16y/o Jimmy Award Winner is Bway's Next Evan Hansen

[VotePeron]

16 year-old Andrew Barth Feldman, winner of the 2018 Jimmy Award, will take over as Evan Hansen in January. incredible for this kid. He's super talented, I see why.

Source: New York Times

Jimmy Award performances:

"Goodbye" from Catch Me If You Can  (as part of a medley)

"I Love Betsy" from Honeymoon in Vegas (full solo)

 

Image of him in costume, from NYT:

[barcelona20]

Will be interesting to see how he holds up over the run.

[CT2NYC]

Odd that he's starting on a Wednesday, not Tuesday. Maybe they're switching up the alternate schedule.

[Br0adway]

Well looks like I’ll be adding DEH back into my Broadway show list. I didn’t think they’d add a new Evan just yet. I thought Taylor Trensch would stick around for a while.

[amygbrooks]

Wow. Bold move. I'll be back in NY in March and just might have to see DEH again.

[bdn223]

I'm amazed they cast the show with someone whose actually a teen. I hope the producers are paying for a vocal coach for him as I can't imagine at 16 he has the forethought to think about what belting out DEH's score nightly will do to his voice without proper care. Best of luck to him, and may this just be a stepping stone of greater things to come!!!

[Valentina3]

I hope this get Tim Federle to write another Better Nate Than Ever series based on this guy.

[ggersten]

This is at least the second Jimmy participant to land a lead role as a teen.  Eve Noblezada also was "discovered" at the Jimmys.  

[JSquared2]

Br0adway said: "Well looks like I’ll be adding DEH back into my Broadway show list. I didn’t think they’d add a new Evan just yet. I thought Taylor Trensch would stick around for a while."

 

Trensch started last January, so he'll have done a full year -- how long were you expecting him to stay?

 

 

[jae_lynn13]

Wow, this is amazing! What a great opportunity for him! I had watched his winning performance from the Jimmy's, and he's extremely talented! On the off chance that he checks these chat boards, I wish you the best of luck with your run, Andrew! Stay healthy, have fun, and break a leg (along with your perpetual broken arm)!

[KitKatBoy24]

That score is a beast for Evan. I can’t help but worry that a 16 y/o boy could damage his voice doing that show that many times a week. If they wanted the publicity of a teenager playing the role, I almost wish they’d cast two boys and have them rotate. The male voice at that age just might not be mature enough for this.

That being said, I’d love to be proved wrong and be blown away by him!

[Bwayfan292]

Wow! This is a great opportunity for him, I agree that the score could ruin his voice 8 times a week, but Im sure there will be coaches backstage to help.

I wonder how he will look with the other “teenagers” of Jared and Alana.

[Call_me_jorge]

They are still using the alternate schedule, but still 6 times a week is a lot for someone of his age.

[uncageg]

Valentina3 said: "I hope this get Tim Federle to write another Better Nate Than Ever series based on this guy."

I am hoping he writes another book to tie up the loose ends in the third and "final" book. He eluded to it in an interview.

 

[Bwayfan292]

Call_me_jorge said: "They are still using the alternate schedule, but still 6 times a week is a lot for someone of his age. "

Ah thanks Jorge. I always forget that the evans do 6 times a week.

[bdn223]

Bwayfan292 said: "Call_me_jorge said: "They are still using the alternate schedule, but still 6 times a week is a lot for someone of his age. "

Ah thanks Jorge. I always forget that the evans do 6 times a week."

Still you could hear the vocal damage forming in Ben Platts voice during his Tony Performance....having to sing/belt Waiving Through A Window even 6x a week is going to take its toll.

[InTheBathroom1]

BREAKING: Babies from The Ferryman to star as Broadway’s next Evan Hansens

[LesWickedly]

Bdn, it could take a toll but if he manages to stay healthy and take the right precautions, all could be fine. To be fair, Ben had been performing the show 8 times a week at that time (the alternate schedule wasn’t implemented until September of last year) and he had been out sick that whole entire weekend of the Tonys. I wish all the luck to Andrew and can’t wait to see him. It’s also worth nothing that Taylor has missed barely any performances and I don’t think Noah missed any either so seems they’re very healthy and the alternate schedule could be a huge factor into that.

[SomethingPeculiar]

I wonder if the eventual goal is to cast people aged 16-20 in all the youth roles (like the original Spring Awakening did)? This guy and Mallory Bechtel are so young, but the rest of the "kids" and standbys are in their late 20s.

[Golenboybway]

Most of the cast and standbys are late twenties but

Dan u/s Connor/Jared just finished college and so he’s 22

Diamond u/s Zoe/Alana is 23

Roman u/s Evan/Connor/Jared is a freshman/sophomore in college making him around 19-20 so considering the standbys i think they’re ok. And besides Mallory the rest of the onstage cast is a bit older. I’m not sure how old Phoenix is

[Sondheimite]

Honestly?

Besides P&P constantly writing the most clichéd/trite musicals ever to grace the modern stage, the character of Evan is a sociopath.  It's hard to have sympathy for a sociopath when someone in their mid/late twenties is playing the role.  It might bring more sympathy to the character having a younger teen play the role.  

[MauraLovesMusicals]

a little off topic, but can someone explain to me how the jimmy’s work? i know they’re like the high school tonys but how do they figure out who wins? there are over 100,000 schools in the country, and they obviously do not scout every single one. is it just like a select few favorite schools? the whole event just seems like a storm of favoring well funded theater departments instead of working on helping bring big eyes to smaller schools that do just as much

[InTheBathroom1]

It seems like that because it is.  States/Regions have their own programs that give out awards for Best Actor/Actress in that specific region.  Of course, the school has to pay fees and such to be a member and be reviewed by a team of panelists.  The winners from the state go to the Jimmys and then the winners are selected there.  And I think it's important to note that DEH was a sponsor of this year's program.  My guess is that they were planning on casting a Jimmy person from the start.

 

Also important to note that at least in Wisconsin, participating schools must be less than 90 miles from the state's capital which eliminates a lot of schools.

[Call_me_jorge]

^first there are regional awards. In Chicago it’s the IHSMTA(Illinois high school musical theatre awards) and I’m pretty sure schools have to pay to be considered to be nominated? My former high school has been nominated for these a couple times. Then twi actors one female and one male who win at their regional awards get sent to the Jimmy’s to represent their region/show.

 

edit: ahaha inthebathroon beat me to it!

[sing_dance_love]

Edit: the above posters answered before me.