[NEohioPAL] REVIEW: Dear Evan Hansen at Playhouse Square

[Laura Kennelly]

Overheard on the way out of the Connor Palace Theatre: “This show would be
great for psychologists.” The show? The long-awaited *Dear Evan Hansen*.
multiple award winner, including a 2017 Tony for  Best Musical.

Directed by Michael Greif, with book by Steven Levenson, score by Benj
Pasek and Justin Paul, the musical explores alienation, family dynamics and
chance. Greif, surely a master of unhappiness, offers a sad and serious
look at life for several teens and two sets of parents. It should come as
no surprise to learn that he also directed *Rent* and *Next to Normal*. The
characters and the subtext (modern life can be pretty awful, but there’s
hope for us all) echo a similar perspective.

The first and most important teen is, of course, Evan Hansen (Ben Levi
Ross), a lonely kid with good intentions. Ross projects, with
cringe-inducing accuracy, the painful shyness and insecurity his character
suffers. It’s easy to identify. It’s also easy to identify with his mother
Heidi Hansen (Jessica Phillips). Phillips’ subtlety shows Heidi’s
unintentional contributions to Evan’s problems by exhibiting mannerisms
similar to her son’s. (Maybe it’s just me, but what teen has ever, ever in
the history of teendom, ever answered truthfully the first time a parent
asks “What’s bothering you?” Maybe some do.)
To read the whole review, go to
https://coolcleveland.com/2019/06/theater-review-dear-evan-hansen-playhouse-square-by-laura-kennelly/
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