What happens when the leads of the Broadway and touring companies of the same show (Dear Evan Hansen) are dating? The world is finding out.

After a brief run at the Ahmanson, the touring company of Dear Evan Hansen is making its way to Orange County at the lovely Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts, January 1st to January 13th.

Why you should see it: it’s a smart, topical musical written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the talented team that brought you La La Land. Its openly gay star, Ben Levi Ross, is a native Californian who went to Santa Monica High School and made his Broadway dreams come true when he won the coveted understudy role on Broadway for Tony winner Ben Platt.

Another reason you might want to see it now: There is already talk of turning Dear Evan Hansen into a movie, and it’s always good to have bragging rights and be able to compare the stage version to the filmed version and impress your friends with your been-there, saw-that, already-have-the-tee-shirt pop culture knowledge.

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And if that’s not enough to whet your appetite: Ben Levi Ross happens to have yet another connection to the Broadway version of the show. His boyfriend Taylor Trensch is playing the very same role on Broadway. Somebody contact Guinness, because that must be a first, right? There hasn’t been a cuter thespian couple since Kurt and Blaine (on Glee). True theater nerds like myself like to be able to see it on both coasts and compare casts. So far, I’ve only seen the Broadway version with Tony winner, Ben Platt. But I’m equally excited to see what Ben Levi Ross brings to the role. The automatic expectation is that the person who created the role on Broadway is going to be the gold standard. But sometimes, it’s equally exciting to see a slightly different take on a complex, nuanced work such as Dear Evan Hansen.

Looking for an immediate fix? If you want to see Taylor Trensch and Ben Levi Ross share right now, check out the video of the Broadway and touring casts singing “You Will Be Found” together:

Dear Evan Hansen is a thoroughly modern show about the power and the dangers of our social media-saturated society that’s sure to make you think, stir your soul and give you all kinds of feels. If you need a reminder to be hopeful about the next generation, all you have to do is buy a ticket to either the Broadway or touring production.

Read more: “Dear Evan Hansen” Redux: Pasek and Paul Take Their Tony Winner on the Road

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Last modified: March 12, 2019