[Content note: this review discusses themes of suicide and mental health issues. If you need support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or find more options at healthdirect.gov.au.] I suspect anyone reading this is either a huge fan of Dear Evan Hansen, or you’re not. The middle ground is sparsely populated. If you’re part of the former cohort, it’s because the show is beloved in musical theatre circles and revered by critics. It’s a new classic in the canon, and we don’t get those too often. Premiering on Broadway in 2016, it was an instant hit, and at the 71st Tony Awards it handily scooped up six out of nine nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book for Steven Levenson, Best Score for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Best Actor for Ben Platt, and Best Featured Actress for Rachel Bay Jones. It’s now making its Australian debut at the Roslyn Packer Theatre ahead of a national tour, and its reputation ensures an audience is built in – expect tickets to go fast. If you’re part of the latter, that’s probably down to the widely derided 2021 screen adaptation, which saw Platt, at the age of 27, reprise the title role, a move that drew scathing criticism – largely because he very much did not look like a teenager, especially alongside his age-appropriate co-stars. The film tanked, and the play closed shortly thereafter (in fairness, the pandemic didn’t help). Perfectly cast, perfectly mounted, perfectly polished...and surprisingly complex in its themes I was in the latter group.
By the time November rolls around, we’re on the verge of abandoning our jackets and jumping headfirst into Sydney’s blistering days and balmy nights. But we’re not quite there yet. While we’re keen for an occasional splash at Sydney’s best beaches and glorious ocean pools, we’re also partial to a hideout in the city’s cool underground bars or a sunny afternoon in one of Sydney's best beer gardens.
When you're not whiling away the hours with a glass in hand, there's plenty of culture to catch this November – there's theatre galore, and galleries bursting with incredible masterworks – including a ground-breaking exhibition of surrealist work at the Art Gallery of NSW, and a transcendent exhibit exploring the concept of immortality through art at Chippendale’s White Rabbit Gallery.
There’s also a heap of fun (and free) stuff going down at Barangaroo, a mammoth fundraising concert bringing big names to the ICC, and the two-week long Garage Sale Trail bringing pop-up markets to backyards across the city.
So why not put a spring in your synapses as Sydney strides into summer with a trip to one of these superb cultural events.
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Keep edging towards summer at one of Sydney's best waterfront bars, or one of the best rooftop bars in the city.