This past weekend was a very bittersweet and emotional day as the Broadway company of the Tony and Grammy winning smash hit Dear Evan Hansen celebrated the last of the final 2 original cast members. This past Sunday, Michael Parks and Jennifer Laura Thompson who took their final bows as The Murphy Parents themselves "Larry" and "Cynthia'.
Parks (a Broadway veteran of hit shows including the 1994 revival of Carousel on Broadway, and the original Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller, and more) began his journey with the Pasek and Paul musical back in 2014 as part of the show's early reading before taking part the following year of 2015 in the show's world premiere run in Washington D.C. at Arena Stage. In 2016, Parks did not continue with the show when it played Off Broadway's Second Stage Theater due to a scheduling conflict but returned just in time a few months later opening the show on Broadway and continued ever since.
Thompson (known for her performances in Broadway's Footloose, a Tony nominee for her performance in Urinetown, and best known as the first original Broadway fulltime replacement "Glinda" in WICKED The Musical) stayed the entire journey of the show from it's readings and workshops to its Washington D.C., Off Broadway, and On Broadway engagements.
We will miss both Michael and Jennifer. Thank you for delivering such beautiful, intense, and haunting performances.
Meanwhile starting tonight, Broadway veterans Ivan Hernandez and Ann Sanders both begin performances as the new "Murphy Parents" 8 times a week at the Music Box Theatre. Break a leg and have an incredible run.
SINCERLEY ME (and everyone at New York Broadway Tours)
P.S. Who is sad to say goodbye to the last of the original cast but are excited and WAVING THROUGH A WINDOW to the new replacement company?
The original company of Dear Evan Hansen came together to celebrate original cast members Jennifer Laura Thompson and Michael Park as they took their final bows in the musical.
Next month is going to be a very bittersweet and emotional time because the last original cast members of Dear Evan Hansen are saying farewell and moving out. It has been revealed that Tony nominee Jennifer Laura Thompson and Michael Park will take their final bows in the Tony and Grammy winning show on August 4th, 2019.
However beginning August 6th, 2019 at the Music Box Theatre, we are so excited to welcome a new lineup of talents taking on the role of the head parents of the "Murphy Family Household consisting of Broadway veterans….
Ivan Hernandez (Broadway's long running revival of Chicago The Musical) as "Larry Murphy".
We are so excited to welcome Ann and Ivan to the smash hit hottest show ever (BREAK A LEG) and sad to say farewell to Jennifer and Michael (HAPPY TRAILS).
SINCERLEY ME (and everyone at New York Broadway Tours)
GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS! We have more exciting toe-tapping performances coming your way on our TOP 40 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. It is just 5 DAYS AWAY till Broadway's biggest night of the year…. The 73rd Annual Tony Awards. Are you ready for another icoinic performance?
At # 5 on our countdown is one of Broadway's hottest, dark, haunting, beautiful, and emotional shows. It follows the dark tale of a young High School outcast who finds himself in the center of something that was not to be seen by the Public and a lie that was never meant to be told. This is Dear Evan Hansen. The show features a score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul along with a book by Steven Levenson.
From the 2017 telecast, Tony winner Ben Platt in the title role and the original cast perform one of the show's beloved anthems for all underdogs…WAVING THROUGH A WINDOW.
DEAR EVAN HANSEN was originally inspired by a real incident from Benj Pasek years in High School where a troubled teenager was found dead due to drug problems and all of a sudden, he had more mourners in death than friends in real life. The incident always came back to Pasek, he along with his collaborator Justin Paul began to create a full musical inspired by that tragic event. They decided to tell the story following an outcast with social anxiety and mental illness be in the center of it all. The show was then passed on to director Michael Grief who fell in love with the piece. From there, the show went through many years of readings and workshops.
The show originally premiered in 2015 at Arena Stage in Washington D.C. before making its way Off Broadway playing Second Stage Theater in the Spring of 2016. The response of the Off Broadway run was well received by critics and audiences, the show was then transferred to Broadway?s Music Box Theatre before becoming one of Broadway?s most popular hottest tickets. The show continues to sell out every night on Broadway. Under the direction of Michael Grief, the cast consisted of?
Tony winner Ben Platt (later Noah Galvin, Taylor Trensch, and currently its youngest star Andrew Barth Feldman) as ?Evan Hansen?,
The show was nominated for 9 Tony Awards in 2017 winning 6 including Best Musical, Best Score (for Pasek and Paul), and Best Leading Actor in a Musical (for Ben Platt).
Along with Broadway, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is currently playing to packed houses all over North America with its current National Tour and a sit-down run in Toronto, Canada (ending later this summer). The show will make its UK Debut in London's West End beginning this Fall.
Doesn?t this show make you really care for the underdogs who feel like they don?t have a voice?
WORDS FAIL to say this. It has just been announced that due to low and disappointing ticket sales, the sit-down Toronto company of the Tony and Grammy winning smash hit Dear Evan Hansen is set to close this summer. The final performance is set for July 21st, 2019 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
However, the show will continue to wow audiences on Broadway and on Tour across North America (which we know it will return there with that company). International productions including London's West End is set to launch this Fall 2019.
Who is sad to see this motivating underdog story leave Canada?!!
Today was a bittersweet and emotional day and here's why….
Phoenix Best took her final bow in Broadway company the Tony and Grammy winning smash hit Dear Evan Hansen after an amazing year long run. So excited what is coming up next for her. Wishing Phoenix a wonderful Happy Trails.
It may have been sad but we have exciting news with the cast change. The Broadway company will be welcoming newcomer Samantha Williams (currently a Musical Theater major Junior at Pace University) as she takes over from Best in the role of smart and geeky brainiac "Alana Beck". Her first performance is this Tuesday night, May 7th, 2019 at the Music Box Theatre. Break a leg Samantha and congrats on your Broadway debut right before graduating. Hard work pays off.
Wonder if anyone out there is excited.
SINCERLEY ME (and everyone at New York Broadway Tours).
Dear Evan Hansen has just announced a cast change! Phoenix Best will play her final performance as Alana Beck on Broadway on Sunday, May 5. Samantha Williams will join the cast as Alana Beck on Tuesday, May 7, making her Broadway debut.
