Dearly Beloved

Today's post is on the short side. That's because I'm talking again about Dear Evan Hansen, about which I've already said a fair amount. I can now add to that, though, that if you live in the Denver area, you now have a chance to see it without traveling all the way to New York. The touring version of the production began its run right here, and closes out this coming weekend. You have a few nights left to make it. And you totally should.

Dear Evan Hansen remains a great show, worthy of the accolades it received in its original run. Unlike Matilda, which was so diminished in the incarnation of its U.S. Tour that I apparently never even blogged about seeing it the second time, this cast follows well in the original's footsteps. Ben Platt won a Tony originating the title role, and while it's true and expected that no one following could match his intensity, the star of this production, Ben Levi Ross, definitely works. His vocal strength is obvious, and his more gangly and awkward appearance actually feels more authentic to the role of an outcast and weird teenager.

I love this show. I loved it the first time, transfixed by a pair of rare and amazing performances. I loved it the second, more able to recognize and appreciate the arcs of other characters in the story. It's great. See it. That's about all I can say.