Dear Evan Hansen at Paramount Theatre
This new production brings audiences an honest and deeply resonant story about connection, identity, and the universal need to be seen. The musical earned six Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score, along with a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The Paramount's staging offers local theatergoers an opportunity to experience this groundbreaking work without the cost and logistics of a downtown Chicago production.The musical follows Evan Hansen, an anxious high school senior who begins each day by writing himself a letter about why it will be a good day-a coping strategy suggested by his therapist to help manage his social anxiety and loneliness. When one of these letters leads to a well-intentioned but ultimately deceptive misunderstanding, Evan finds himself caught in an escalating web of lies. Through his unforgettable journey, the musical explores themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the mistakes that shape us, ultimately affirming that everyone deserves to feel love and belonging.
Director Jessica Fisch, who won the 2024 Jeff Award for Director-Musical, makes her Paramount debut with this production. Said Fisch, "The show explores the boxes we put ourselves in: the emotional, the metaphorical, and the digital ones we post, like and share. My sincere hope is that this show brings together a multigenerational audience who feel inspired to discuss with one another how anxiety, loss, and technology have shaped their own lives."
The cast features Cody Combs making his Chicago-area debut in the title role of Evan Hansen, alongside Megan McGinnis as Heidi Hansen, Isabel Kaegi as Zoe Murphy, Jake DiMaggio Lopez as Connor Murphy, Bri Sudia as Cynthia Murphy, Devin DeSantis as Larry Murphy, Ty Shay as Jared Kleinman, and Elaine Watson as Alana Beck.
The musical features a book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson and a score by the celebrated songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who have won Grammy, Tony, Olivier, and Academy Awards for their work on projects including "La La Land" and "The Greatest Showman." The original Broadway production was directed by four-time Tony nominee Michael Greif, known for his work on "Rent" and "Next to Normal."
"Dear Evan Hansen" first premiered at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015, followed by an Off-Broadway run at Second Stage Theatre in March 2016. The musical opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in December 2016 and went on to receive nine Tony Award nominations at the 71st Tony Awards. The New York Times called it "a breathtaking knockout of a musical" and NBC Nightly News declared it "an anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond." The Broadway production ran for nearly five years. A film adaptation was released in 2021, starring Ben Platt reprising his Tony Award-winning performance alongside Amy Adams and Julianne Moore.
The Paramount Theatre is located at 23 East Galena Boulevard in downtown Aurora. Performances of "Dear Evan Hansen" begin Wednesday, February 4 and continue through March 22. Tickets range from $31 to $106, offering a more affordable alternative to downtown Chicago productions with the added benefits of easy, accessible parking and a variety of new restaurants in the surrounding area.