One Last Look: Andrew Barth Feldman in Dear Evan Hansen
On Saturday night, January 11, 2020, I returned to the Music Box Theatre to see Andrew Barth Feldman as Evan Hansen one more time. I’d seen his fifth performance in the role last February, and wrote about that here, but I was really curious to see how Andrew has grown into the role since then.
To say this has been a pivotal, life-changing year for the young star would be a gross understatement. He’s rejoiced and suffered through what must be some of the best and most difficult days life will ever hand him, but as I witnessed firsthand this weekend, he has clearly managed to channel all that energy, positive and negative though it’s been, into his performance each night.
When I first saw Andrew perform the role of Evan Hansen last February, I was astounded by his grasp of the character and his total command of the stage. He didn’t look at all like some kid thrust into the spotlight, but instead like a veteran stage actor thrust into the body of a 16-year-old. I was honestly floored by his talent, and amazed by his confidence.
With about 11 months in between visits to the show, I assumed I’d see some more depth to his performance, but I wasn’t expecting to be startled breathless by how much he has added since last year.
The young 17-year-old actor I saw on stage this past Saturday night looked exactly the same as he did last February, but his acting was astonishing, and his overall performance was next-level incredible. Tears — real, honest-to-God tears of what looked like deep, heartfelt pain and anguish — poured out of this young man multiple times, and when the lights came up at the close of the first act, the audience practically let out a collective gasp of awe.
We were stunned. We were, all of us it seemed, based on the relative silence after our applause, caught up in the moment as we shook our heads and looked around at each other with tears in our eyes. Andrew Barth Feldman had just given us everything he had, and then he went ahead and turned up the volume even more in the second act.
When I wrote about the show last year, I was sure to note how fantastic the cast was as a whole, and all of them are certainly at the top of their games without any help from Andrew, but I watched something truly special happen throughout Saturday night’s performance. Andrew’s energy forced them all to rise up to meet him. Yes, they are all incredible on their own, and I genuinely mean that, but you could just see how they fed off his twitches, his tears, and his passion so much that the cumulative effect was mind-blowing.
I honestly don’t usually gush this much, but it really was one of those nights on Broadway when all the stars align, and an A+ show with an A+ cast gives you something that blows the roof off the joint.
Three other performers, two of whom are understudies, deserve special recognition of this fact as well.
First is the incomparable Alex Boniello as Connor Murphy. Alex has been in this role for a year and a half now, and as such, he has basically given his life over to Connor and his story. He breathes in the role like it’s the only air he’s got to survive on, and then he exhales to the audience every ounce of pain and truth any real-life Connor deserves to receive. He really is extraordinary.
Second is the revelation that is Josh Strobl. This guy has understudied both Connor Murphy and even the lead role of Evan Hansen, but on Saturday night, we witnessed his very first time taking the stage as — and completely owning the role of — Jared Kleinman. We knew he was the understudy, and that he’d gone on as Evan before, but we had no idea till after the show that this was Josh’s first time in this particular track. He really stood out though, and I’m so impressed with how strong and confident he was in a role he’d never performed before. Wow…just wow. 2016 Jimmy Awards winner too!
And last but not in any way least was Kaitlyn Santa Juana as Zoe Murphy. This young lady was perfection personified. She was literally every ounce of what her character needed to be, and you’d never in a million years guess she wasn’t the regular Zoe either, nor that she is making her Broadway debut in this show. Her voice is magical, her stage presence both commanding and achingly vulnerable in equal parts depending on the scene, and her acting all delivered with pinpoint accuracy as well. She was just incredible, and it’s clear she has a very bright future ahead of her.
Each one of these standouts and the other four cast members as well were all at the top of their game on Saturday night, and I truly believe this was at least partially due to the tone set by the star himself, Andrew Barth Feldman.
Dear Evan Hansen and the theatre community as a whole have been blessed with this young man’s gifted presence this past year, and Broadway surely will be again one day upon his return. Until then, catch him and costar Alex Boniello while you can at the Music Box Theatre, and give this beautiful show and the rest of its extraordinary cast your full attention. The story behind that striped shirt and scribbled-over arm cast really is something special.
