THE TONY AWARD WINNING

BEST MUSICAL

The winner of 6 Tony Awards®, the Grammy® Award and the Olivier Award for Best Musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. DEAR EVAN HANSEN has struck a remarkable chord with audiences and critics everywhere. The New York Times calls it “a breathtaking knockout of a musical.” And “NBC Nightly News” declares the musical “an anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.”

DEAR EVAN HANSEN features a book by Tony Award® winner Steven Levenson, a score by Grammy®, Tony, Olivier and Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman)

COMING TO MATILIJA ADITORIUM IN OJAI

October 16-18 and 23-25

Who We Are

Living Theater Academy of Dramatic Art is dedicated to more than just putting on a play — it's a living theatre experience. Through rigorous training, ensemble-driven rehearsal, and deep community engagement, Living Theater empowers emerging artists to explore empathy, resilience, and the transformative power of performance.

Ojai Music Academy is committed to fostering music excellence, mutual respect, and lifelong learning in the performing arts. With a collaborative approach to training young artists, the Academy blends rigorous musicianship with a supportive, community-centered environment, serving children and adults throughout the Ojai Valley.

Dear Evan Hansen will mark the second collaboration between the two companies, following their shared success in bringing high-quality, community-powered theater to the Ojai stage last year with Hadestown.

Hadestown Ojai 2025

Last summer we brought Broadway’s Hadestown to a sold-out house at Matilija Auditorium in Ojai — a soulful retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth performed by talented young artists from our community.

Our Team

Richa Badami

Founder of Living Theater Academy of Dramatic Art. Born and educated in India, Richa Ahuja Badami is an accomplished performer whose career spans theater, film, television, and arts education across multiple continents. She trained under Ebrahim Alkazi, the "father of Indian theater," performing in Hindi productions of Chekhov, Elkunchwar, Williams, and Euripides, and went on to build a screen career beginning with M. Night Shyamalan's Praying with Anger (1992), followed by roles in Hindi and Tamil cinema, French theater, and long-running Indian TV series. Fluent in Hindi, Tamil, English, and French, she has worked seamlessly across languages and cultures as both a stage and voice performer. In recent years, she has focused on nurturing young artists as founder and director of Ojai's Oak Grove School Theater Program since 2018, directing productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Matilda, Shrek, Mary Poppins,  and is currently developing a new, inclusive arts education program for the next generation of performers.  www.livingtheateracademy.com

Director

Julija Zonic is co-founder of Ojai Music Academy. A Croatian-born singer, songwriter, and music educator, Julija brings rigorous classical training, extensive international performance experience, and two decades of youth mentorship to this production. As co-founder of Ojai Music Academy, she has built a vibrant musical home for young performers, including OMA’s choirs and collaborations with Opera Santa Barbara. She is currently producer and musical director of the musical SIX in Ojai. www.ojaimusicacademy.org

Julija Zonic

Musical Director

Executive Producers: Richa Badami, Julija Zonic, Smitty West

Producer: Ofrit Peres

Associate Director and Dramaturg: Ananya Badami

Production Consultant: Jennifer Brewer

Emerging Producer: Lily Peres

Scenic Designer: Max de Bernardine

Lighting Designer: Patrick Lownes-Santos

Sound Design: Smitty West

Production Stage Manager: Brynn Jones

Rehearsal Stage Manager: Harrison Ratliff

Assistant Stage Manager: Emmy Brewer

Cast:

Charley Jordan (Evan Hansen), Nebula Lane-Jones (Heidi Hansen), Stella Sagol (Zoe Murphy), Umani Kest (Cynthia Murphy), Arshan Barati (Larry Murphy), Yahli Peres (Connor Murphy), Yonah Zimmerman (Connor Murphy), Kai Maal-King (Jared Kleinman), Eva Haffner (Alana Beck),

Ensemble

Ethan Prouse, Pearl Johnson, Teagan McAllister, Sierra Bell, Maya Urbano, Isy Newlow, Penny Newlow, Sequoyah Knott, Amir Yaish, Maxwell Lommel, Lily Peres, Marlon Roe, Emmy Brewer, Natasha Heyres, Veda Kokatay, Avani Cheung, Roman Coltrane Wobel, Amiya Wood, Evie Wood, Izes I, Arya Ramirez, Indi Simms, Finn Porter, Miriam Starin, Tovah Starin

Dear Evan Hansen opens hard conversations about teen anxiety, isolation, and suicide — and we're looking for your support!

The Impact We Want to Make

  • Every performance becomes a moment where someone in the audience can be connected to help

  • Kids leave having heard the song "you will be found" — and know who to call if they need it

  • Parents and educators get an opening to talk about mental health with the children in their lives

  • A community that's more honest and less alone after experiencing this show

Partner with us

Get in Touch

Whether you have a question, an idea, or just want to say hello, feel free to reach out—we’re here to help.