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Baldwin Wallace will be one of the first universities in the country to be granted the rights to produce the Tony Award-winning musical "Dear Evan Hansen," which will run Nov.12-22 at BW's Kleist Center for Art & Drama.
"Dear Evan Hansen" (book by Steven Levenson and music/lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2017. It brought light to the challenges faced by high school students who often feel isolated and disconnected from their families and communities.
Tickets will go on sale October 1 at bw.edu/tickets for performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. for Sunday matinees.
BW music theatre's connection to "Dear Evan Hansen" goes back to the original Broadway production, when then-BW music theatre senior Colton Ryan '17 was selected to join the Broadway company following a national search.
Ryan served as the understudy for the title role being played by Ben Platt, who received the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Colton completed his final semester of BW classes remotely while performing on Broadway. Colton went on to play Connor Murphy in the movie version of "Dear Evan Hansen."
In 2023, Colton received his own Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical for his leading role in the Broadway production of "New York, New York."
BW talent for "Dear Evan Hansen" was also spotlighted through arts management and entrepreneurship alumna Bailey Ford '20, who joined the producing team for the National Tour while serving as account coordinator for Bond Theatricals in N.Y.C.
Ford helped lead the show's marketing and publicity during its extended tour from 2021-24. In doing so, she helped bring the important message of "Dear Evan Hansen" to more than 180 communities across the U.S. and Canada.
Bailey will lend her expertise to the BW producing team this fall.
Broadway veteran Jennifer Hemphill, who currently serves as BW's music theatre director, joined the faculty in the fall of 2025.
When she was selected for the role in fall of 2024, Hemphill joined with BW Conservatory of Performing Arts leaders in identifying shows to include in upcoming school years. "Dear Evan Hansen" was a clear choice, but the performance rights were not yet available.
BW was added to the list of organizations interested in performing the show and applied for the performance license on the first day that it was available.
The University received approval to perform the show in February 2026, but it came with the stipulation that the public announcement of the production would not be allowed until September due to other performance licenses in place.
Hemphill's husband, John Hemphill, is joining BW faculty this fall and will serve as director of the show. He brings deep experience from Broadway and National Tours, as well as film and television; he played the role of Larry Murphy, the grieving father of Connor Murphy, in the National Tour of "Dear Evan Hansen" for four years.
The BW production also features music director Richard Biever and choreographer Gregory Daniels. The design team includes set and projection design by Lindsay Webster, costume design by Suzanne Houstle, lighting design by Logan Chapman and sound design by Angie Hayes.
Watch this video to learn more about the production from John Hemphill.
A team of BW arts management and entrepreneurship students will help produce the show, including creating an educational surround that will invite the campus and community to consider issues from the show — such as teenage mental health challenges, isolation, and the complex human need for belonging and connection in a digital age.
The Conservatory will collaborate with campus partners and area organizations focused on these issues to allow for conversation, learning and solution-building.
"Dear Evan Hansen" is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 423 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019, (#p) 212-541-4684, (#f) 212-397-4684, www.MTIShows.com.
