SHADE-O-METER RATING

4 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “SHE GAVE GOOD FACE – SHE SERVED IT”

What’s Dear Evan Hansen? It’s a hit Broadway musical. It opened on Broadway in December 2016, and it won the Tony Award for best musical, as well as other numerous awards. What’s the Au-Rene Theater? It’s the main theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. It holds about 2,600 people, and it has three levels. How was the venue? Elegant. How was the parking? They have valet, or you can park in the garage for $12. The garage is about a block away. There’s also parking lot for $10—which is a bit of a hidden gem—that’s a couple blocks away. It’s across the street from the Museum of Discovery and Science.

Does the venue serve liquor? Yes. How were the drinks? We didn’t get any. Does the venue serve food? They have some finger food. How was the food? We didn’t get any. Where were the seats? Row X in the orchestra. How much were the tickets? $175.00 each. Was the show sold out? It sure seemed like it. And I looked at what’s available for Sunday April 7 at 6:30 p.m., the last show of the run. Even that show is almost sold out.

How was the show? An intimate show—which is one part a story about deception, and another part about mental illness—Dear Evan Hansen is most likely the direct heir to the similarly-themed Broadway musical, Next to Normal. The dialogue-heavy plot (commence spoiler alert) concerns a high school senior in the titular role who suffers from some undisclosed psychiatric condition, which is mostly agoraphobia/generalized anxiety disorder and/or Asperger syndrome. A sullen classmate, Connor Murphy, commits suicide, and in a turn of events, a fallacious connection is perceived between the outcast Evan Hansen and the recently deceased. In an eerie parallel that foreshadows the events of the Parkland shooting, the remainder of the story is about the community’s desire to understand and make sense of a tragedy, all the while as the middle-class Hansen gets closer and closer to the affluent Murphy family. But it’s only at the very end of the show that that curtain is pulled back on it all. If the title role is performed correctly, and it was for the most part in this touring production, the deceit of Hansen is that he’s viewed as a hero, as opposed to what he really is—someone who tricked a lot of people for a long time, and all for his own gain. The fact that the show doesn’t require that the Caulfield-esk Hansen has to contend with his deeds—it essentially lets him off the hook—underscores the superficiality and fantasy-aspect of this aspect of the text. Another critique of the story might be that it presented a sanitized version of mental illness, characterized as a quirky and charming attribute that enhances the persona and endears one to others, as opposed to a real impediment to an individual’s health and to the larger society.

How was the music? The mostly contemporary score consisted of equal parts light pop-rock music and acoustic music. As a comparison to the aforementioned Next to Normal, which is similar in musical style, that show likely has a higher percentage of better songs. It is assumed that most people will be familiar with the popular, “Waving Through a Window.” However, the more poignant numbers were “For Forever,” where Hansen presented a fantasy version of his friendship with Murphy, and “So Big/So Small,” where Hansen’s mother attempts to reconcile her relationship with her son.

How was the set design and staging? The set design, which consists of computer and phone screen, compartmentalizes the characters, as well as their individual traumas, within those respective devices. But when the screens finally vanished at the end of the show to reveal Candide’s Garden of Eden, was when one of the show’s main themes—a critique of social media—was revealed. How was the costume design? The outfits were contemporary non-fashion attire, so there wasn’t much to look at. Regarding merchandise, that people were buying Hansen’s famous Charlie-Brown-inspired stripped shirt can certainly be seen as some form of proof of the show’s popularity.

How did the audience react? I heard some people say that the story itself was depressing, but that they didn’t feel depressed because of the music and the way that the story was presented. Others appeared to cry out at some of the more dramatic moments. Particularly, right before Hansen is outed as a fraud in the Mama Rose-like confessional, “Words Fails.” What could have improved the show? As previously expressed in other reviews, in my opinion, theatrical shows should be experienced in intimate theaters. All the more so, for this work. Despite that, unless you plan on seeing the show on Broadway, I wouldn’t let the venue’s size deter you from seeing this production.

What was surprising about the show? There’s a line in it where Murphy’s father said that kids do everything on Facebook. Please. If anything, it’s those who are in their 30s, 40s and 50s that are obsessed with Facebook, not “kids.” The producers and/or writers might want to consider replacing that Facebook line with Instagram, etc.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 S.W. 5^thAve., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dear Evan Hansen runs through Sunday April 7. Tickets can be purchased on the website or at the box office.

As the heir-apparent to Les Miserables in tone, if not musical style, Hamilton is everything that you thought it would be, and more. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, and then you’ll cry some more.

SHADE-O-METER RATING

5 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “10s ACROSS THE BOARD – LEGENDARY STATUS”

By Mike Jeknavorian

What’s Hamilton? It’s the smash Broadway musical that tells the story of one of America’s Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. It swept the 2016 Tony Awards with 11 wins, including one for Best Musical. But really, who doesn’t know this show? What’s the Au-Rene Theater? It’s the main theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. It holds about 2,600 people, and it has three levels. How was the venue? Elegant. The foyer is spacious.

Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording. Two discs. $18.89.

How was the parking? They have valet, or you can park in the garage for $12. The garage is about a block away. We also found a parking lot for $10 that’s a couple blocks away. It’s across the street from the Museum of Discovery and Science. This parking lot is a hidden gem, as there’s no line to enter it—you just pull right in. Fabulous! Does the venue serve liquor? Yes. How were the drinks? They were fine. We got one each. They measure the pour with a jigger, though, so you don’t get a drop extra. A double costs about $20. Does the venue serve food? They have some finger food. How was the food? We didn’t get any.

Where were the seats? Row V in the orchestra. How much were the tickets? $272.75. And if you think that’s a lot, they’re even more on Broadway. As a comparison, in the 1970s the ticket price for the Liza Minnelli vehicle, The Act, caused a stir for being too high. And what was the top price for that show, you might ask? $25. Was the show sold out? Yes. And if you’re think about seeing it, I wouldn’t wait to get tickets. I looked, and even the last show only had about 10 tickets left that weren’t re-sale ones. And these unprecedented sales aren’t just happening in South Florida. The first stop of the first national tour—there are now two national tours running simultaneously—was in San Francisco, with a run of about five months. The entire run sold out in 24 hours after it went on sale.

How was the show? The show started with an un-egalitarian audio notice from King George III, with him telling you to enjoy “my” show. The show then began with the famous “Alexander Hamilton” number, which foreshadowed the events of the show and of Hamilton’s life (think the “Ballad of Sweeney Todd” from Sweeney Todd). From there, the show moved to the year 1776. But to get full enjoyment from the show’s first few numbers likely requires knowledge of the score. It’s when the Destiny’s Child-ish Schuyler sisters appeared that the show really picked up for the uninitiated. And it never let up until the end. The entirety of the show vacillated between Hamilton’s private and public life (although dramatic license was taken with both). Regarding his public life, one saw how Hamilton rose all the way from an orphaned immigrant with no money to become the first Secretary of Treasury, only to be killed in a duel by Vice President Aaron Burr. His private life saw equal tragedy with the death of his first child and first son in a duel defending Hamilton’s honor, and a period of estrangement from his wife because of a sex scandal. The acting and singing from the performers in this tour, monitored the “Phillip Tour,” was fine. But the original Broadway cast, they ain’t. A standout performance came from Jon Patrick Walker as King George III. And although his performance was in contrast to Jonathan Groff’s Broadway take of the king as icy and unhinged, nevertheless, Walker’s version was resplendent with pomp, circumstance and rolling r’s. And when the end of the show finally came (the running time is just short of three hours), it was not bombastic. To the contrary, it featured an economy of craft, as all good works of the stage or screen should have, and left the viewer wanting more. The curtain call consisted of one line of actors—including Mosieur Hamilton—instead of individual bows, which could be considered a nod to the democratic predilection of America’s Founding Fathers.

How was the crowd? They were into it, but their response did not equal the popularity of the show. It’s possible that some were emotionally overwhelmed at the end. It’s also possible that some of the audience consisted of season subscribers, who may not be familiar with the work. What could have improved the show? Some of the dialogue was inaudible during some of the parts, which can be a problem with large booking houses.

What was surprising about the show? Spoiler alert: If you want to be completed surprised by the show, don’t read any further. Oh, where to begin? One, I had no idea that the show utilized a double rotating stage—otherwise known as a concentric stage—with one stage rotating within another. The show’s choreography capitalized on these mechanics for maximum dramatic effect, probably even more so than with Les Miserables’ famous rotating stage. And two, it’s a requirement of both tours that they not only have the concentric stages, but they must be able to duplicate the original Broadway choreography and lighting design. Beyond the quality of the music and the lyrics, if there was one standout, it was the combination of the choreography, lighting and staging. I have never seen those theatrical elements used as effectively in the theater as they were in this show.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 S.W. 5^thAve., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The show runs through January 20. There are also a limited number of lottery tickets that are available online two days before each show for $10, in commemoration of the “ten-dollar Founding Father.”