As you look at your holiday to-do list, consider giving yourself a gift—a ticket to see Coachella Valley Repertory’s season-opening production. Dear Evan Hansen is theater at its finest!
The book was written by Steven Levenson, with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The show won six 2017 Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. The London production later won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
Director Adam Karsten has put together a marvelously talented cast of 10 performers. The story centers on a high school senior, Evan Hansen (Pierce Wheeler), who lives with his divorced mother, Heidi (Christia Mantzke). Evan is a social misfit who wants to be accepted by others, but lacks the skills to make that happen. He is seeing a therapist and has some form of medication to help ease his anxiety. Evan’s dad left when Evan was 7 and is not involved with them, and Heidi is working a lot and taking classes to improve their life and earn money for Evan to attend college.
Wheeler gives us a heartfelt and believable Evan. He is slight in his physical dimensions but has a powerful, wide-ranging voice that soars throughout the show. Mantzke have us a loving mother who may be overwhelmed but never loses her focus. Her song toward the end of Act II was especially moving.
The Murphy family provides the other main players in the story. Cynthia (Erin Stoddard) and her husband, Larry (Eric Kunze), have two teenagers, Connor (Isaac Kueber) and Zoe (Gianna Branca). Connor is emotionally disturbed, a bully who has been in treatment. Zoe is the long-suffering younger sister whom Evan has admired from afar. The tensions within the Murphy home are palpable; Stoddard and Kunze did a great job as they dealt with their emotional roller coaster ride. Kueber was a hulking menace who could instantly become a funny jokester, while Branca was a steadying force and a delight to observe. They all have strong singing skills that are shown off both individually and in group singing.
At school, Alana (Lucy Hall) is a student leader, while Jared (Mikey Corey Hassel) is a computer whiz who is Evan’s friend, or at least the closest thing Evan has to a friend. Hall has a strong stage presence, and it was nice to watch her character grow. Hassel did a superb job of often being the comic relief, with his one-liners and his out-of-control fabrications. Joseph Portoles and Sophia Roth are in the ensemble, adding their considerable singing skills to the group numbers. They were also busy with scenic transitions.
Karsten worked with outstanding musical director, Stephen Hulsey, and a brilliant design team of Jimmy Cuomo (set), Kevin Mark Harris (costumes), Moira Wilke (lighting), Joshua Adams (sound), Ryan Marquart (props) and Lynda Shaeps (hair and makeup). Together, they have taken an intimate and thought-provoking show and made it a grandly powerful theater experience.
The set design was minimalist, with moveable set pieces, such as a bed or tables and chairs, that were moved on and off as the setting required. The main feature was the back wall of the set, a screen that showed the workings of a computer, compiled data, word processing, indoor or outdoor locations, or close-up images of a character. These changes helped set the focus of the story. Another clever design feature: On each front stage corner was a square platform with lighted poles (think of an open phone booth) that allowed a performer to be seen as they commented on or joined in the action of the scene.
Karsten kept the pacing fluid, and even when things became intense with overlapping dialogue, the production was always under control and easily understood.
I have deliberately not included all of the plot points, for those who don’t yet know Evan’s story. The story is poignant; bring a handkerchief if you cry easily.
If you love musical theater, as I do, don’t miss this production!
Dear Evan Hansen will be performed at 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; and 2 p.m., Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, Dec. 21, at the CVRep Playhouse, 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City. Tickets are $95. For tickets or more information, call 760-296-2966, or visit www.cvrep.org.