By Molly Alderson
Carnegie Theatre opened its run of Dear Evan Hansen this week. Directed by Joe Bertucci, Musical Direction is by Jacob Priddy. Book by Steven Levenson and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, it is a regional premiere.
Tackling this emotionally complex, frequently divisive show is no small feat, but this company delivers a deeply affecting production that honors the award winning 2017 Broadway original while making it their own.
Tommy Sanders anchors the production as Evan Hansen. It is a role that requires a careful balance of sincerity, vulnerability, and moral ambiguity. Sanders finds that balance. He makes Evan sympathetic enough that the audience roots for him even as his choices darken. His performance earns both empathy and tears.
The Story
Dear Evan Hansen follows a lonely, anxious high‑schooler who, in an attempt to connect and to comfort a grieving family, becomes entangled in a lie that slowly consumes him and those around him. The show refuses easy answers. Its power lies in watching a flawed protagonist and a community unravel under the weight of good intentions and moral compromise.
The Characters
The ensemble surrounding Evan is richly painted and convincingly human. Rachel Dudt’s Heidi Hansen and Denise Devlin’s Cynthia Murphy bring warmth, frustration, and compassion to their portrayals of two mothers navigating grief and responsibility. Their voices and stage presence lend the show steadiness and emotional truth.
Hannah Grace Ervin is a striking Zoe Murphy. She is guarded, complicated, and wronged in ways that her solos reveal with restraint and power. Her performance is both tender and inspiring.
Jordyn Amani Jones (Alana Beck) and Adrian Graff (Jared Kleinman) supply much‑needed comic relief while also contributing strong vocal work and emotional nuance. The portrayal of Connor (by Sean Young) appears in memory and song, and his presence is hauntingly beautiful.
The Design
Scenic and media designer Tyler Gabbard, lighting designer Julie Cowger, and media designer Angel Hardy create a layered, versatile environment that supports the storytelling. Mixed media elements and discreet scene transitions keep focus on the characters while enhancing the show’s tech‑driven, contemporary emotional landscape.
Why It Matters
What lingers after the show is not the musical itself but the ethical and emotional questions the show raises in the audiences’ mind. Can a need for connection justify irreversible harm? Dear Evan Hansen refuses to absolve anyone. Not Evan, not the adults around him, not the audience moved by the tragic foundation of the story. That moral ambiguity is the point, and this production navigates it with honesty and care.
Takeaway
A brave, imperfect, genuinely moving production. Some musical bumps along the way that will likely be settled as the show progresses.
Dear Evan Hansen is running now through June 28th, 2026. Get tickets HERE or call The Carnegie Box Office at 859-957-1940, noon to 5 pm, Tuesday-Friday. Bring tissues and a willingness to sit with the show’s uncomfortable questions.
Molly Alderson is an advertising professional. She is a Wittenberg University alum, where she attended on a theatre scholarship. Molly has performed in both theatre, dance and improv groups across the country. She loves attending live performances and hopes her passion for writing will inspire others to get back to the theatre, as well.
