"Dear Evan Hansen," show #939

Among the two times I’ve previously seen Dear Evan Hansen on stage–and that film we don’t talk about–I’ve never been able to crack why there’s such a hardcore love for and connection to Evan. To be fair, I was bawling when I first saw it on Broadway, but it was due to Michael Park’s (as Larry Murphy) hard-hearted softening in the finale of act one that got me. Platt nailed the role, but I didn’t walk away feeling more than entertained by a mostly great score. However, Shine! Theatre director tony sanders has cracked a code to the musical that is so obvious to me now that it was always waving at me through a window: it’s a parents’ story, and namely, the moms. There’s a reason Benj Pasek and Justin Paul open their score with mothers Heidi Hansen and Cynthia Murphy leading “Anybody Have a Map” and the 11 0’clock-placed number is Heidi’s titanically vulnerable “So Big/So Small;” it’s because it’s less about needing the audience to be okay with Evan’s (and his “friends’”) lies but, rather, a musical about children needing to connect to their parents. And that, as staged and delivered by the company of Shine! Theatre is something I can, and did, connect to.

(Jason Bionda (Evan) and cast; Photo courtesy of Shine! Theatre) 

The performance I saw had Nwachukwu (who serves as the Evan understudy; the role is otherwise played by Jason Bionda) leading the production, and they were solid in all aspects of an emotionally burdensome role. Evan must, authentically, demonstrate anxiety to the point of requiring medication, while the actor must be funny, hit dramatic beats often, and sing an unforgiving score. Nwachukwu showed no falter in delivering a fully realized and steady Evan, from the first letter typed to the final look at the orchard. Nwachukwu’s leading of “For Forever,” Evan’s fabricated reminiscing of times spent with Connor Murphy, demonstrates where peak acting meets solid vocals for a simply stellar performance. Never wavering, Nwachukwu delivers superb chemistry opposite the principal company, especially with Gitzelle Villa’s Zoe. Villa’s Zoe doesn’t fall into the one-note “jaded teen” but is funny, mourning, and, like Evan, longing to connect with her parents again. Their chemistry development matches their arc with incredible deft and detectable ease, shown well in “If I Could Tell Her" and in a passionately delivered "Only Us."

(Jason Bionda (Evan) and Gitzelle Villa (Zoe); Photo courtesy of Shine! Theatre) 

Josiah Hopfer is an absolutely hilarious Jared, the family friend to Evan who handles the tech demands needed to make Evan’s lies convincing. His many insults and jokes land every time, with a laidback teenage-drawling cadence that has punch; performances like Hopfer make me wish their role had more stage time. Laurence Conley gives equal parts brooding and funny as Connor, making his turn in “Sincerely, Me,” alongside Hopfer and Nwachukwu, an enjoyable patter, as they execute Ashley Wilkinson’s completely fun choreography with energy. However, Conley’s true gift is giving a performance which makes a statement every time he’s on stage and, rightfully, lingering when he’s off. Aunika Bull is a standout as Alana Beck, the very sociable loner teen who inserts their passion and well-meaning empathy a little too eagerly.

(L to R: Jason Bionda (Evan), Josiah Hopfer (Jared), and Laurence Conley (Connor); Photo courtesy of Shine! Theatre) 

Harrison Mills (Larry Murphy), Jenny Myers (Cynthia Murphy), and Hannah Wehner (Heidi Hansen) serve as the parents with aplomb and confidence. Mills makes the most of–what is my favorite song–”To Break in a Glove,” where he gets a few minutes living in being the dad he’s always wanted to be. Myers is superb at balancing the ever-antsy housewife who loves deeply and does everything she can to fill her time until the crushing inciting incident halts her. Cynthia is a tricky role, requiring maternal instincts to be so genuinely shown while being so often misfired. (When I watched the film we don’t speak of, I seriously thought Amy Adams would win an Oscar for how far she took Cynthia.) Myers finds the balance and never wavers from Cynthia’s want for everyone to just be okay. Myers, Mills, and Villa trio up well for “Requiem,” delivering a connected moment of disconnect-by-way-of-grieving that compels, being sung with hauntingly gorgeous tone and harmonies. Wehner is a dynamite Heidi, playing the long game of being a truly dedicated single mom while nearly never being home. Heidi basically breaks promises and shortens conversations as often as Evan tells lies, but we always know she means well. Nwachukwu’s Evan shows that even Evan knows she means well, but it still affects. Wehner’s vocals are solid throughout, but “So Big/So Small” is a triumph of a performance, and solidifies sanders’ directorial take: make it about the moms. 

(L to R: Harrison Mills (Larry Murphy), Jason Bionda (Evan), Gitzelle Villa (Zoe), and Jenny Myers (Cynthia Murphy); Photo courtesy of Shine! Theatre) 

Technically, this show hits the mark in nearly every aspect. Dr. Cari Earnhart’s music direction propels the story by keeping each song in fine tune and beautiful balance; the show runs well over two hours, but with sanders’ pacing and Earnhart’s tempo ensures this musical never drags. Damen Pardo’s costume design has aesthetic pop and logical nuance by giving each role--whether principal or ensemble--identifying personality traits which serve the individual and collective arc. Dan Aldape’s lighting design gives an emotionally driven impact to the songs and scenes, whether upbeat, dramatic, or somewhere in-between. John Mendoza’s sound design delivers dynamism throughout the entire production, without a hiccup of having any one element outshine another. I’ve longed for a scenic design that showcases the financial difference between the Murphys and Hansens, as money becomes an Act Two source of tension (and rightly so.) Shine! Theatre’s production has a functional set that does the job of setting family dinners, parent-child talks, chaotic high school halls, and youthful connections effectively, but doesn’t truly capture the economical status each family enjoys until confronted with the reality of the other’s. The projections design, which often irritates me because I want to read everything, is appropriately recurring and serves as a calling card for scene and character rather than distract with new social media threads and videos every time. It's refreshing to see projections that serve the story as opposed to other productions where it becomes a show about a thread. (Chalk this up to another solve Shine! Theatre has provided audiences.)

(Cast of Dear Evan Hansen; Photo courtesy of Shine! Theatre)

I implore you to find time this coming weekend to head down to the Warnor’s Theater and take in the Central Valley premiere of Dear Evan Hansen. This is a wholly message-driven piece that is sure to hit with both youth and adult audiences. We all know how valuable and volatile social media can be, especially with our teenagers. And while I still can’t forgive Evan for his lies and manipulation, I can absolutely forgive two moms who are truly doing their best. I can appreciate two teens who are truly figuring out how to re-connect with their families. I’m grateful that Shine! Theatre took this production on and, if you see it, I’m positive you’ll be grateful too.