Mānoa Valley Theatre's "Dear Evan Hansen" production will premiere tonight, marking a significant milestone in the play's history.
It's the first time the play will be performed by any theater outside of the Broadway shows and national tour.
"Honestly, the show is so powerful and has such a massive following. The fact that we're the first to do it, and we're not just the first community theater, we're the first outside of the Broadway production," said Kathleen Young, the executive director of Mānoa Valley Theatre.
She explained there are several considerations for getting rights to a show, such as: Are you a professional theatre? What's the size of your audience? How expensive are your tickets? Will it compete with any other major market that's already licensed to do the show?
For Hawaiʻi, Young said, there is no competition with the continental U.S., which allowed the theater to be the first granted this permission.
"We are far enough away that we have no impact financially on their production," she said.
"Dear Evan Hansen" explores themes of loneliness and longing for connection. It centers on Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, as he navigates his role in a school tragedy — a role that starts with a lie.
The contemporary musical has won six Tony Awards, a Grammy and the Olivier Award for Best Musical.
Young says its a story about empowerment, empathy and human connection. "And we get there on a very difficult journey with Evan that tackles issues of teen bullying and loneliness, suicide, grief, and social media and the power of it — both good and bad."
The show runs from March 7 to April 7. For tickets, click here.
This story aired on The Conversation on March 7, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
