Red Mountain Theatre and UAB to Stage DEAR EVAN HANSEN in April 2026

In their now-annual collaboration, Red Mountain Theatre and UAB Department of Theatre are teaming up to bring the powerful contemporary musical Dear Evan Hansen to the RMT stage this April. Students from the UAB Musical Theatre program are cast alongside professional actors, leading to not only a rich learning environment, but dynamic performances. This partnership is a rare one, says Roy Lightner, who serves as both Associate Professor of Musical Theatre at UAB and RMT's Singh Artistic Director. "This artistic mix of professionals and students is unique to Birmingham, and reflects RMT's and UAB's joint commitment to education."

Lightner also directs the musical, and he is excited to explore its deep emotional themes. The story follows Evan Hansen, an anxious teenager who feels invisible and unseen. When tragedy rocks the community, what starts as a well-intentioned lie swells into the online world, changing Evan's life. Characters are rocked by loneliness and a deep desire to be understood, amplified by the pressures of social media. Since technology plays a huge role in the show, the creative team (composed of both RMT and UAB professionals) is utilizing LED screens and digital projections on a multi-level set design to bring the audience into the digital world.

In the original Broadway version, the cast is limited to eight actors. The five high schoolers will be played by UAB students Darion Dewhirst (Evan), Caleb Womak (Connor), Charity Bielicki (Zoe), Knox Villemarette (Jared), and Lily Cameron (Alana). Three RMT favorites return as the parental figures: Jake Boyd and Meggie Cansler Ness as Connor and Zoe's parents, and Kristen B. Campbell as Evan's mother. Lightner has also added an ensemble, to bring elements of dance and movement that have not been seen in other productions of the show.

In spite of the heavy themes, Lightner finds it an intensely humanizing show. "Our actors are no strangers to this world, and it's been inspiring to watch how they use their own experience to create real moments of connection on and off stage," says Lightner. "You'll be moved by the story, and I hope it will encourage you to continue to find deep connections with others."