08/19/2026
DEAR EVAN HANSEN 2026 🤍💙
As my summer theatre adventures come to an end, I’ve been looking back at some of the moments that made this summer so special and Dear Evan Hansen is definitely one of them. 💙
This show connected with me in a way I didn’t quite expect. There were so many pieces of the teenage experience woven throughout the story that brought me back to my own life. Now, as a teacher and theatre educator who spends so much of my time working with young people, I also see those experiences through a completely different lens. I’ve had the privilege of watching students navigate their feelings, find their people, discover their voices, and grow into who they are becoming. Getting to tell this story while carrying both perspectives with me was incredibly meaningful.
This was also my first ever summer show, which made it an extra special way to spend July. And after years of performing with Badanai Theatre, it was my first time actually performing on the new Badanai Theatre stage… rather than spending my time behind the scenes stage managing it. Of course, somehow I still managed to stage manage the show while being in it… apparently I can’t turn that part of my brain off 🤷🏼♀️
To my castmates — thank you for making this such a special part of my summer. For the laughs, the encouragement, the chaos, and all the little moments in between. I’m so grateful I got to share this experience and this stage with all of you. And to Candi Badanai and Robert Perrier, thank you for trusting me with this story and giving me the opportunity to step out from behind the scenes and into it.
Now that my summer theatre adventures have officially come to an end, I’m feeling incredibly grateful for the stories I got to tell, the people I got to tell them with, and the memories I’m taking with me. But I also know this isn’t the end and I can’t wait to see what’s next. ✨
A little summer theatre memory I’ll be holding onto for a long time 🙌🏻
Dear Evan Hansen, thank you for reminding me just how powerful it can be to tell stories that help us see a little bit of ourselves in someone else.
