LA MIRADA, Calif. — A number of years before he donned the striped shirt and arm cast to play Evan Hansen, Tyler Donovan McCall was studying musical theater in New York and went to see the show on Broadway.
“And it definitely changed my life,” he admitted. “It altered my brain chemistry for sure.”
Never before, he said, had he seen a show that so accurately depicted the modern-day high school experience or featured a young character as complicated and nuanced.
As an actor, it thrilled him.
“It’s a dream part to get to express so many different kinds of emotions, and I immediately latched on,” McCall said. “It’s been a dream role since, for almost a decade now.”
Stephen Christopher Anthony knows the role well. He starred in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway in 2018 and then launched the first national tour.
In fact, the exact set pieces from that tour are being used in the production of the musical currently on stage at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, a production he’s directing.
“This is Evan’s bedroom, where I spent four years of my life, and I’m very happy to turn it over to Tyler,” he laughed.
He’s revisited the show a few times since his own Evan days and is honored now to be helming its Southern California regional theatre debut.
One thing he loves about the Tony-winning musical is that it acknowledges the grey areas in life.
“A lot of music theater, everything’s perfect or everything is awful,” he explained. “This show takes this approach that feels very true to life, which is that not everything is going to be perfect all the time, and how do we keep going?”
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The show deals with a number of very difficult themes. Mental health, anxiety, suicide, grief and loneliness — something Anthony said has gotten more pronounced since the show first debuted.
“I think we’re in a time of a little bit of a loneliness epidemic,” he said. “We have more opportunities to connect with each other than ever, and yet we’re more alone than ever. And it’s a show about reaching out to each other. About looking for a connection.”
Real connection — not digital connection — although social media is in a way a character in the show, looming over Evan on massive LED screens.
“It’s part and parcel of the story,” Anthony explained as the light of the scrolling displays shined on his face. “We’re immersing Evan in this hyper-digital social media landscape that becomes part of his anxiety.”
Presenting mental health issues like anxiety and depression accurately is very important to both Evans — past and current. They know from experience how this musical impacts audience members who may recognize themselves or a loved one in the story.
“I just hope people take this story and know that they’re not alone,” McCall said, “and choose to communicate with their family and with their friends rather than keeping things inside.”
“Dear Evan Hansen” runs at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through Nov. 22.