'Dear Evan Hansen' at the Hippodrome is Letter Perfect

It’s hard to imagine a musical can bring laughter when themes include mental health issues, social anxiety, isolation, lies, drug addiction, suicide and grieving, but Dear Evan Hansen, currently making a six-day stop at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre as part of a national tour, manages to pull it off. To be clear, the show is not entirely stocked with comedy; in fact, there are some heart-pounding dramatic moments within. But the balance makes for great entertainment as Steven Levenson’s book takes the audience on an emotional ride not often seen in musicals.

It is no surprise that Dear Evan Hansen captured six Tony Awards in 2017 and numerous other accolades, and the touring production does justice to the critically acclaimed Broadway production that starred Ben Platt.  The performances by the cast at the Hippodrome under the direction of Michael Greif are superb aided by a wonderful eight-piece orchestra directed by Garret Healey seated on the upper level of the stage and an awesome set.

Evan Hansen (Stephen Christopher Anthony) is a timid and bullied 17-year-old high school senior suffering from social anxiety and a lack of self-esteem. He has a cast over a broken arm from falling from a tree, but how that happened is murky.  His father had left the family when Evan was 7 leaving his mother Heidi (Jessica E. Sherman) to make ends meet. However, she works during the day and attends paralegal school at night leaving Evan to himself much of the time. Heidi procures a therapist for Evan who assigns him the task of writing a letter to himself each day saying why this will be a good day in an effort to be positive.

Another outcast at school is Connor Murphy (Nikhil Saboo), drug addicted and hostile, who bullies Evan and knocks him down in the hallway. Connor’s parents Larry and Cynthia Murphy (John Hemphill and Claire Rankin) are wealthy and have a daughter Zoe (Stephanie La Rochelle) who happens to be Evan’s crush.

Evan pens this letter:

Dear Evan Hansen:

It turns out, this wasn’t an amazing day after all. This isn’t going to be an amazing week or an amazing year. Because… why would it be? 

Oh, I know. Because there’s Zoe. And all my hope is pinned on Zoe. Who I don’t even know and doesn’t know me. But maybe if I did. Maybe if I could just talk to her, then maybe… maybe nothing would be different at all. 

I wish that everything was different. I wish I was part of… something. I wish that anything I said… mattered, to anyone. I mean, face it: Would anyone notice if I just disappeared tomorrow? 

Sincerely, your best and most dearest friend, 

Me

So central is this letter to the plot that fragments of it is projected on a screen on the stage virtually throughout the show.

After Connor signs Evan’s cast, he grabs the letter from the printer in the school’s computer lab despite Evan’s pleading and runs off with it in anger as he notices the reference to his sister. He puts it in his pocket.

A couple of days later, Connor commits suicide and this letter was found in the pocket. His distraught parents conclude that this letter was Connor’s suicide note and was surprised he had a friend, Evan Hansen, to whom he can share his deepest thoughts.

When Evan notices how the Murphys' grief was mitigated by the notion that Connor actually had a friend and seeing that this may be an entrée into establishing a relationship with Zoe, Evan somewhat reluctantly plays along.  The revelation that Evan and Connor were good friends (especially when neither had any friends at all) came as a stunning surprise to Zoe, Heidi and fellow students.

A classmate, Alanna Beck (Ciara Alyse Harris), seeks to enhance her extracurricular activities by trying to promote this newly revealed friendship on social media as a way to honor Connor following his death. Jared Kleinman (Alessandro Costantini), a “family friend” of Evan helps perpetuate the ruse by creating and backdating emails between Connor and Evan and showing the Murphy’s.

What eventually transpires is how both families are impacted by the charade. This is especially true with Evan who attempts to come to terms with the dishonesty and weighing it against the fact Connor’s parents see their son in a new light and that Evan becomes unexpectedly popular.

With music and lyrics by Tony Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the score is solid.  They had teamed up for A Christmas Story among others as well as cinema hits The Greatest Showman and La La Land. Songs like “For Forever,” the show stopper “You Will Be Found” and “So Big/So Small” are exceptional. “Sincerely, Me” is the singular comical song, and it is hilarious.

In a tour de force, Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan is simply magnificent. (The role will be played by Sam Primack on the Saturday matinee and Sunday evening performances.)

It’s a major challenge to replicate the work done by Ben Platt in the Broadway production but Mr. Anthony comes pretty close. His tenor voice is stunningly powerful, holds the notes proficiently and is able to reach the higher registers using falsetto. Mr. Anthony excels in all his numbers with “For Forever,” “If I Could Tell Her,” ‘You Will Be Found,” and “Words Fail” particularly outstanding.

"In a tour de force, Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan is simply magnificent."

Yet, it is Mr. Anthony’s superb acting skills that form the core of the show’s success. In portraying the timid and self-doubting teenager, he convincingly plays the character with his fluttering speech, mannerisms, keeping his arms close to his body denoting his insecurity, and nervous giggles with nuance.

Onstage throughout most of the production, Mr. Anthony maintains these details with great success. His exchanges with Zoe, his mother and Connor’s parents are notable in how he is able to change the tone so fluidly depending on who he is interacting with. In short, he puts on an acting and vocal clinic.

As Heidi, Evan’s mother, Jessica E. Sherman, also turns in a stellar performance. She conveys the hardworking but oft absent mother to a tee. Also, surprised to learn of Evan’s friendship with Connor, her suspicions effectively come to the surface through her acting skills.

But it is her tender, tears-inducing solo “So Big/So Small” that is arguably one of the most heart-wrenching songs in musical theatre. In that song, which is performed near the end, Heidi reassures Evan that she will always be there for him despite his father’s abandonment. This is one of the show’s highlights.

As the ambitious, dramatic Alana, Ciara Alyse Harris does a splendid job in portraying Evan’s classmate and catalyst for Evan’s tribute to Connor. She does not have a solo number but she sings well in the group number “Disappear.”

The one comical role in the show belongs to Jared Kleinman played so well by Alessandro Costantini. Sex-obsessed and funny throughout, Jared is a co-conspirator in the ruse concerning Evan’s and Connor’s manufactured relationship. He sings well too, as he performs in the comical group number “Sincerely, Me.”

Stephanie La Rochelle does a fine as Zoe, Connor’s sister and Evan’s crush. Soft spoken, perhaps too much so, Zoe is the most suspicious of the Evan-Connor relationship. She hated her brother but became closer to Evan when she became convinced they were actually friends. Ms. La Rochelle sings well in the duet with Mr. Anthony in “If I Could Tell Her” and “Only Us.”

Claire Rankin is very effective portraying Cynthia Murphy, Connor’s and Zoe’s mother. Her family, while affluent, was never close, and Cynthia tries to keep them together. She was particularly moved by the emerging story that Connor and Evan were friends.

Both she and her husband Larry, played well by John Hemphill, begin to see Evan as a son following the revelations of the boys’ friendship even offering Evan college fund money that had been set aside for Connor. Mr. Hemphill performs a tender duet with Mr. Anthony “To Break in a Glove.”

Then there is Connor himself played by Nikhil Saboo. He makes brief appearances at the outset where he bullies Evan. Then in death, he appears in Evan’s conscience to guide and reassure him. Mr. Saboo appears in several numbers including a duet with Mr. Costantini in “Sincerely, Me.”

A creative and functional set designed by David Korins and projections designed by Peter Nigrini enhance the production. When a scene takes place in Evan’s room, the rear screen is filled with moving projected images of computer screens depicting the active world of cyberspace. Scenes transform seamlessly and smoothly from a simple kitchen table where Evan and Heidi have intimate talks to a school corridor to the Murphy house with windows projected on the screen. Japhy Weideman’s excellent lighting design adds to the strong visuals.

You can come to see Dear Evan Hansen for the music. You can come for the drama.  You can come for the magnificent performance by Stephen Christopher Anthony as well as the other cast members. You can come for the dynamic scenery. In any case, do come but hurry as tickets are limited. This is theatre at its best.

Running Time. Two hours and 45 minutes with an intermission.

Advisory. The show contains profanity and adult situations and is not recommended for young children.

Dear Evan Hansen plays through March 20 at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD 21201.  For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 800-982-ARTS or visit here. 

Photos: Patrick Murphy

Welcoming Sign Stolen From Church in Howard County

If you drive east on Route 108 just beyond the River Hill Village Center in the Clarksville area of Howard County, Md. you can’t miss the 3 ft. by 6 ft. sign in front of the Linden Linthicum United Methodist Church. That sign boldly proclaimed, “EVERY ONE IS WELCOME HERE” with rainbow-colored decorations on it.

Well, you will miss it now, at least for the time being.

Apparently, not everyone buys into the message of inclusion. Under the cover of darkness on the night of February 24, a person or persons used a chainsaw to cut through the substantial wooden posts supporting the sign adjacent to the church located at 12101 Linden Linthicum Lane and removed it.

Gayle Annis-Forder, pastor of the roughly 500-member congregation church promptly took to the Clarksville Happenings group on Facebook—one that typically includes member posts requesting information on contractors, babysitters, lost pets and the like—to explain that it was not the church that took down the familiar sign but someone else had done the deed. She pointed out that the sign had been defaced last June and despite its unauthorized removal this time, “LLUMC still believes what the sign said, that everyone is welcome here.”

A whopping total of 300 reactions appeared along with 150 comments all supporting Pastor Gayle and the church and denouncing the act of vandalism, which was reported the next morning to Howard County Police. Many believe this act should be investigated as a hate crime.

Bob Ford, a member of the Howard County Human Rights Commission, stressed the importance of reporting hate bias incidents to the police. “Even if a crime is not committed, being the victim of racial, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation and gender identity slurs should be reported to the police as hate bias incidents,” Ford explains. “Data must be compiled by law enforcement concerning these incidents so that measures can be implemented to reduce them in the future.”

In this matter, however, a crime was committed as private property was vandalized and removed.

“I’ve always loved that sign, big, bright, and right up front for all to see,” Charlotte Gammel Wojcik posted as an example of the type of comments displayed in response to the incident. “I’m sorry some jackass ruined it. I hope you’ll replace it because I believe many who saw it felt supported, even if they never entered the church.”

Another comment was posted by Howard County Councilwoman Deb Jung whose district currently includes LLUMC.

“There is no doubt in my mind that you and your congregation live the values represented by your beautiful and welcoming sign. Reading these comments warms my heart knowing there are so many in our community who will not allow this to stand. We will replace the sign and it is my hope that we can make the sign replacement an event that will allow us all to come together and celebrate our love for one another. Later, Jung told me, “It was a despicable act of hate and vandalism.”

Janssen Evelyn, who is opposing Jung in the Democratic primary in that district, weighed in as well.

“The fact that someone went there with a chainsaw meant that they were intentional in their hate. We must be more intentional than that individual in our resolve and in our love. As a community, we must not accept hate. This is our watch, and we must show that everyone is welcome in our community.”

Pastor Gayle points out that although the sign contained rainbow colors, the welcoming message is not exclusively aimed at members of the LGBTQ+ community. She noted that members of that community would recognize the color scheme and understand that they are welcome. The message is broader, however. “LLUMC welcomes everybody.”  

Indeed, the church’s Statement of Values and Inclusion on the website reflects that point.

“As followers of Jesus, we the people of Linden Linthicum United Methodist Church are committed to welcoming and loving everyone as he did, without regard to ability, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family make-up or religion. We embrace the principles of love over hate, inclusion over bias, respect over prejudice, equality over bigotry, and caring for all. Therefore, we reject the targeted hate messages and exclusivist ideologies advocated by any group. Such messages are antithetical to the inclusive message of Jesus. We are committed to living out non-discriminating love in our lives, worship, study and service.”

Nonetheless, the LGBTQ+ community especially transgender kids have been under attack and would find this church a spiritual safe space for them and their family members to receive support. As an example of the assault on members of the community, Republican Senator from Florida, Rick Scott, laid out a widely panned agenda that says that there are only two genders, failing to acknowledge the reality of a gender identity spectrum. Moreover, Florida passed legislation dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill whereby the subjects of sexual orientation and gender identity cannot be discussed in primary grade levels.

Recognizing these developments in Florida and Texas specifically, Becca Niburg, an immigration attorney and a candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates from Howard County, issued the following statement:

“The sign referenced states that all are welcome across a rainbow background, specifically signaling inclusion to those in the LGBTQ community. Especially under the backdrop of the governor of Texas persecuting Trans kids, the removal of the sign signifies hate and division in our community and those who perpetrated the destructive act should be punished to the full extent of the law both criminally and civilly. I stand with the LGBTQ community and the Church, ready to assist and support.”

Adds Byron Macfarlane, the County’s Register of Wills and the first openly gay elected official in Howard County, “This is a reminder that Howard County isn’t immune to criminal acts of hate and intolerance. We have to reject hate in all its forms, call it out when we see it, and stand together. Our amazing rainbow LGBTQ+ community and our tremendous allies, including so many faith partners, must remain vigilant and undeterred as we build enduring relationships based on love and solidarity. These criminals can take down a sign, but they’ll never stop the march to true and lasting equality.”

Pastor Gayle has been moved by the support she has received from the community and by other faith leaders in Howard County. She indicated a new sign will be ordered and a celebration outside the church whereby community members can join in and observe the new welcoming sign is under consideration.

Photo of sign prior to the incident courtesy of LLUMC

UPDATE FROM PASTOR GAYLE, 3/6/2022:

After Easter (which is the 17^th) We’re getting trees taken down on the 13^th to give a sight line, and don’t have the cameras up yet. The sign is ready and we just need to get the site prepared. This is all a lot more steps than it seemed it would be. It’s all good, though. People continue to be lovely.