Few productions have the power to show you within moments of the stage being alive with cast that it is going to be something special, but that’s exactly what Dear Evan Hansen did at the Bristol Hippodrome on Tuesday night (February 11).
From the very first lines spoken, to the first couple of musical numbers and set changes (the set design was utterly mesmerising), it was all already enough to take your breath away. Every inch of detail, every moment of the story, and every note of every song, was powerful, poignant, and gut-wrenchingly honest, tackling themes of grief, mental health and friendship.
From the songwriting team behind La La Land and The Greatest Showman, and with the story loosely based on a real-life happening at one of their high schools, the songs in this production are anthemic, more than certain to remain in your head long after you’ve left the theatre, and yet they also dig right down into the depths of your soul to awaken feelings that may long have sat dormant.
Standout musical numbers were ‘Waving Through a Window’ (which gave me physical goosebumps), ‘For Forever’, ‘Requiem’, ‘So Big/So Small’ (which had, it seemed, everyone in the theatre physically weeping), and ‘You Will Be Found’ (a momentous part of the show that actually took my breath away). The music is a powerful force in this show.
While a modern musical that first graced stages back in 2016, this is one whose messages seem to ring truer and even more relevant as the years go by. And this, paired with the entire look and feel of the staging, lighting and costume, really made for a production that will remain with us for a lifetime.
But it was truly the cast that stole the show and there are few words that will really do them true justice – each and every one of them was perfect. Ryan Kopel as the titular Evan Hansen was utterly phenomenal in the role, with immaculate dialogue, choreography and a singing voice that had range, emotion, volume and power, to boot.
One moment he could be giving us quick-paced dialogue full of awkwardness and humour, the next he was managing to release guttural cries on stage while also in the midst of singing. It was utterly breathtaking.
Alice Fearn as Heidi Hansen has one of the best voices I have ever heard on stage, and she delivered one of the most heart and gut-wrenching performances as Evan’s mom. During one of her scenes, many of the audience surrounding me were physically shaking and sobbing uncontrollably – something I have never seen in a theatre before. Her performance was truly something special, and I won’t be able to get over that for a long time.
Tom Dickerson gave us all the comic relief we needed in his role of Jared Kleinman. His was a character we couldn’t wait to see more of and his performance on stage was one of a powerhouse. Lauren Conroy as Zoe Murphy also gave us a beautifully emotive performance, and her voice stunned audiences during ‘Requiem’.
And Killian Thomas Lefevre (Connor Murphy), Vivian Panka (Alana Beck), Helen Anker (Cynthia Murphy) and Richard Hurst (Larry Murphy) were also perfectly cast in their roles, bringing personality, raw emotion, honest portrayals of life and grief, and even some more humour at times. This cast, as a whole, was a force to be reckoned with.
All in all, Dear Evan Hansen is one of those musicals that leaves you speechless, breathless and, in this case, sobbing. It is a powerful, poignant and utterly beautiful production that awakens you to real life and grief. It’s a story with music that will leave its mark on you forever and I urge everyone to go and experience it.
Dear Evan Hansen is now playing at the Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday, February 15. Tickets are on sale here.