DEAR EVAN HANSEN Will Come to the Arden Theatre in May
Director Terrence J. Nolen and co-conceiver Jorge Cousineau bring a reimagined staging to Philadelphia's Arden Theatre
Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company will bring the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, to the F. Otto Haas Stage this spring. Featuring a book by Steven Levenson and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the production is directed by Terrence J. Nolen and co-conceived by Jorge Cousineau and Nolen. Performances begin May 21, the show opens May 27, and runs through June 28, 2026.
Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Dear Evan Hansen follows Evan, a high school senior who becomes entangled in a misunderstanding that grows into a fabricated story he cannot control. As the lie deepens, Evan must navigate the exciting new connections he’s created and the truth he’s avoiding. Featuring iconic songs like “Waving Through a Window” and “You Will Be Found,” this all-new production explores how young people navigate connection and mental health against today’s all-consuming social media landscape.
“Dear Evan Hansen is one of the defining musicals of the past decade,” said Director Terrence J. Nolen. “It speaks to the ways we try to be seen and understood, and how quickly things can spiral when that need collides with the amplifying force of social media.”
This production is co-conceived with Jorge Cousineau, a longtime collaborator of the Arden whose past scenic and projection work includes Sunday in the Park with George, Next to Normal, and The Lehman Trilogy. In this production, projections and screens create a world where digital and real life intersect, reflecting how quickly a single moment can spiral in the age of social media.
“We’re creating a dialogue between the tangible, the world within four walls that we can see and control, and the intangible space of the internet, where a single moment can expand far beyond our grasp,” said Cousineau. “Through media, we show how something small and real can be captured, shared, and then spiral into countless reflections of itself.”
Cast and Crew of Dear Evan Hansen:
Evan A. Kaushesh (Evan Hansen) is from Arizona and is making his Arden Theatre Company debut. Regional credits include Amongst the Pile: New Works Presentation (The Phoenix Theatre Company), The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and The Nutcracker: A Musical (Arizona Broadway Theatre). Additional credits include Guys & Dolls, Singin’ in the Rain, and Anything Goes (Hale Centre Theatre, AZ), as well as Dog Sees God, Be More Chill, A Chorus Line, Something Rotten, and Into the Woods.
Blake Ehrlichman (Jared Kleinman) makes his Arden Theatre Company debut. He previously appeared on the national tour of Dear Evan Hansen (Evan/Jared/Connor u/s). Ehrlichman holds a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College.
Asia DeShields (Alana Beck) returns to the Arden, where she previously performed in RENT and understudied Falsettos. Regional credits include Heathers: The Musical (Milton Theatre). DeShields holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Muhlenberg College.
Krissy Fraelich (Heidi Hansen) returns to the Arden, where she was last seen as Diana in Next to Normal. Broadway credits include The Civil War, and she has toured nationally as the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Regional credits include Elf (Walnut Street Theatre), Into the Woods (Theatre Horizon), Gypsy, and Mamma Mia! (Media Theatre), and Evita (Walnut Street Theatre).
Mary Fishburne (Cynthia Murphy) previously appeared at the Arden in Snow Queen and Once. Regional credits include Lungs (Woofe Street Playhouse), My Fair Lady (Village Repertory), South Pacific (Dock Street Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (WhatIF Productions), Robber Bridegroom (Threshold Repertory), Tell Me on a Sunday (Midtown Productions), and The Christians (Pure Theatre). Fishburne holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and Temple University and has worked in educational theatre for over 20 years. She is the writer of the musical Boundless, produced at schools across the country.
Michael Halling (Larry Murphy) is making his Arden debut. Broadway credits include My Fair Lady, The Boy From Oz, and The Pajama Game. Regional credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (BWW nomination), The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, and The Bridges of Madison County, along with work at leading theaters across the country. Television credits include Succession, The Americans, and The Gilded Age. Training: University of Minnesota and The Barrow Group.
Hailey Lara (Zoe Murphy) makes her Arden Theatre Company debut. Selected credits include RENT and Little Women at West Chester University and In the Heights at PA Playhouse. She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Musical Theatre and a Dance minor at West Chester University.
Julian Perez (Conor Murphy) makes his Arden Theatre Company debut. Regional credits include Camelot (The Wick Theatre), Young Frankenstein (Media Theatre), and A Christmas Carol (Actor’s Playhouse). Perez holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of the Arts.
This production features a virtual community that serves as online voices responding to what unfolds throughout the story. This includes Charlie Barney (RENT), Bryant (RENT), Jayson Brown (A Wrinkle in Time), Elena Camp (RENT), Erin Frances (u/s Spelling Bee), Autumn Jewel Hogan (debut), Zander Smith (debut), and Candace Thomas (debut).
The production team includes Terrence J. Nolen (Director), CaSandra Kay (Assistant Director), Ryan Touhey (Music Director), Jake Collins (Assistant Music Director), Billy Bustamante (Choreographer), Jorge Cousineau (Scenic and Projections Designer), Thom Weaver (Lighting Designer), Levonne Lindsay (Costume Designer), Elizabeth Atkinson (Sound Designer), Alexis Wells (Stage Manager), and Matthew Melchior (Assistant Stage Manager).
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