Some of our most beloved movies and TV shows have explored the pressure cooker environment of high school. The stage musical, “Dear Evan Hansen,” which rolls into town for a six-day stint as part of the “Broadway in Richmond” series, pushes the intensity meter higher than most with its story of a high school tragedy followed by inadvertent lies dramatically amplified by social media.
You might think that living out an intense cycle of anxiety would take a toll on the actors in the midst of it. “Going through that arc every day is actually really cathartic,” says Micaela Lamas, who plays Evan Hansen’s friend, hyper-achiever Alana. “It brings back more good memories than bad. Senior year in high school was exciting for me; I was so ready to graduate and go do what I really wanted to do.”
Lamas’s character starts out as an enthusiastic booster of Evan. Hansen is a socially-awkward teen who writes a letter to himself as part of a therapy session and is then thrust into the public spotlight when that letter is found in the pockets of Connor Murphy, a sullen teen who takes his own life. Alana initially believes Evan when he says that he and Connor were friends but begins to have doubts late in the show.
Connor’s sister, Zoe, played by Alaina Anderson, has the opposite trajectory, first skeptical of any relationship between Evan and Connor, then buying into the deception. Anderson has compassion for the character of Evan, having struggled with anxiety and depression in her younger years. “He’s a young person who is really desperate for any kind of human connection and I think a lot of us can relate to that,” she says.
While not necessarily feel-good in the traditional sense, “Dear Evan Hansen” has been celebrated for taking on complex issues around mental health, in the vein of breakout success in the late aughts, “Next to Normal.” The New York Times opined that the show was “ideal for families looking for something yeastier and more complex than the usual sugary diversions.”
Lamas and Anderson spoke to Style during a tour stop in Detroit. Not only do their characters go through opposite trajectories, the actors feel their characters’ personalities are the opposite of their real-life high school selves. “Zoey’s a lot cooler than I was in high school,” says Anderson. “She’s not a popular girl, but she’s very sure of herself, very grounded, and much less awkward than I was. I was a theater kid, an overachiever, so it’s fun to be playing a chill girl.”
“I think that’s hilarious,” says Lamas. “I was more of a Zoey in high school. I wouldn’t say I was a cool girl, but I was way more chill than Alana is. She cares so much. I did too, but not nearly so intensely. Characters that are not like you are the most fun to play. You can bring the truth you know into it but it’s also a challenge.”
Both actors are aware of some of the controversy “Dear Evan Hansen” has generated, particularly after the release of the 2021 film adaptation. Both feel the musical proves its mettle in the end. “People have opinions about who Evan is and what he does,” says Lamas. “I wouldn’t say that he’s a bad person or a good person; he makes different decisions. People make a lot of mistakes in life. He’s literally just a human.”
“In order to really evaluate Evan, it needs to be in the context of the piece, in that he’s a fictional character in a play,” says Anderson. “For me, it was really rewarding to join this show and not only see mental health issues depicted but to have a hand in how well they were portrayed on stage.”
Broadway in Richmond’s “Dear Evan Hansen” plays Oct. 18-23 at the Altria Theater, 6 N. Laurel St. For more information, visit broadwayinrichmond.com or call (804) 592-3368.
