Dear Evan Hansen going to West End!

[Wick3]

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Confirmed-DEAR-EVAN-HANSEN-to-Wave-at-the-West-End-in-2019-20181004

I couldn't find any posts on this from using the search function though I recall reading in this forum that Mindich wanted a British cast for West End.

I'm quite excited! I watched DEH on Broadway several times last year and will admit have not seen it since Nov 2017 but I am willing to fly to London next year to see the show there! Anyone else excited for this?

The musical will be at the Noel Coward theatre in the West End. I was just there two weeks ago to watch THE INHERITANCE pt 1 preview and it's an intimate space (and smaller in terms of capacity than the Music Box) though it has 4 levels! 

Also, do any of you think Ben Platt would eventually go to London and perform (limited engagement) some time after the original west end Evan leaves?

[LesWickedly]

I don't see Ben ever going, no, unless he originates which is extremely unlikely.

[Wick3]

That's what I thought too but I think he would if he'd be eligible to be nominated for an Olivier. Isn't it possible for replacements to be nominated for Olivier Awards too? I know it's rare but I remember in the West End revival of My Fair Lady back in the early 2000s, Jonathan Pryce originated the role of Henry Higgins and got nominated for Best Actor in a musical in 2002, then a year later his replacement Alex Jennings also got nominated for Best Actor in a musical and won the Olivier! Have the rules changed?

[Bwayfan292]

Taylor stated at the Stage door a couple weeks ago that it will be an all british cast. Meaning no one will transfer with the production.

I will try and find the video and link it!

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Baz Bamigboye’s tweets said the creative team is committed to an all-British cast and a UK casting director. Something tells me Ben Platt is done with Evan...at the time of his Bway departure, he seemed really emotionally/physically/vocally done with playing the role that changed his life. In the same way that I think Puerto Rico will be Lin-Manuel’s final full performances as A-Ham.

Interesting that by the time DEH opens in London, it will have been 3 years since the Broadway opening. But maybe the more time between “Jamie” and “Evan,” the better.

[everythingtaboo]

If I remember correctly from a long time ago, they said if it ever went to London, it would be race-blind casting, which would be exciting. (It seems to be so much easier for the Brits to wrap their heads around it.)

[qolbinau]

Who said that? And does that mean Dear Evan Hansen is intentionally only being cast with white people on Broadway? I hope/assume they aren’t.

[everythingtaboo]

qolbinau, I don't think they are intentionally blocking anyone out of the casting, but I'm sure they had something in mind, at least at the start. And remember that poster here who couldn't wrap their head around the the Jewish character being replaced by a person of color?

Anyway, had to go back a bit to remember where I first heard about the colorblind casting, turns out it was March 2018:

"Stacey Mindich is the producer who commissioned Pasek and Paul to develop the show nine years ago. She told me teenagers would see the show and later return with their parents.

Some had assumed that either Ben Platt, who originated the part and won a Tony; or Taylor Trensch (pictured above, with Laura Dreyfuss as Zoe), who recently replaced him, would play Evan in a West End production.

But Ms Mindich surprised me by saying she had woken one day at 3am with the realisation that ‘Evan has to be played by a British actor’. She also said they would use colour-blind casting, so he could be played by an Afro-Caribbean or Asian actor."

Producer of hit Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen seeks a British actor to play the title role in London

[MadsonMelo]

I wonder if Gentleman's Guide will ever play West End.


From the 2000's it's the only winner that has not been there, right?

[Call_me_jorge]

MadsonMelo said: "I wonder if Gentleman's Guide will ever play West End.


From the 2000's it's the only winner that has not been there, right?"

Huh. That’s a very interesting thought. You’d think out of all the shows, this is the one that would do extremely well over there. 

[SweetLips22]

MadsonMelo said: "I wonder if Gentleman's Guide will ever play West End.

Gentleman's Guide is having a short season at the end of Oct. in Melbourne as part of The Production Company's yearly season.

Mitchell Butel stars--can't wait and it's an Australian premiere.
 

 

[SomethingPeculiar]

MadsonMelo said: "I wonder if Gentleman's Guide will ever play West End.
From the 2000's it's the only winner that has not been there, right?"


Wow, that's kind of a shocking stat! Especially since it's SO British. Maybe GGLAM will get a revised UK production ~10 years after the original, like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?

Though, is the Young Vic considered Off-West End? Because FUN HOME played the Young Vic but hasn't transferred commercially (yet). I'm curious if The Band's Visit will eventually make it to London, too.

[MadsonMelo]

It's off West End, but it's eligible for the Olivier tho (as far as I know).

[Scripps2]

MadsonMelo said: "I wonder if Gentleman's Guide will ever play West End.
From the 2000's it's the only winner that has not been there, right?"

SomethingPeculiar said: "Wow, that's kind of a shocking stat! Especially since it's SO British."

But it's not SO British at all; it is an American perception of what British is.

And that is why it hasn't transferred.

 

[ajh]

Scripps2 said: "MadsonMelo said: "I wonder if Gentleman's Guide will ever play West End.
From the 2000's it's the only winner that has not been there, right?"

SomethingPeculiar said: "Wow, that's kind of a shocking stat! Especially since it's SO British."

But it's not SO British at all;it is an American perception of what British is.

And that is why it hasn't transferred.

"

Good point. That’s why The Mystery Of Edwin Drood never really caught on in the UK. The original West End production, mounted by the same team responsible for the Broadway hit version and with a starry cast, flopped miserably. 

[qolbinau]

West End audiences actually don’t like good musicals. Mount a frivolous trashy jukebox musical and they’ll flock like a mosquito attracted to light. This is probably why they’ve never seen next to normal etc. And why the west end pickings for musicals (especially new musicals) are often particularly dire.

[Scripps2]

ajh said: "Good point. That’s why The Mystery Of Edwin Drood never really caught on in the UK. The original West End production, mounted by the same team responsible for the Broadway hit version and with a starry cast, flopped miserably."

Yes, that's another.

Full credit to the Kinky Boots team who were determined to produce something that had an authentic voice and would therefore transfer successfully. Which, of course, it did. Full credit to the late Mr Lerner too.

[RippedMan]

I do wonder how this will do. Doesn't seem like West End audiences care too much for "serious" American musicals. "Kinky Boots" did great, but it's a British story and it is "fun." This is a weird, drab story with nothing too exciting going on staging wise. I really wish they re-directed/redesigned the show once they moved from 2nd Stage. It's so limiting. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Any ideas when they will announce the cast for this?

[CT2NYC]

Not trying to start a rumor, but rain makes me think of London. Just an observation, nothing more:

https://twitter.com/BenSPLATT/status/1162414197344485384

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Could be a concert in London...or a new song about rain...or an umbrella fashion line...or a trailer for his film Broken Diamonds...or something for The Politician...or something else!

I doubt it's DEH, though. Unless he's dying to win an Olivier and Stacey Mindich has offered him an insanely high salary to open the show for 10-15 weeks?

[neurasthenia]

CT2NYC said: "Not trying to start a rumor, but rainmakes me think of London. Just an observation, nothing more:

https://twitter.com/BenSPLATT/status/1162414197344485384"

Trying not to get my hopes up here...

[Impossible2]

If Ben was doing it surely it would've been announced when the show was first put on sale.

 

[SouthernCakes]

I have a friend who works on the show and it’s apparently going to be a very heavy American cast.

[Joshua Kilimnik]

Hypotheticals of any of the Toronto cast being transferred? Robert Markus, Sean Patrick Dolan and Shakura Dickson (Evan, Connor, Alana) are the only people from that cast who weren't transferred to another production of the show.