This collaboration, now in its third year, allows theater students to work professionally while still in college and brings a bold new interpretation to this powerful Tony, Grammy and Olivier award-winning musical. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Theatre and Red Mountain Theatre are teaming up to present “Dear Evan Hansen,” with performances April 3-19.
Show times are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $40 and are on sale now at redmountaintheatre.org. Buy tickets. “Dear Evan Hansen” is recommended for ages 13 and older due to heavy thematic material and adult language.
Through this annual collaboration, now in its third year, students from UAB’s Musical Theatre program are cast alongside professional actors, creating a rich learning environment and dynamic performances. This partnership is a rare one, says Roy Lightner, who is both associate professor of musical theater at UAB and RMT’s Singh artistic director.
“This artistic mix of professionals and students is unique to Birmingham and reflects Red Mountain Theatre’s and UAB’s joint commitment to education,” Lightner said. He directs this powerful, contemporary award-winning musical, and 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 — will use LED screens and digital projections on a multi-level set design to bring the audience into the digital world.
Despite 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,” Lightner said. “You will be moved by the story, and I hope it will encourage you to continue to find deep connections with others.”
In the original Broadway version, the cast is limited to eight actors. The five high schoolers will be played by UAB students Darion Dewhirst of New Orleans, Louisiana, as Evan; Caleb Womak of Gadsden, Alabama, as Connor; Charity Bielicki of Huntington Beach, California, as Zoe; Knox Villemarette of Lafayette, Louisiana, as Jared; and Lily Cameron of Birmingham, Alabama, as 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.
“Dear Evan Hansen” is sponsored by Burr & Forman, Christopher Daniel, The Drummond Family, Lisa and Alan Engel, The Huisking Foundation, and The James on Highland. Sign language interpretation and audio descriptions will be available at the 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, April 11.
The UAB Department of Theatre, in the College of Arts and Sciences, has won the highest honors awarded to university theaters, including best in region from the American College Theater Festival. Faculty members in the department continue to work professionally in addition to teaching. The department is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.
Red Mountain Theatre inspires audiences through powerful theater experiences led by professionals who deliver engaging performances produced and presented with artistic integrity. The Birmingham-based nonprofit organization has been inspiring audiences, changing lives and creating conversations through theater experiences since 1979. In addition to theater productions, RMT offers educational programs that build positive life skills for young people and provides growth opportunities for theater professionals.