Anthony Norman discusses ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ ahead of Peoria performances

PEORIA (25News Now) - Ahead of its stop in Peoria next week, “Dear Evan Hansen” star Anthony Norman sat down with 25News to talk about the Tony Award-Winning Broadway musical.

“Dear Evan Hansen” tells the story of Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety who cannot seem to fit in with those around him. After a tragedy, he creates a role for himself that he did not earn and ends up living a life he never dreamed of.

The show is a deeply personal and contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.

Norman, who plays Evan Hansen, describes the character as a complex person, saying it is an aspect he can relate to. “We’re all so complex, but especially at 17-years-old, going through high school, there’s so much going on,” he explains. ”We’ve all gone through a period in our lives where we have felt like we are on the outside of something looking in. Especially in the age of social media today, we see constantly what we’re not a part of and what we’re missing out on.”

He also says he is constantly finding new things to like about the musical and that audiences will feel impacted by it. “Even though the show’s not running on Broadway anymore and the tour is coming to an end, that doesn’t mean the show’s impact has lessened or will not continue to reach audiences... It’s a show that is relevant more than ever.”

Norman hopes at least one person in the audience will see themselves on the stage and relate to characters feeling lonely, isolated, and like no one understands them. He hopes they will leave the theater thinking, “I had no idea that someone else could feel like that.”

“Dear Evan Hansen” will play at the Peoria Civic Center Theater May 30 through June 4, and it’s a show you won’t want to miss.

More information about the musical, as well as tickets, can be found here.

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