Hilo's HEART Opens Dear Evan Hansen at EHCC Feb. 13

The East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center on Kalākaua Street is hosting Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre’s production of Dear Evan Hansen, which opened Feb. 13 and runs through Sunday, March 1 at 141 Kalākaua St. Performances are scheduled Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday matinées at 3:00 p.m.; tickets are available only at hearthilo.org. HEART is presenting the six–Tony Award musical through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International, which supplies the authorized performance materials.

Larry Reitzer directs the production; EHCC lists him as HEART’s Producing Artistic Director and Big Island Now notes he recently won the 2025 BroadwayWorld award for best director of a play for A View From The Bridge. Reitzer told Big Island Now, “At HEART, our mission is to inspire young people and our community through powerful storytelling. With ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ we are telling a story that is raw, urgent and deeply human. It reflects the challenges we face in our daily lives, the longing for connection, the struggles with mental health and the search for meaning.” Damien Stack serves as musical director, guiding the cast through the show’s demanding score.

Cast and ensemble members named in local coverage include John Frederick as Larry Murphy and Chris Kocian as Connor Murphy, with Lenx Neves as Jared Kleinman and Maya Polloi as Alana Beck. Hawaii Tribune-Herald rehearsal captions show John Frederick, Sarah Polloi, Josh Timmons and Zaira Hahn working on scenes, and photos identify Melissa Moore rehearsing with Josh Timmons. The Tribune-Herald lists ensemble members Lyla Anderson, Cori Lynne Cooper, Olga Lehua, Justin Martin, Josh Payne, Micah Polloi and Yisa Var. The available sources do not explicitly identify who is playing the title role of Evan Hansen.

Behind the scenes, Kale Akau handles set, projection and sound design with the goal of creating an immersive environment that reflects the internal and external pressures faced by the characters, while Sonny Czyscon’s lighting and projection work shapes the visual storytelling and emotional tone. Mahina Bell’s costume design aims to ground the characters in a realistic, contemporary look. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald notes additional vocal direction is “provided by Payne” while also listing Josh Payne among the ensemble.

HEART and EHCC materials emphasize the show’s contemporary themes: the plot follows a socially anxious teen after a grieving family mistakes a therapeutic letter for their son’s suicide note, and the story probes grief, truth, belonging and the amplifying effects of social media. For Hilo audiences, that thematic focus and HEART’s stated mission place Dear Evan Hansen inside ongoing local conversations about youth well-being and connection. HEART promoted the run on its Facebook page, which at the time of the captured snapshot showed community engagement including 45 reactions, 4 comments and 67 shares.

The production is part of HEART’s season programming as noted in promotional listings; tickets and additional performance details remain available at hearthilo.org.