Review: DEAR EVAN HANSEN at Capital One Hall

Michael Fabisch as Evan Hansen. Photo by Evan Zimmerman.

The North American Tour of DEAR EVAN HANSEN, most recently at Capital One Hall, is the show that will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately walk away touched and with a renewed sense of hope.

Evan Hansen (Michael Fabisch) is an anxious 17-year-old who is struggling to find his way and identity. His mother, Heidi (Bre Cade), is overwhelmed with working to put food on the table and take care of Evan’s needs all while being a single parent (“Anybody Have a Map?”). She encourages him to have his classmates sign Evan’s cast for his recently broken arm, and reminds him to write a hopeful letter to himself assigned to him by his therapist.

In the Murphy household, Connor Murphy (Alex Pharo) is in a brooding, depressive state. A loner, he runs into Evan in the computer lab after Evan has drafted a rather negative letter to himself addressed “Dear Evan Hansen.” Connor snatches the letter and signs Evan’s cast “to pretend we both have friends.”

After Connor is out of school for several days, Evan is called down to the office where he meets the grief-stricken Cynthia and Larry Murphy (Caitlin Sams and Jeff Brooks). They explain Connor took his own life and had Evan’s “Dear Evan Hansen” assignment on him. Presuming it to be Connor’s suicide note and assuming Evan and Connor were close, the Murphys invite Evan to dinner despite Evan attempting to explain the situation.

Evan asks family-friend Jared Kleinman (Gabriel Vernon Nunag) about what to do, and Jared recommends lying and letting the Murphys have fake, happy memories of Connor. Going along with the presumption that Connor was his best friend, Evan offers some peace to a dysfunctional family (“Requiem”).

Evan’s presence and lies helps Connor’s sister Zoe (Hatty Ryan King), whom Evan pines after, make sense of her loss and digs Evan deeper into his fake persona. As Connor’s memory rapidly fades, Evan’s acquaintance, the fast-talking, overachieving Alana Beck (Makena Jackson), pushes for Evan to cement Connor’s memory. This is driven by her and Evan’s own fears about being forgotten (“Disappear”).

The second act maintains and builds on the lie that Evan has fabricated like a sword hanging overhead. As people’s own well-being rests on the lie, Evan finds himself saddled by the weight of his words.

The show is heavy, but stirring. Soulful and rich, DEAR EVAN HANSEN weaves stories of loss, deceit, regret, and redemption. It is curiously complex in its presentation of posthumous rehabilitation, white lies, and suicide. Despite these intense subject matters, the cast knows how and when to push an upbeat flair or crack a series of jokes- most especially through Gabriel Vernon Nunag as Jared Kleinman.

Michael Fabisch’s portrayal of a deeply anxious and still immature Evan Hansen is very polished. Fabisch sings maturely and excellently. Hatty Ryan King (Zoe Murphy) and Caitlin Sams (Cynthia Murphy) are profoundly expressive, and their voices are haunting in “Requiem.”

Bre Cade as Heidi Hansen is layered and intense. Alex Pharo as Connor Murphy is multifaceted and spirited. Makena Jackson (Alana Beck) and Jeff Brooks (Larry Murphy) both bring empowering voices and are highly expressive.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN shows how people can be both self-serving and selfless and asks how we all choose to remember others and hope to be remembered. The audience consisted of people of all ages, but most especially parents and teens, a fitting pairing for this show. While tonight is the last show in Tysons for DEAR EVAN HANSEN, Broadway in Tysons will continue to bring Broadway shows throughout the season. If they are as stellar as DEAR EVAN HANSEN, Capital One Hall will have packed houses

DEAR EVAN HANSEN runs for approximately 150 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.

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