Dear Evan Hansen opened at the Paramount theatre in Aurora on Feb. 4, after the licensing rights were released by Musical Theatre International to amateur theaters in the nation.

Dear Evan Hansen is a musical that takes us through the struggles of two separate families, and highlights the sons of both families who are unknowingly struggling with the same thing: suicide. 

After Connor Murphy takes his own life, Evan finds himself stuck lying about being his best friend, as his parents found a letter Evan wrote to himself and mistook it for Connor’s last words. The musical follows this plot, leading Evan to create the Connor Project to honor his “best friend” and create a space for others who feel alone.

The lead role, Evan Hansen, was played by Cody Combs and enthralled the audience with his riffs. If his performance wasn’t impressive enough, he also got recommended for a Jeff Award, a recognition given to outstanding actors in the Chicagoland area. 

Although the cast was relatively small, they were all able to present powerhouse vocals and work magnificently together. Megan McGinnis, who plays Heide Hansen, displayed her relaxed vibrato voice with her solos, and perfectly resembled the realistic struggles of a single mom.

Isabel Kaegi, who portrays Zoe Murphy, is from Palatine, Illinois and can be recognized from her feature in the 2019 TV series “Proven Innocent”. 

The set design was very modern looking, adorned with easy moving set pieces and projections designed by Anthony Chuchill dominating the background on a huge LED screen. Lights moved synchronized with the choreography and score playing on stage, leaving the audience mesmerized. 

A small detail that made a big impact was when the screen would abruptly switch to a blurred, black screen with a static effect every time that we were introduced to the inner thoughts of Evan. It created such an immersive experience and strengthened a strong connection between the audience and the characters on stage.

 Although the show carries emotional themes throughout the performance, the grief was gently cushioned with teenage humor, but the message still remains clear. 

Even if you couldn’t relate to the exact struggles that were presented in the show, I feel that everyone could connect to it somehow. Whether you feel alone, hurt, lost, or even invisible- you will be found. The final show will play on March 22.