Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre production of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ opens this week

Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre, or HEART, is bringing acclaimed musical “Dear Evan Hansen” to the East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center stage, opening Friday (Feb. 13).

“Dear Evan Hansen” — winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book of a Musical — is one of the most celebrated musicals in theatre history.

It centers on Evan Hansen, portrayed by Joshua Timmons, a socially anxious high school senior who longs for connection but struggles to find his voice. Evan’s well-meaning but overwhelmed mother Heidi Hansen, played by Melissa Moore, captures the challenges of single parenthood and desire to truly support a child in crisis.

Zaira Hahn appears as Zoe Murphy, a guarded and emotionally complex teenager coping with grief while yearning to be seen beyond her family’s tragedy. Sarah Polloi portrays Zoe’s mom Cynthia Murphy, a mother consumed by loss and desperate to keep her family intact as she searches for meaning in her son’s death.

John Frederick plays Larry Murphy, a father whose emotional distance masks profound pain and confusion, and Chris Kocian portrays Connor Murphy, the deceased son whose story drives much of the musical’s emotional weight.

Lenx Neves plays Jared Kleinman, Evan’s sarcastic, socially savvy family friend who provides humor while navigating his own sense of belonging, and Maya Polloi portrays Alana Beck, an ambitious, anxious overachiever whose activism and moral drive reflects her own need for validation.

Lyla Anderson, Cori Lynne Cooper, Olga Lehua, Justin Martin, Josh Payne, Micah Polloi and Yisa Var bring the world of the story to life, portraying classmates, online voices and the ever-present digital chorus that amplifies connection and isolation in today’s world.

“Dear Evan Hansen” also received the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, honoring its emotionally powerful score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same team behind “The Greatest Showman” and “LA LA Land.”

The show — with a raw honesty and contemporary relevance — explores themes of loneliness, truth, mental health and the universal desire to be seen and understood.

HEART’s production is directed by Larry Reitzer, who recently won the 2025 BroadwayWorld Award for best director of a play for “A View from the Bridge.”

“At HEART, our mission is to inspire young people and our community through powerful storytelling,” said Reitzer in a release about the upcoming production. “With ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ we are telling a story that is raw, urgent and deeply human. It reflects the challenges we face in our daily lives, the longing for connection, the struggles with mental health and the search for meaning.”

Performances are slated for Feb. 13 through March 1, with shows at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays as well as matinées offered at 3 p.m. Sundays.

East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center is located at 141 Kalākaua St. in downtown Hilo.

“Every artist in this production, from our performers to designers and crew, contribute to telling this rich and powerful story,” Reitzer said. “HEART is about giving young people a chance to be seen, to grow and to inspire others. A show like this will no doubt resonate long after the curtain falls.”

Tickets and additional information are available at the Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre website.