlights and some forgettable
segments that serve their purpose.
And speaking of fulfilment of audience expectations, opening night
provided the perfect example of infectious enthusiasm where the spectators were
geared up and expressed their approval at every note. Standing ovation? You
Bet.
____________
Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson (book) and Benj Pasek and
Justin Paul (music and lyrics) continues until June 30, 2019 at the Royal
Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W. Toronto, Ont. www.mirvish.com
Thank you for the widescreen image of Peter Nigrini's projections, which formed an astonishing part of the show -
ReplyDelete