The Tony award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen asks its characters to navigate the complicated ways people try to connect. For the actors telling their stories, that means looking beyond the choices each character makes to understand the fear, love, and longing beneath them.
We spoke with members of the cast about how they approached their roles, the moments that challenged them and what they hope audiences understand about their characters.
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Rob Watson* as Larry. Photo by Brennen Russell.
Rob Watson* plays Larry.
TPTC: You are a familiar face at The Phoenix Theatre Company. From understudying, plays, and being part of a huge ensemble, what has it been like stepping into a complex character like Larry in an intimate musical?
Watson: I’m so grateful for every opportunity to work here at TPTC, and every show is fun and exciting in its own right, but there is something special about a small intimate musical like this one. With a smaller company, the responsibility for telling the story authentically falls more evenly on every character’s shoulders and this cast carries that weight admirably. Larry is indeed a complex character (as is everyone in this show) but that only makes him more interesting to inhabit every day.
TPTC: The Murphy family experiences the same loss but responds in very different ways. What do you think the show gets right about grief?
Watson: Grief is intensely personal. And how it expresses itself can vary even within the same individual. I just recently lost the last of my grandparents, and I didn’t grieve the same way for each of them. Everyone experiences and handles it differently, and allowing each audience member to potentially see a version of their own emotional journey is one of the reasons why I think this show resonates with so many people across the board.
TPTC: What do you admire most about Larry?
Watson: I admire the depth of Larry’s quiet strength. While he appears mostly emotionally unavailable throughout, I think his strength is actually what makes it possible for him to overcome personal tragedy, realize he is failing his family, and make new and better choices in the end.
TPTC: What do you hope audiences understand about Larry by the end of the show?
Watson: We really only see the Murphys as a family in crisis and we only briefly touch on how they were once not as dysfunctional as we find them during the events of this show. I think that any parent out there can relate to the challenges and joys of raising children, and I hope that audiences understand that while Larry isn’t always the best at showing it, he has a great capacity for love and kindness, and there is great reason to hope that the Murphys will be better, stronger, and more connected as a family in the future.
Connor Dunning* as Connor. Photo by Brennen Russell.
Connor Dunning* as Connor
TPTC: What’s one word you would use to describe Connor Murphy and why?
Dunning: Alone. I think the best word that describes Connor Murphy is Alone. Connor does not have anybody to go to if he needs help or he can’t find a way out. They say it many times throughout the show but he had NO friends at school and he did not trust his family as well. When you don’t have anybody to talk to about the many problems this life gives us, you isolate yourself and assume that you have to take on the world and all of its challenges alone. Connor is already dealing with so many problems with his family and himself, and being completely alone while all of that is happening is never a good idea. We all need other people to help us through this life, and when we try to figure it out on our own sometimes we can’t see a way out.
TPTC: Was there a particular scene or song that challenged you in an unexpected way?
Dunning: I think the scene in the computer lab with Evan challenged me the most. It was really fun to find the extremes of Connor, and that scene especially shows them off with Connor really stopping and thinking for a moment that Evan is not such a bad guy. Most of the show is focused on how Connor hates and laughs at the world, no matter who is in it. I think when he walks down a street or down the hallways at school he’s thinking how miserable these people are and how he could never in a million years do the stupid things they do. An interesting idea that someone so mean and calloused on the outside, even they can open up and let someone in given the right chance. And then of course how quickly that can change and how quickly the spikes and walls he spent so long building come back.
TPTC: As a local performer, what has been the most rewarding part of joining this cast?
Dunning: I think the most exciting part about this as a local performer is getting to perform on this Hormel stage at the theatre. Growing up me and my mom would always go to a few shows a year and I can see myself as a little guy watching the actors thinking to myself “god I would give anything to do that”. And well here I am!! Sometimes I can’t believe I am doing what I love, and meeting such wonderful people while I do it as well!
TPTC: Connor becomes a symbol for many different things throughout the show. Who is Connor to you?
Dunning: Connor is an example of any kid in any school across the world that feels like they have no way out. That has no friends and family that they can talk to. Every kid who thinks no one loves them and that they are completely alone. He’s a symbol for the chance that we all have to reach out to our friends, classmates, or colleges and just say I am here for you. Just give a shoulder to cry on if they need it. It’s also a perfect example of why we NEED to stop pushing this toxic masculinity idea that if I get help that makes me weak. These problems are all real, we all deal with them and we all need help.
Elyse Wolf* as Heidi. Photo by Brennen Russell.
Elyse Wolf* plays Heidi
TPTC: Heidi spends much of the show trying to reach her son. What do you think makes that relationship so relatable for audiences?
Wolf: I think any mother of a teenager in today’s world can easily relate to Heidi’s struggle to connect with Evan. I think the internet and social media have really taken a stronghold on our teens today. The constant distraction of online society and its associated social pressures can be intense and isolating. When I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s there was no internet, no social media, and no smartphones; it was easier to connect and communicate with our parents. I also think that for Heidi, struggling as a single mother working days and attending class at night makes balancing her time and attention to Evan very difficult. The need to provide financially and better herself unfortunately often takes priority over her time and relationship with Evan. Life is hard, I think most people can relate, and I certainly can.
TPTC: You’ve played many memorable mothers on stage. What feels unique about Heidi?
Wolf: Of all the mothers I have played on stage, Heidi feels the most like me. I am the mother of an only son (he’s now 22 years old) who also struggled with anxiety in high school. I remember feeling the need to connect with him and watching him sometimes struggle to navigate our crazy world. Even my son said to me after seeing the show how much like Heidi he felt I was and how he could really relate to Evan. It is fun on stage to play someone who is very different from you, and I do that often. I don’t often get to play someone who feels very much like myself. It has been very therapeutic and thought-provoking to play her.
TPTC: “So Big/So Small” is one of the show’s most emotional moments. What do you think resonates so deeply about that song?
Wolf: Oh, man, So Big/So Small is something very special. I think the song really captures the realization that parents are human beings. We often make mistakes and feel just as lonely and scared as our children do. I think it really addresses how overwhelming it can be to raise a child, particularly for Heidi as a single mom. I think the song allows Heidi to recognize and acknowledge that she wasn’t always there for Evan when he needed her, and to express the guilt she feels about that. But most importantly, the song allows Heidi to express her unconditional love for Evan, vowing, “I’ll be there, no matter what.” In that moment in the story, that is what Evan needs to hear most.
TPTC: Dear Evan Hansen is often discussed through the perspective of teenagers. What do you think the show has to say about parents?
Wolf: Not to keep repeating myself but I think Dear Evan Hansen portrays parents as imperfect and human. All of the parents’ songs in the show really highlight the struggle of parenting especially when your children are dealing with depression, loneliness, anxiety and anger. It really comments on how challenging parenting is, even for parents with lots of money like Connor’s, and how money can’t fix complex problems like mental health and poor communication. I think when things are “broken,” parents try very hard to fix them, and sometimes they succeed while sometimes they fail. That is a hard and emotional realization for any parent.
Madison Norwood* as Alana. Photo by Brennen Russell.
Madison Norwood* plays Alana
TPTC: When you first read the script, what was your initial impression of Alana? How has that evolved?
Norwood: When I initially read the script, I was incredibly intrigued by Alana. She was someone who never claimed to have friends but was intent on creating a world of connection. I was confused by some of the choices she made throughout the show, but I was excited to explore who she is and why she makes the decisions that she does. I now understand Alana. She makes some choices that can be perceived as morally grey, but she, like many other characters, only has good intentions.
TPTC: Alana is passionate about making a difference. What do you think motivates her?
Norwood: Alana is motivated by a desire to save people like her. I think her story came close to being like Connor’s. His passing opened the doors for people to be truthful about what they are dealing with. Alana sees this as an opportunity to foster connection and make sure people who are struggling know that they are not alone in what they are going through. I believe ultimately, in trying to save other people, she is also saving herself.
TPTC: What has it been like joining a cast for such a well-known musical?
Norwood: I believe I am in a rare position. When I joined this production, I knew little to nothing about the show. (Just one or two songs and the subject matter). I was really excited to dive in and explore a story that I had not yet been exposed to.
TPTC: What do you think Alana is really searching for throughout the show?
Norwood: Alana is truly searching for friendship. Throughout the show, she consistently makes the clarification that she has acquaintances, not friends. Alana wants someone she trusts; someone to share what she’s going through with; someone she’s not too much for; someone she can be herself around. She is searching for a true connection.
Details
Dates: June 10 – August 2, 2026
Location: The Phoenix Theatre Company, Dr. Stacie J. and Richard J Stephenson Theatre
Tickets: phoenixtheatre.com | (602) 254-2151
Audio Description and American Sign Language interpretation are available for this production. Performance dates and details can be found at phoenixtheatre.com.
*Courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the U.S.
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