Capetonian audiences have been marvelling at the wonder of the South African production of Dear Evan Hansen (DEH), the Broadway smash musical, and with good reason: it is INCREDIBLE!
The SA run is produced by How Now Brown Cow Productions and Showtime Management and stars Stuart Brown as the titular character, Lucy Tops as Heidi Hansen, Keely Crocker as Zoe Murphy, Michael Stray as Connor Murphy, Ntshikeng Matooane as Alana Beck, Justin Swartz as Jared Kleinman, Sharon Spiegel-Wagner as Cynthia Murphy and Charlie Bouguenon as Larry Murphy.
The show’s amazing crew includes Greg Karvellas (Director); Charl-Johan Lingenfelder (Musical Supervisor); Niall Griffin (Set, Lighting & Costume Designer); Kurt Haupt (Musical Director); Louisa Talbot (Choreographer) and David Classen (Sound Designer). Additional members of the production team are Shelly Lothian (Resident Director) Alistair Kilbee (Technical Director) and Frances Moerdyk (Wardrobe Supervisor).
With music from the Grammy, Tony, Olivier, and Academy Award-winning geniuses Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen is a story that journeys to the heart of being a teenager with a tenderness and wit that will set your heart alight.
My Dear Evan Hansen emotional journey:
I attended the opening night performance at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town on Wednesday 12 February 2025 and it has taken me two weeks to compose myself and my thoughts because this musical is so deeply personal for me.
In 2018, when I watched the Broadway version in New York (humble brag moment π), I had an out of body theatre experience with it. Initially, I was floored by the emotional revelation of Evan and what I thought the person who had recommended the show to me, wanted me to understand about them, but it soon became apparent to me that I deeply identified with Evan.
I was Evan in high school, back in the early 2000s: awkward, bullied relentlessly, parentified by a mother who worked as a nurse and … suicidal. In 2018, watching what was essentially my teenage experience being played out on stage rocked me to my core and Dear Evan Hansen would prove to be the catalyst for a self-discovery journey and diagnosis of severe depression that now, 7 years later, I am proud to say, I am managing quite well. The iconic “You Will Be Found” track has carried me through various spirals and has proven to be prophetic: I have been found by my tribe of loved ones who show up for me completely and with such love, that the darkness no longer feels so hopeless.
So, how did the SA version measure up?
Bar a few technical hiccups that are to be expected on opening night, Dear Evan Hansen SA was a triumph! My emotional ties to this must-see show remains deep.
In an era when mental health is more of a focus yet somehow still not fully understood or accepted, watching Dear Evan Hansen is vitally important to kickstart important conversations for families. Yes, this show focuses on teen mental health but anyone struggling with this condition or supporting a loved one through it, will benefit greatly from attending a performance.
I always considered this Tony Award-winning show to be too high-tech and expensive to bring to South African shores but I am so glad that Daniel Galloway and his How Now Brown Cow Productions team have proved me wrong.
Casting for Evan has always been a bit problematic with men in their 20s or 30s stepping into the role (and dear God, let us NOT talk about a nearly 40 year old Ben Platt starving himself to reprise the role in the 2021 movie version – the horror!). Despite my initial reservations about Brown, I was delightfully surprised at how wonderfully he embodies all of Evan’s awkwardness, complete with little movement quirks, stuttering and blushing on cue. Brown’s uncanny ability to mask his character’s utter despair of depression and suicidal ideation while being so emotionally available to the Murphys in their grief rings so true to anyone who lives this cycle every day.
That Brown is musically talented is, of course, doubtless, but I found myself sobbing with renewed heartache during his rendition of “You Will Be Found”. His duet with Stray, “For Forever”, was gut-wrenching too.
While the musical is focused on Evan, of course, Connor’s story is equally as important as the character who succumbs to the darkness. In other productions and the movie, Connor is often an over-looked character but Stray brings him to (after) life with a great balance of sensitivity and humour when the scene requires it.
One of my theatre partners on opening night has always been historically dry-eyed during shows but even he was powerless in the face of Tops’ awe-inspiring performance of the closing number “So Big So Small”. As readers of this blog know, I adore Tops, but I dare say this is the best she has ever been. The combination of her powerful vocals with such a beautiful portrayal of maternal devotion captivates audiences and is an outstanding moment in a show filled with them.
Dear Evan Hansen South Africa runs at the Artscape Theatre until Sunday 9 March 2025 ,before moving to the Teatro in Johannesburg. This show is an absolute must-see no matter your age . Tickets are available from R100 at Ticketmaster.
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you love is suffering from depression and/or suicide ideation, please contact The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)
