AET Presents the Multi-Tony Award Winning Musical “Dear Evan Hansen”
With music by the same composers who brought us “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman”, this moving story won six Tony Awards including Best Musical and was turned into a film starring Amy Adams and original Broadway star Ben Platt in 2021. Arguably a modern musical masterpiece, “Dear Evan Hansen” navigates the complex world of a teenager trying to find belonging in our fast-paced modern society. This fully LIVE production runs weekends September 11-October 4 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 2 p.m.
In an average American modern town, teen Evan Hansen (Dallen Anderson) suffers from social anxiety, and his mother, Heidi (Tiff Jensen) encourages him to write himself positive letters as he gets ready for his first day back to school. As the Murphy family also gets ready for school, siblings Connor (Erik Rosenbaum) and Zoe (Abbi Rye) argue while mother Cynthia (Sara Platter) tries to figure out how to parent, “Anybody Have a Map?”
At school Connor finds a letter Evan has written to himself and steals it, making fun of Evan but then also signing the cast on his broken arm. The next day, Evan is called to the principal’s office and is told that his “friend” Connor has taken his own life, and Evan is confused. Not wanting to upset the family further, he allows them to believe that he and Connor were friends. Soon, the family invites Evan over, and feeling they are the perfect family he never had and wishing to soothe their collective loneliness and grief, Evan creates a story around the friendship “For Forever.” As the stories grow, Evan becomes closer to the family and falls in love with young Zoe, and can’t bring himself to stop the deep hole he is digging through the deception. With help of his few friends, the lies expand into “The Connor Project,” a worthy cause that goes viral. Unsure how to extract himself from the web of lies and complications, Evan must decide between what’s right and belonging, and what it means to be true to himself.
With a powerful book by Steven Levenson (“Fosse/Verdon”) and stunning music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, “Dear Evan Hansen” is “a breathtaking knockout of a musical.”—The New York Times. “NBC Nightly News” declared the musical “an anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.” Filled with brilliant hits like “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” and “Only Us,” “Dear Evan Hansen” is a modern masterwork of musical theatre and invites us to important conversations surrounding anxiety, depression, and so many relevant and profound issues we deal with today.
“Dear Evan Hansen” is Directed and Choreographed by Mickey Nugent, with Assistant Direction and Music Direction by Jeremy Vega.
Audience Advisory: PG-13. Intense emotional themes, discussions of suicide methods, bullying, drug (prescription medication) and alcohol use, severe anxiety and grief, references to sexual acts and teenage kissing, as well as moderate profanity.
For tickets, visit www.arts-express.org or call the Arts Express Theatre Box Office at (520) 319-0400.
ABOUT ARTS EXPRESS THEATRE
Arts Express Theatre is southern Arizona’s leading musical theatre company, staging large-scale professional quality musical theatre productions throughout the year. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, AET is committed to opening the arts to all ages. It serves over 35,000 people annually through a continuum of introductory and advanced programs, and engaging audience experiences.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3801838-0
