The Search for Evan Hansen
Auditions Announced
Higgs Theatricals is proud to announce auditions for a special one night only presentation of the groundbreaking musical Dear Evan Hansen.
We are thrilled to present this powerful and deeply moving work. Dear Evan Hansen is a story about connection, identity, and the courage it takes to be honest in a world that often feels isolating. Now, we are searching for performers ready to bring these unforgettable characters—and their stories—to life.
Auditions: Sunday, March 15, beginning at 6:00 PM
Callbacks: Saturday morning, March 21
Location: Rensselaer City School District Auditorium, 25 Van Rensselaer Drive, Rensselaer NY
Auditioning Roles
- Evan Hansen – Smart, sincere, and excruciatingly self-conscious, Evan prefers to hover in the background, a supporting player in his own life, too afraid to step forward into the spotlight and risk ridicule or, what might be worse, no one noticing him at all. Gender: male. Vocal range top: C5. Vocal range bottom: G2.
- Zoe Murphy – Sensitive and sophisticated, with a sharp sense of humor, Zoe could care less about the status games and popularity rites of high school. She feels a terrible ambivalence over her brother’s death. Gender: female. Vocal range top: E5. Vocal range bottom: F3.
- Connor Murphy - An angry, disaffected loner, Connor has been a troubled kid for as long as anyone can remember, an enigma and a source of endless consternation to his long-suffering parents. Gender: male. Vocal range top: G#4. Vocal range bottom: C3.
- Jared Kleinman – Droll and sarcastic, Jared covers his own insecurities with a well-practiced swagger and a know-it-all arrogance. Gender: male. Vocal range top: B4. Vocal range bottom: D3.
- Alana Beck – Earnest to a fault, prone to melodrama, Alana hides a deeper loneliness beneath an ever-present smile and an almost aggressive friendliness. Gender: female. Vocal range top: E5. Vocal range bottom: F3.
This one-night-only presentation will feature iconic songs such as “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever,” and “You Will Be Found,” offering performers a unique opportunity to explore emotionally rich material in a focused, collaborative concert setting.
If you are ready to tell a story that matters—one that resonates deeply and reminds us all that every voice deserves to be heard—we encourage you to audition.
Audition Materials: Role-specific audition materials can be found below.
Join us in The Search for Evan Hansen.
About the Production Team
Andrew Higgs - Stage Director
Gabriel Morris - Musical Director
Gabriel Morris - Musical Director
ANDREW F. HIGGS is a Capital District based director, performer, and educator. He has directed over 100 Capital Region productions over the past 18 years and is thrilled to be back in the directors chair. BROADWAY EVENTS: ANASTASIA, THE SECRET GARDEN, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL with Manhatta
ANDREW F. HIGGS is a Capital District based director, performer, and educator. He has directed over 100 Capital Region productions over the past 18 years and is thrilled to be back in the directors chair. BROADWAY EVENTS: ANASTASIA, THE SECRET GARDEN, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL with Manhattan Concert Productions at Lincoln Center. Andrew looks forward to returning to Lincoln Center in February to join the chorus of Manhattan Concert Productions Jane Eyre. NYC THEATRE: Cory/Man 2 (MAD ABOUT THE BOY; NYC Reading) & El Gal (CHOICES; NYC Staged Reading). OTHER THEATRE: Jojo the Whale (A BRONX TALE), Priest (BARE), Thenardier (LES MISERABLES), Edna Turnblad (HAIRSPRAY), Narrator/Mysterious Man (INTO THE WOODS), Geronte (SCAPINO!), Patsy (SPAMALOT!), Santa (A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL), Miss Agatha Trunchbull (ROALD DAHL'S MATILDA) and Barry Glickman (THE PROM). Andrew has also hosted several guest artists and teachers across the Capital Region including: Adam Pascal, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Felicia Finley, Brynn Williams, Allie Trimm, Nicholas Masson, Becky Gulsvig, Kirstin Wyatt, Angie Schworer, Derek Klena, Adam Kaplan, and Kyle Dean Massey. He would like to thank his parents for their amazing support.
Gabriel Morris - Musical Director
Gabriel Morris - Musical Director
Gabriel Morris - Musical Director
GABRIEL MORRIS is very excited to be part of this production of Broadway Musical Magic! He has been involved in musical theatre for many years and has had the pleasure of collaborating with Andrew on numerous productions. A recent graduate of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Gabe is now a music teacher in Albany County and is pa
GABRIEL MORRIS is very excited to be part of this production of Broadway Musical Magic! He has been involved in musical theatre for many years and has had the pleasure of collaborating with Andrew on numerous productions. A recent graduate of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Gabe is now a music teacher in Albany County and is passionate about inspiring the next generation of music lovers through his teaching and directing. He thanks Andrew Higgs for asking him to be involved with the show and for putting together such an amazing performance.
Stephen Menard - Backdrop Design
Gabriel Morris - Musical Director
Stephen Menard - Backdrop Design
Based out of Gainesville, Florida Stephen Menard is a Scenic, Costume, and Graphic Design for the Live Entertainment Industry. Menard is best known for his high concept design work, as well as his classic extravagant style.
Recent projects include designing sets for Jersey Jack Pinball's collaboration with The Wizarding World of Harry Po
Based out of Gainesville, Florida Stephen Menard is a Scenic, Costume, and Graphic Design for the Live Entertainment Industry. Menard is best known for his high concept design work, as well as his classic extravagant style.
Recent projects include designing sets for Jersey Jack Pinball's collaboration with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disney's The Little Mermaid with Emerald City Theatrical, as well as RENT with University of Florida. Menard is also best known for creating high quality scenic backdrop packages for theatres all of the world.
To see more of Stephen's work, visit www.stephenmenarddesign.com
Instagram: stephensstuff
About the Authors
Book by Steven Levenson
Music and Lyrics by Justin Paul
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek
Steven is a Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and television writer and producer. His plays include If I Forget, Core Values, Seven Minutes In Heaven, and The Language of Trees. He wrote the book for the musical, Dear Evan Hansen, which won six Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Musical, as well as the Olivier Award for
Steven is a Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and television writer and producer. His plays include If I Forget, Core Values, Seven Minutes In Heaven, and The Language of Trees. He wrote the book for the musical, Dear Evan Hansen, which won six Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Musical, as well as the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. He co-created and executive produced the FX series “Fosse/Verdon,” which was nominated for seventeen Emmy Awards, including Best Limited Series and Best Writing for a Limited Series, as well as for Critics’ Choice Association and Producers Guild Awards, in addition to winning the Writers Guild Award and an AFI Award for Outstanding Series. Other honors include the OBIE Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award. He adapted Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick…boom!, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, for Netflix. He is a graduate of Brown University. www.andrewfhiggs.com
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek
Music and Lyrics by Justin Paul
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek
Songwriters and producers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul are best known for their Oscar, Grammy, and Tony-winning work on La La Land, The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen, each of which spawned albums that landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, including multiple weeks at #1 for The Greatest Showman, which in 2018 was the world’s best
Songwriters and producers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul are best known for their Oscar, Grammy, and Tony-winning work on La La Land, The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen, each of which spawned albums that landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, including multiple weeks at #1 for The Greatest Showman, which in 2018 was the world’s best-selling album. This year, they won their first Emmy Award as songwriters of Only Murders in the Building and, as a result, achieved EGOT status, joining a rarified list of artists who have won all four major showbiz prizes. Additional film and television credits include Apple’s Spirited, Sony’s Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Disney’s live-action Aladdin, Dreamworks Animation’s Trolls, Amazon’s Harlem, Apple’s Dear Edward, NBC’s Smash, The CW’s The Flash, Amazon’s Pink: All I Know So Far (Grammy nomination), and FX’s Welcome to Wrexham. Amongst their varied stage credits, they made their Broadway debut with the musical A Christmas Story (Tony nomination), further adapted into a live telecast for Fox (Emmy nomination); and won their second Tonys for co-producing Best Musical winner A Strange Loop. Among their countless honors, they became the youngest winners ever of the Jonathan Larson Award and the first writers for stage or screen to be honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award. In total, Benj and Justin have each won two Tonys, two Grammys, an Emmy and an Oscar across five distinct projects.
Music and Lyrics by Justin Paul
Music and Lyrics by Justin Paul
Music and Lyrics by Justin Paul
Songwriters and producers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul are best known for their Oscar, Grammy, and Tony-winning work on La La Land, The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen, each of which spawned albums that landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, including multiple weeks at #1 for The Greatest Showman, which in 2018 was the world’s bes
Songwriters and producers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul are best known for their Oscar, Grammy, and Tony-winning work on La La Land, The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen, each of which spawned albums that landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, including multiple weeks at #1 for The Greatest Showman, which in 2018 was the world’s best-selling album. This year, they won their first Emmy Award as songwriters of Only Murders in the Building and, as a result, achieved EGOT status, joining a rarified list of artists who have won all four major showbiz prizes. Additional film and television credits include Apple’s Spirited, Sony’s Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Disney’s live-action Aladdin, Dreamworks Animation’s Trolls, Amazon’s Harlem, Apple’s Dear Edward, NBC’s Smash, The CW’s The Flash, Amazon’s Pink: All I Know So Far (Grammy nomination), and FX’s Welcome to Wrexham. Amongst their varied stage credits, they made their Broadway debut with the musical A Christmas Story (Tony nomination), further adapted into a live telecast for Fox (Emmy nomination); and won their second Tonys for co-producing Best Musical winner A Strange Loop. Among their countless honors, they became the youngest winners ever of the Jonathan Larson Award and the first writers for stage or screen to be honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award. In total, Benj and Justin have each won two Tonys, two Grammys, an Emmy and an Oscar across five distinct projects.