Musical Review: Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen, today is going to be an amazing day and here’s why… because after months of debating if I should buy tickets or not, I finally got to catch the UK tour as it hit the Wolverhampton Grand. Dear Evan Hansen, written by the immensely talented Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, is a musical theatre production based on a book of the same name. It may be best known to you for being the show that made Ben Platt big again after his Pitch Perfect days. The show follows anxiety-ridden Evan Hansen (Ryan Kopel) as he inserts himself into the tragedy of the Murphy family following the loss of their son. The show is infested with weird lies and meaningful tales, and overall great music.

I was lucky enough to see the show for the first time on the West End back in 2022, and it is my favourite musical ever. It would be a lie to say I didn’t go in comparing this production to the London show, and while there were differences and faults, the cast did well to meet them. Ryan Kopel was by far standout of the show, with a gorgeous voice that held so much emotion and told so much story, it was hard not to be entirely encapsulated by his performance. The rest of the cast also had great singing talent, though there were a few harmonies that didn’t quite blend and took away from some of the most poignant moments.

“

there wasn’t a moment where you were not invested in the story

The acting made up for what was lacking in song. From watching Zoe Murphy (Lauren Murphy) flow through the stages of grief, to Jared Kleinman’s (Tom Dickerson) overly sexual comic relief, there wasn’t a moment where you were not invested in the story being told. Most impressive of all was Kopel’s ability act with his hands. As set by Ben Platt in the production’s Broadway debut, one of the most notable factors in playing Evan is the ability to showcase his anxiety simply with his hands, and Kopel matches this nervous energy brilliantly. There is a succinct feeling of pity for Evan elicited through this performance no matter the questionable decisions he makes.

The staging was the most notable thing. It appears simple at first, just a simple backdrop with LED’s, but as the show goes on these LED’s are given more and more purpose. The most impressive being the indication of video call. While most simply get a white square, Jared’s bedroom is given a rainbow outline to add to his personality. The screens also showcase a multitude of social media posts throughout the song ‘You Will Be Found’. Both of these things are also a key part of the London production, though, while the UK Tour seems to only use the screens actually within the production, the Noël Coward Theatre displayed the live feed of #DearEvanHansen on Twitter. The Grand seemed to advertise #DEHUKTour so heavily I was wondering if this would still be the case, but alas not. I do have to admit this killed some of the preliminary buzz as the audience took their seats.

“

Leaving the theatre, I found myself having fallen in love with the show more than before

The costuming was another thing to applaud. While Kopel donned the iconic blue polo and cast for the first half of the show, Zoe and Heidi Hansen (Alice Fearn) had some great numbers. Zoe’s outfits appeared to be greatly thought-out, including the stars she scribbled in the cuffs of her jeans being noticeable from the Dress Circle: quite frankly I would love to steal her wardrobe for myself.

Leaving the theatre, I found myself having fallen in love with the show more than before. The feeling of being alone, of feeling like you could disappear, and no one would care, is one that hits close to home. It is empowering to watch a story unfold that speaks up for the invisible people. No matter how unconventional Evan’s means are throughout the story, it is what he does for Connor (Killian Thomas Lefevre) that leaves him as the unlikely hero right until the curtain call.

Dear Evan Hansen plays for a limited run from Tuesday 1st to Saturday 5th April 2025 at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Book your tickets here.