Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Ben Platt and Rachel Bay Jones are emotionally shattering in the solid DEAR EVAN HANSEN

• By drediman
• May 5, 2016
• No Comments

Yesterday afternoon, I caught a matinee performance of Dear Evan Hansen at Second Stage Theatre. I had seen the musical – a variation on the impactful Next to Normal for a younger, social media-driven set, if you will – out of town at Arena Stage last year in Washington, DC and was moved by much of the writing and performances. My feelings about the show in its New York premiere, which features some new faces in the cast but is still luckily led by Ben Platt in an astonishing star turn, haven’t changed – which includes some of the same minor reservations.

First of all, I applaud the show’s writers for creating a brand new musical that isn’t based on a film and doesn’t use pre-existing music. The book by Steven Levenson, about a high schooler’s (played by the sensational Mr. Platt) bouts with anxiety and the series of events that force him to confront his demons, is a highly accomplished piece of work. The confrontational book scenes late in the second act are particularly beautifully handled. The rising songwriting team of Banj Pasek and Justin Paul have come up with a pleasant score (skillfully orchestrated by Alex Lacamoire, of Hamilton fame) that’s at worst competently crafted and at best searing in its emotional clarity, particularly as performed by this cast. In my opinion, Mr. Platt’s emotionally naked delivery of the 11 o’clock “Words Fail” is one of the musical highlights of this theater season. However, unlike the more visionary and uncompromising musicals I’ve seen of late – like Hamilton or even American Psycho – I couldn’t shake the feeling that the neatly crafted Dear Evan Hansen plays it a tad too safe. The piece could use some of the wildness and unpredictability that makes shows like Next to Normal hard to resist and even harder to forget. However, this is one minor quibble in a musical that’s thoughtfully constructed, smoothly directed (by Michael Greif), and expertly designed (notably Japhy Weideman’s lighting and Peter Nigrini’s projections).

The fantastic cast assembled for this Second Stage run of Dear Evan Hansen cannot be faulted. As mentioned, Mr. Platt is a revelation in the title role. His distinctive voice is put to effective use, bringing Evan’s tortured inner life sharply into focus every time he breaks into song. Some may find his performance full of actorly ticks, but I found his idiosyncratic take on the role to be a bold move that heightens the show’s impact and gives it much-needed texture and authenticity. As Evan’s mother, Rachel Bay Jones proves that her penetrating performance in the recent Broadway revival of Pippin was no fluke. Here, she gives a raw yet grounded performance that quietly tears you apart, especially in the second act (her rendition of “So Big/So Small” is wrenching in its simplicity and knowing truthfulness). The rest of the talented cast – which includes John Dossett, Laura Dreyfuss, Mike Faist, Krystolyn Lloyd, Will Roland, and Jennifer Laura Thompson – is excellent, each giving fully committed performances in their respective roles.

RECOMMENDED

DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Off-Broadway, Musical
Second Stage Theatre
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through May 29