Lies may be deliberate or accidental or only little white ones, but they inevitably catch the teller to his regret. In the long run they cause trouble. What could you do if you inadvertently cast yourself in a high school tragedy? When you don’t confess it is all a lie, what can you do to correct your immense error and make the situation right? Just ask Evan Hansen whose doctor advised him to write himself letters, “Dear Evan Hansen,” to help him encourage himself and build his self-esteem and allow him to open up to his classmates.
Evan Hansen is a troubled, unhappy teenager who feels invisible and he desperately wants to be accepted, one of the gang. When another student at his high school commits suicide, Evan is swept into a web of lies not of his own making. These untruths have the power to change his life and give him all the acceptance he so desires. Will he use this unexpected and unanticipated chance or will he admit the truth of his fabrications?
Songs like “So Big/So Small.” “Requiem” and “Sincerely Me” propel the action. One misplaced letter assumes a powerful catalyst in Evan’s life, one he quickly loses control over. Deeply emotional, “Dear Evan Hansen” by Steven Levenson for book and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul for music, the musical follows Evan and his need to be part of the community and the mistakes he makes trying to fit in and find friendship.
A Contemporary Theatre (A.C.T.) of CONNECTICUT, from now until Sunday, June 21, will carry you along in Evan’s journey of self-discovery. He works to achieve the life he so dearly wants to live. Will he repair the bridges he needs to cross to become the young man he wants to be? Will he accept the undeserved gift that has fallen mysteriously upon him? Kenny Lee stars as our reluctant hero who is thrust, unprepared, into the center of a drama. The cast also includes Erik Houck as Connor the boy who takes his life, Heather Ayers and Gil Brady as his devastated parents, Olivia Foght as Connor’a sister Zoe, Josh Hoyt and Amaya White as Evan’s friends, and Maya Days as Evan’s mother. Scott Schwartz directs this sensitive tale of searching to end feeling invisible. The windows in Christopher Swader and Justin Swader’s scenic set are beautifully effective.
For tickets ($88 and up), call A.C.T. at 475-215-5497 or online at actofct.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Evan Hansen is an outsider, always looking in, until a surprise event offers him everything he could ever desire. The Washington Post calls it “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history.” Don’t miss this grand opportunity.
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