Let’s be honest. Stunt casting is most definitely a thing. Casting big-name stars just to pull in an audience has been around for decades. Movies do it. TV shows do it. Plays do it. Yes, even musicals do it. But as long as we’re being honest, let’s also admit that it’s much more difficult to do successfully with live theater.

The actor can’t just be a big name and/or pretty face. They need the skills to convincingly portray the same character – in exactly the same way – in front of a live audience… upwards of eight times a week.

Not everyone can pull that off. Last year, I saw Supergirl herself – Melissa Benoist – dazzle as Carole King in Beautiful. And more recently, I was fortunate enough to see Jordin Sparks take over the pie shop in Waitress before that show closed. I was skeptical about Benoist (since I didn’t even know she could sing); I was much less so about Sparks (since I obviously knew she COULD sing). But both of them nailed those roles.

So yes, stunt casting is a thing, but when you’re talking about a live performance in a musical, the actor absolutely needs the voice and stamina to maintain an 8-show-a-week, multiweek run.

And when that show is the emotionally turbulent Dear Evan Hansen? Well, there’s no amount of magic in the world strong enough to smooth over a miscasting.

I say all of that to say this: Jordan Fisher is like a shot of adrenaline to this show, which recently celebrated its third anniversary at The Music Box theater on Broadway. If you weren’t fortunate enough to see the show with its original cast and Ben Platt in the lead role, Fisher’s take on the character will make you abandon any regrets you might’ve had and leave you positively joyous.

Because this is a performance you shouldn’t miss. This is a performance I can promise you’ll regret not seeing if you have the opportunity. This is a performance that demands a soundtrack reissue. (Please?)

The show itself will leave you emotionally wrecked. There’s never a dry eye in the house, and you’ll be surrounded by a theater full of sniffles for two and a half hours. But the ultimately uplifting and life-affirming Dear Evan Hansen is lifted even higher with the addition of Jordan Fisher.

Fisher (whose musical chops include a two-year stint in Hamilton and a lead part in Fox’s Rent: Live, among others) assumed the title role on January 28, 2020, for a 16-week run, which means we’re already about a quarter of the way through!

I know what you’re thinking: “How can I buy Jordan Fisher as nerdy, socially anxious Evan Hansen? I mean… look at him! He’s Jordan Fisher!”

People, trust me. A little Broadway magic, a little old-fashioned acting, and voila – Fisher transforms into the most heartbreakingly perfect Evan. For he will steal your heart… and he will break it… and then he will lovingly piece it back together again.

And you will be grateful for the journey.

Fisher not only brings an entirely fresh sound to Evan but also – as the first person of color to play the role – reinterprets the character and theme of belonging. Speaking with Playbill, Jordan said, “For any person of color to come into the theater and sit down and see somebody that they can relate to on a surface level and then start to dig deep with this person and feel less alone, feel less burdened by social anxiety, feel like they belong, it’s a very powerful thing.”

Thankfully, the cast around Fisher shines just as bright. Many – such as Gabrielle Carrubba (Zoe Murphy), David Jeffery (Connor Murphy), Jared Goldsmith (Jared Kleinman), and Phoebe Koyabe (Alana Beck) – are making their Broadway debuts, but you’d never guess.

Like I said, in a show like this – that is so beloved and has so much to say about so many things – there’s not much room for error. It’s practically unforgiving. But the current iteration of the show on Broadway feels as perfectly cast as it could possibly be.

Regardless of your age or background, Dear Evan Hansen evokes a powerfully visceral response. Jordan Fisher will leave you in tears – happy, sad, hopeful, beautiful tears – and he’s going to leave enormous shoes to fill at The Music Box.

In addition to Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, Jordan Fisher can also be seen in To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, currently streaming on Netflix. But seriously, try to get tickets to see him on stage before you miss out forever.