Dear Evan Hansen (2024) Programme Booklet

BOOK BY STEVEN LEVENSON

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY BENJ PASEK & JUSTIN PAUL

DIRECTED BY TRACIE PANG

CAST OF 2024

STARRING

(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Gaby Rae

Mia Smith

Ethel Yap

Zachary Pang

Gian Magdangal Angelo Martinez Xander Pang

Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai

DEAR [insert your name],

Are you able to identify with these lyrics sung by Evan Hansen?

Have you ever felt like nobody was there? Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?

Have you ever felt like you could disappear? Like you could fall, and no one would hear? If the answer is anything between a hesitant Yes and a resounding Hell Yeah, you are an Evan. And you are not alone. And we also sincerely hope that the No camp takes the experience of this musical as an opportunity to try to understand and empathise with the Yes’s.

American playwright Steven Levenson and composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were inspired by an incident from Pasek’s high school days, to create Dear Evan Hansen. But the real-life character that was the catalyst of the story was not even an Evan. It was a Connor Murphy, a loner and a misfit, who had tragically died of a drug overdose.

Actor Alex Boniello, who has spoken about his own struggles with mental health, shares his experience playing the role of Connor in the musical on Broadway: “We only see Connor as he actually is for about four minutes… I always think about the summer before the show probably being the most important time in Connor’s entire life. I think he spoke to his therapist, who’d said, ‘Listen. You’re going to go to school and seize the moment and connect with somebody.’ And it fails miserably, which is why the show happens.”

Many articles on the musical refer to Evan’s mental health disorder as social anxiety, even though the precise nature of his, and Connor’s, respective conditions are deliberately never named in the show – which has been an issue for a couple of critics, who think that this omission “romanticises” mental illness. While they are entitled to that view, we believe that there is nothing “romantic” about any mental health disorder, and surely Evan’s condition does not need to be clinically spelled out, for anyone with any shred of sensitivity and compassion to understand someone’s silent cry for help.

This “somebody” that Connor attempts to connect with happens to be the show’s title character, another loner struggling with his mental health. Dear Evan Hansen is how Evan’s own therapist advises him to address himself in daily journal entries, to empower himself to face each day.

In a Washington Post piece, Pasek states that the show is “about how the person you project to the world is not the real you.” And indeed, one of the key aspects of the story is how individuals struggling with mental health are forced to project a whole different persona to the world.

As a by-product of this, the creators of the musical were fascinated by, as Levenson puts it, “a bizarre phenomenon on social media [where] whenever a celebrity would die or something really tragic would happen, there was this outpouring online of people kind of making it about themselves.”

Dear Evan Hansen reflects on the ever-growing role social media plays in our lives. In particular, how people use social media to respond to tragedy and present an image of themselves to the world. As the story unfolds and Evan’s circumstances spiral out of control, he finds himself in a dubious position of becoming an unwilling “key opinion leader”, and has to fight even harder against (let’s call it) his SOCIAL ANXIETY to deal with his new-found “celebrity” – all based on a lie.

Ah, the lie. There have been a handful of holierthan-thou critics for whom this lie is a thorn in their side, not being able to get past (as per The New Yorker) “Evan’s awfulness”, deeming his actions irredeemable and unforgiveable.

Well, haters gonna hate, and that hate makes them obtusely miss the entire point of the narrative: of course, what Evan does is indefensibly wrong, he’s no hero or saint; he’s a troubled kid who did something that caused more trouble for himself and others –and it’s precisely a consequence of “Evan’s awfulness” that there’s even an Evan Hansen story to tell. Duh.

Still, even after everything implodes in Evan’s face, there was some grumbling (for example, by The Slate) that the earliest iteration of the show did not grant the audience an explicit depiction of him summarily getting his “comeuppance”. So much so that the authors eventually addressed this by letting us know, in a dramaturgically dignified manner (as in this current version), that there was indeed a far-reaching fallout from Evan’s actions.

The point is, this is one example of what Levenson meant when he referred to people making any event about themselves; and is also precisely what social media has groomed us all into: just as we are all voyeurs to, and vicariously participate in, every event fed to us on our smart devices, we have consequently been conditioned to feel entitled to VIP seats to any naming and shaming, to insist on witnessing wrongdoers get public and permanent retribution, and to be personally apologised to – even when the wrong has not been directly done to us. What kind of egotistical, narcissistic, self-righteous, woketastic, witch hunting cancel culture vultures have we become, with a morbid blood lust to see a wrongdoer punished, with no prospect of forgiveness, redemption or a second chance, for our sense of “justice” to be appeased?

(Deep breath) Still, Dear Evan Hansen continues to defy cynicism and conservatism, profoundly resonating with anyone with an open heart and any sense of shared humanity.

As Stacey Mindich, the show’s Broadway producer, says: “I’ve heard from adults who identify with Evan, and kids who identify with the parents.”

Ultimately (at the risk of “romanticising”), this is a story about loss, loneliness and longing. Every character (not only Evan) is longing for something: friendship, love, acknowledgement from an absent father, attention from an estranged mother, connection with a lost son or daughter, acceptance by others, a sense of belonging, validation, and purpose, and, most of all, to be able to live with oneself.

So, to all the Evans, Connors, Zoes, Alanas, Jareds, Heidis, Cynthias, and Larrys out there, if you have at any time felt lost, all alone, and longing for something that would make life more bearable, Dear Evan Hansen is dedicated to you.

Our deepest gratitude to our wonderful cast, our fabulous Creative/Production/Technical/ Stage Management teams, for investing their hearts and souls into telling this story.

Many thanks to our Season Patron DBS Bank Ltd; our Supporting Partner The Majurity Trust; Special Thanks to Holywell Foundation, Musim Mas Group and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global; our Supporters U.S. Embassy Singapore and The Tote Board Arts Fund; our Under 25 Youth Fund Partners Binjai Tree Foundation, Chew How Teck Foundation and Tan Ean Kiam Foundation, and all of our partners who have so generously supported us in this production of Dear Evan Hansen.

Our deepest gratitude to our Friends of Pangdemonium, for your faith and friendship, and for helping us make this show happen.

And we’re thrilled to be making three ass-kicking shows happen in 2025: A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2 will make you rant and rave; SINGAPORE, MICHIGAN will bring you shiok and awe; and KIMBERLY AKIMBO will make you sing and dance! So, get your 2025 Season Ticket NOW!!!

As always, THANK YOU for joining us on our ass-kicking adventures in theatre.

And remember, whatever you’re struggling with, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

In Evan’s own words:

Even when the dark comes crashin’ through When you need someone to carry you When you’re broken on the ground You will be found!

So when the sun comes streaming in

‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again If you only look around You will be found

Lots of love,

ADRIAN & TRACIE PANG ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

Dear Evan Hansen, Welcome to Singapore

Twelve years ago, composers Justin Paul and Benj Pasek got together with playwright Steven Levenson to discuss a story idea, based on an incident during Pasek’s high school years.

Pasek: “A student in my class died tragically of a drug overdose. It was someone who had been sort of a loner, didn’t have a lot of friends or status at school. But suddenly in the wake the death, I watched as everyone wanted to claim that they had been friends with him and claim that they had been a part of this person’s life.”

The incident had always stuck with Pasek, particularly the fact that he, too, had jumped on the bandwagon, trying to insinuate himself into the public grieving that unfolded. Pasek was curious about that impulse in himself. And then, as the years went by and social media exploded, that phenomenon seemed to grow and become more present — people attaching themselves to others’ tragedies and making them first — person stories about themselves.

This was the germ of the idea. Levenson recalls: “They were basically were like, “Does this sound like a musical to you? Because we’re not sure.” And I was like, “It definitely sounds like a musical,” which I had no right to say because I had no idea what I was talking about.”

It turned out that Levenson had a very similar sort of high school and life experience that he would bring to the project. He was inspired to begin writing a treatment for a story.

Levenson: “It was very different from what the show ultimately would become, but I’ve looked at it subsequently and there’s a kernel in it of this idea of loneliness and connection, and the thing that we were scratching at from the very first time we talked, which was, ‘What would cause somebody to lie about a tragedy in order to be a part of it? How lonely would you have to be to do that? And how lonely must we all be because we all do that in a way?’”

Paul, Levenson, and Pasek – not a law firm.

As for the music, Paul says: “For every song in the show, there’s a trashed song somewhere, because we replaced basically all of the songs. ‘Waving Through a Window’ is the only song remaining from the first batch. Once we wrote that song, it felt like, ‘Oh, this is what that character wants to sound like. And if that’s the case, then all these other songs have to go and we have to write all new ones.’

That song sort of became our North Star, in terms of the balance of poetic and specific, the balance of pop and theatre, and finding our way to how specific we wanted the songs to be versus how thematic and touching on emotion and feeling we wanted them to be.”

For Pasek and Paul, composition for this show was happening concurrently with their work-in-progress on The Greatest Showman and La La Land. They somehow juggled those two Hollywood juggernauts with this humble little theatre piece, and slowly but surely, a new musical was born.

Prior to the first stage production, there were private readings in New York, in May, July and September of 2014. A full workshop took place in March 2015, initially called The Pasek and Paul Levenson Untitled Project. A young actor named Ben Platt was involved from the beginning.

Dear Evan Hansen premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015, followed by an OffBroadway production at the Second Stage Theatre from March to May 2016.

(Meanwhile in Singapore, we chanced upon a YouTube video of the song “Only Us” from the show and fell in love with it. We made a preliminary enquiry about this unheard-of new musical, and were told we ‘might’ be granted rights to stage it in Singapore when it finishes its Off-Broadway run. And if it doesn’t transfer to Broadway.”)

The musical premiered on Broadway in December 2016, to critical acclaim, with overwhelming praise for the music and performances, and its role in opening dialogue about youth mental health.

(We got our hands on the script and had the Broadway soundtrack on repeat mode — we knew we had to stage this musical, and made an enquiry about when we might be able to stage a Pangdemonium production of the show. We were told “not any time soon.”)

Ben Platt with a poster of the 2015 Washington, DC premiere of the musical, before he became BEN PLATT.

At the 71st Tony Awards, the show was nominated for nine awards, winning six, including Best Musical, Best Book for Levenson, Best Score for Pasek and Paul, Best Actor for Ben Platt, and Best Featured Actress for Rachel Bay Jones.

(Knowing what the response would be, we enquired again anyway. What a good laugh we all had.)

The musical was adapted into a young adult novel by actor and singer-songwriter Val Emmich, in collaboration with Pasek, Paul, and Levenson. The novel and audiobook, which feature additional material based on scenes and songs cut from the show’s development that flesh out and expand upon the story, was released in 2018.

(Some Singaporeans lucky enough to catch the show on Broadway wrote to us, asking us to “pleeease stage this musical” because it is “a very Pangdemonium show”. We said to ourselves: “oh, that’s a good idea.” We enquired again, and were told it would be impossible for us to secure the rights because a film adaptation was in the works.)

The show opened on the West End in 2019, also receiving rave reviews and reaping multiple awards.

(“Ladies and gentleman, life as we know it will now take a two-and-ahalf-year interval.”)

Ducking and denying the Big Bad Virus, the film adaptation was released in 2021, directed by Stephen Chbosky, and starring Ben Platt, who, at age 27, reprised the title role of the teenage Evan. Some of the best-loved songs from the show, though, did not get a reprise, replaced by new, unfamiliar (and inferior) ones. Together with tonal and narrative missteps, the film was deemed an ill-conceived transposition from stage to screen, and was a critical and commercial disappointment.

... and a decade after Dear Evan Hansen’s debut as a modest private reading, and after pursuing the rights for eight years,

(Weird time to do it, but we asked yet again, and were told “blah blah blah... you have to wait.” We said: “oh ok, we’ll try that.”).

While we waited, soft ticket sales from the hard-hit tourist trade during the pandemic were blamed for both the Broadway and West End productions closing. To satisfy worldwide demand, replica productions of the show were staged in Toronto, Buenos Aires, Finland, Seoul, (and there’s a production playing right now in Sydney) as well as two North American tours.

(Pangdemonium’s Artistic Directors were selected to head the creative team behind Singapore’s 2022 National Day Parade. We persuaded the powers-that-be that a particular musical theatre song of our choice would fit into the NDP theme, Stronger Together, Majulah!. So, as a tribute to our pandemic frontliners struggling with their own mental and emotional challenges, and to anyone facing personal difficulties, “You Will Be Found” became a key moment in the Parade.)

We dutifully stayed strong, stuck together, and majulah’d...

Pangdemonium is very privileged to finally have this opportunity to share this beautiful life-affirming musical with you here in Singapore.

References: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/dear-evan-hansen-oral-history-1235005684/

Ben Platt reprising his title role in the film adaption, more anxious about his hairdo than his age.

Suicide is the number 1 cause of death amongst youths aged 10 to 29. One life lost is one too many.

From Support to Success: Maleha’s

Journey

Like the asterisk which calls attention to something important, let the BlueStar* sticker you take home today act as a reminder to support one another.

You can make a difference to those struggling with mental health challenges by being there for them.

*Maleha overcame abuse, depression and an eating disorder to score 2 As at A-levels

Maleha is one of many youths who have benefitted from Impart’s support.

5 volunteer tutors from Impart supported Maleha academically and emotionally throughout her A-Level preparation, helping her to regain her confidence and to press on with her studies.

Today, Maleha is on track to pursue her dream of studying psychology and volunteers with Impart to journey with other youths like herself.

“Youth facing adversity have so much more to show…

Impart has always believed it to be so, and we’re proud to see *Maleha and her volunteers reify these beliefs… Little moments of engagements, faithfully stretched out over time, are now shaping larger narratives of change.”

– Joshua Tay, Co-Founder (Impart)

The Majurity Trust’s Musim Mas BlueStar* Fund supports initiatives that address the mental health needs of children and youth in Singapore.

Through our work with The Musim Mas BlueStar* Fund, we gained a deeper understanding of key gaps on the ground. Here are two key insights we've uncovered.

Insight 1

Increasing numbers of children in Singapore under 14 showing signs of anxiety and depression, with inadequate mental health literacy and emotional regulation initiatives to support them.

Insight 2

Parents need more knowledge and skills to support their children’s mental health, and addressing negative communication patterns at home is essential for stronger relationships.

We are committed to addressing these needs and helping more youths amongst us thrive. Visit our BlueStar* booth to find out how you can make a difference.

Dear Evan Hansen’s Post Show Talks

I’M Not Alone (IMNA): the first line of support for youths facing adversity. After assessing their needs, IMNA transitions them to a more suitable programme, providing emotional safety and readiness for positive change.

Myloh Digital Mental First Aid: offers accessible support to children, youth and caregivers, helping them understand and address mental health challenges with practical steps for improved wellbeing.

SAFEHOUSE: Limitless uses social media and an online Discord server to help youths connect with trained mental health professionals — enabling youths to retain their anonymity while seeking the help and support they need.

Re:Story: a non-clinical, process-driven programme to facilitate personal storytelling, allowing participants to articulate and bear witness to strengths-focused narratives of their own and those around them.

AT A GLANCE

(as of June 2024)

$2.54M raised 56,797 people impacted

majurity.sg/bluestar

“We do it ‘for the one’. For every single young person that reaches out and is struggling.

These are youths with dreams and untold potential to change the world.” They are more than their mental health issues.

– Asher Low, Executive Director (Limitless)

Founded in 2017, The Majurity Trust is a philanthropic organisation that seeks to work with donors and social impact partners to build a thriving and sustainable community for all in Singapore. To achieve our vision, we glean insights on current gaps and needs in the community, give strategically to support identified needs, and galvanise the sector to collaborate for greater social impact.

Musim Mas BlueStar* Fund

Smells Like Teen Spirit

It’s fair to say that in Dear Evan Hansen, the title character and Connor Murphy are not the only troubled teens – even Alana, Jared and Zoe have their own repressed struggles with self-worth and mental wellbeing. And it’s also probably fair to say that youths in the 21st century face mental and emotional challenges unlike anything before in human history.

The teen years should be the most exciting time of life. It is the crucial period for developing social habits important for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being in adulthood. These include coping, problemsolving, and interpersonal skills, and learning to manage emotions, with the support of protective and nurturing environments in the family, at school and in the wider community.

But for many teens, their reality is not so pretty: according to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 1 in 7 (14%) 10–19 year-olds globally experience mental health conditions, with depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. The consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and

mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults.

Multiple factors affect mental health: exposure to harsh adversity; pressure to conform with peers and exploration of identity; quality of home life and relationships with peers; violence (especially sexual violence and bullying); harsh socioeconomic problems. Media influence and socio-gender norms can exacerbate the disparity between an adolescent’s lived reality and their perceptions or aspirations for the future. And stigma, discrimination or exclusion can affect willingness to seek help.

We now know of many famous historical figures, from Abraham Lincoln to Winston Churchill, who lived with severe mental health issues; exactly a decade ago we received the tragic news of the loss of actors Robin Williams and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, their suicides being closely linked to mental health disorders; and today through social media, we are hearing more and more from celebrities, from Miley Cyrus to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, about their mental health struggles.

And now, “everyday” people are actively sharing their experiences with mental health conditions. But, because of the social stigma still attached to it, this represents a small fraction willing to speak openly about it. And then there are the many individuals whose very real mental health struggles remain undiagnosed, unacknowledged, and unheard.

It’s too glib and simplistic – and indeed, dangerous - for anyone to dismiss today’s youth as the “strawberry generation”, “triggered” by the slightest stimulus, and needing to “grow a pair and deal with the real world”. The fact is the world we live in now has evolved, and is evolving, with such a relentless and unforgiving pace that we are all at the mercy of its excesses. And because adolescence is the most vulnerable and impressionable period of a person’s life, many teens are finding it hard to keep up with coping strategies for the ever-changing “real world”. We coin names for them like “snowflakes”, but the irony is that there are also names for a variety of mental health disorders, still deeply misunderstood and maligned by many, but acknowledged by others as real, urgent concerns.

SOME VERY REAL ISSUES AFFECTING TODAY’S YOUTH

MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

Mental health disorders are most common among adolescents. Anxiety disorders (which may involve panic or excessive worry) are the most prevalent in this age group; it is estimated that 3.6% of 10–14-year-olds and 4.6% of 15–19-year-olds experience an anxiety disorder.

Depression is estimated to occur among 1.1% of adolescents aged 10–14 years, and 2.8% of 15–19-yearolds. Depression and anxiety share some of the same symptoms, including rapid and unexpected changes in mood. Anxiety and depressive disorders can result in social withdrawal, exacerbate isolation and loneliness, and can even lead to suicide.

PSYCHOSIS

Conditions that include symptoms of psychosis most commonly emerge in late adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms can include hallucinations or delusions. These experiences can impair an adolescent’s ability to participate in daily life and education and often lead to stigma or human rights violations.

BEHAVIOURAL DISORDERS

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterised by difficulty paying attention, excessive activity and acting without regard to consequences, occurs among 3.1% of 10–14-year-olds and 2.4% of 15–19-year-olds. Conduct disorder (involving symptoms of destructive or challenging behaviour) occurs among 3.6% of 10–14-yearolds and 2.4% of 15–19-yearolds. Behavioural disorders have been found to affect adolescents’ education and may lead to criminal behaviour.

SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in older adolescents. Risk factors for suicide are multifaceted, and include harmful use of alcohol and-or drugs, abuse in childhood, stigma against help-seeking, barriers to accessing care and access to means of suicide. Digital media, like any other media, can play a significant role in suicide ideation.

EATING DISORDERS

Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, commonly emerge during adolescence and young adulthood. Eating disorders involve abnormal eating behaviour and preoccupation with food, accompanied in most instances by concerns about body weight and shape. Anorexia nervosa can lead to body dysmorphia and premature death, often due to medical complications or suicide, and has higher mortality than any other mental disorder.

RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOURS

Many risk-taking behaviours for health, such as substance use or sexual risk-taking, start during adolescence. Risktaking behaviours can be an unhelpful strategy to cope with emotional difficulties and can severely impact an adolescent’s mental and physical well-being. Perpetration of violence is a risk-taking behaviour that can increase the likelihood of low educational attainment, injury, involvement with crime or death.

Meanwhile,

an NUS-led study found that 1 in 3 adolescents in Singapore report depression and anxiety… …but only 10% of parents can spot mental health issues.

The researchers behind the 2023 survey said that the results suggest that parents need to be “involved more deeply in identifying and supporting” their children’s mental health conditions. This could be achieved by raising awareness of mental health literacy among parents, the researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) said of their Youth Epidemiology and Resilience study.

NUS reported that the one in 10 parents in the study who could identify symptoms had spotted internalised symptoms such as their child feeling anxious. The findings distinguished between internalised mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety, and externalised symptoms such as aggressive and disruptive behaviour towards others.

Associate Professor John Wong from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, said that adolescents today face a series of “distinctive challenges which are unique to this era they are living in,” adding that the psychosocial impact on teens and their families during the circuit breaker and other COVID-19 curbs was significant.

Prof Wong said that to better deal with and manage challenges and adversities in life, it is important that adolescents “build a fortified sense of resilience”. Overall, 15 and 16-year-olds fared the worst in resilience levels, while females tend to have lower resilience compared to males, leading to higher incidences of anxiety and depression.

Teenagers interviewed attributed mental health symptoms to high-stress levels, largely stemming from the pressure to perform well in school.

“I put a lot of stress on myself to study harder and take time off relaxation to practise more. Sometimes, the stress gets so high that I’ll sleep at 4am,” said a secondary school student who is preparing for his O-Levels, adding that he worries about comparing grades with his classmates.

Aside from clinical psychologists and psychiatrists, mental health professionals such as counsellors, mentors and behavioural coaches can “add a big capacity to serve the emerging challenge that these youths present today”, said Prof Wong.

Commenting on the findings of the study, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, said that for many young people in Singapore, their self-confidence is tied to how they think they are doing in school. She suggested that it would be helpful to develop their confidence in other areas instead such as art, music, culture, sports and so on.

“When we help (young people) develop themselves as confident individuals, it means so much to them when it comes to building that inner sense of resilience so they can better manage other challenges and adversities that come their way,’ Ms Sun said. “A family’s ability to solve problems and spend time together as a unit plays a key role in the psychological and overall wellbeing of children and youths.”

“I face issues like anxiety because of school,” said a polytechnic student. “I get anxious when there are a lot of people. How I cope with it – I try to take deep breaths, I try to think rationally in the situation. Then if I cannot cope with some stuff, I will try to seek help, maybe go for counselling.”.

Prof Wong called for parents to forge an early bond with their children: “Many of us don’t really know our teenagers very well. It’s a timely call for parents to develop a bonding relationship, so that when their kids enter puberty, the channels of communication, conversation and understanding are already established.”

The ages between 10 and 18 have been identified as a window of opportunity, where adolescents are entering puberty and have the time and space to work on themselves to grow into the young adults they want to be.

References:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ adolescent-mental-health

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/1-3adolescents-depression-anxiety-only-1-10-parentsspot-symptoms-2159106

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ teens-youth-mental-health-disorder-nus-studysupport-parents-resilience-3448571

Promotion, protection, and prevention.

Mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention requires a multi-level approach, with varied delivery platforms – for example, digital media, health or social care settings, schools or the community – and varied strategies to reach adolescents, particularly the most vulnerable.

It is imperative to address the needs of adolescents with mental health conditions. Avoiding knee-jerk institutionalisation and over-medicalisation, prioritising non-pharmacological approaches, and respecting the rights of children and youths.

And, crucially, to remind youths that they do not have to be alone in their struggle with any of the above conditions, and that – no matter how “minor” it may seem – it is ok and right to seek professional help.

This could save a life.

Reach Out for Support

Helplines (Mental well-being)

•

Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 (24 hours) / 1-767 (24 hours)

Tinkle Friend (Singapore Children’s Society): 1800-274-4788

Youthline: 6436-6612 (9am to midnight)

Counselling

TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 www.boystown.org.sg/clinicalintervention-centre/ www.calvary.sg/programme-category/ counselling/ https://trybe.org/ •

Online Resources

Singapore Children’s Society: www.tinklefriend.sg

Impart: www.impart.sg

Limitless: www.limitless.sg/ Myloh: www.myloh.co/ Mental Health Film Festival: www.mentalhealthfilmfest.sg/ The Tapestry Project: www.thetapestryproject.sg/ Boys’ Town Adventure Centre: www.boystown.org.sg/adventure-centre

Bettr Lives: www.bettrlives.org/

Character & Leadership Academy: www.characterleadership.sg/ Viriya Community Services: www.viriya.org.sg/ Over-The-Rainbow (by WholeTree): www.overtherainbow.sg/

“LIKE” it or Not, it has Virtually Taken Over Our Lives

Dear Evan Hansen is, among many things, a unique take on “imposter syndrome”, and how our online self would never survive the real world.

“Imposter syndrome” is when a person with a legitimate measure of achievement genuinely doubts their own abilities and self-worth, and feels that they are unwittingly fooling the world into believing they are “more” or “better than they really are, and therefore unworthy of approbation.

In an age where we are all being encouraged to be our “true, authentic selves”, social media seems determined to undermine that, providing a breeding ground for a mutant subspecies of imposter syndrome to thrive: a twisted therapy echo chamber wherein we are all consciously complicit in enabling, encouraging, and endorsing one another’s virtual alter egos, projecting a virtual version of ourselves that is “more” or “better” than our true authentic selves “irl”.

Well, “irl”, Singapore is ranked No. 4 globally in social media use, after the UAE, Taiwan, and South Korea. According to a 2019 report, 79% of our population spends an average of 2 hours and 8 minutes daily being voyeurs into strangers’ virtual lives, while masquerading as our online avatars.

And then there were these teens interviewed in July 2023 by Channel News Asia:

The fourteen-year-old who spends four to five hours a day on social media, sometimes until the wee hours of the morning; and while admitting that this has affected his ability to concentrate in class, he does not plan to get rid of his social media applications completely as he fears becoming “clueless”.

The Secondary 4 student who worries that that she is unable to process her mixed feelings because of the extreme nature (hilarious, then heartwarming, then horrific, within the space of 30 seconds) of online content, and even likens social media to “drugs but under the disguise of entertainment”.

And the 17-year-old polytechnic student who used to spend up to seven hours a day on his devices, even during meal times, or while crossing the road. He began to isolate himself from his family and friends, and would become aggressive when his parents threatened to confiscate his devices. After three years, he eventually sought professional help through a group therapy programme organised by youth-based non-profit organisation Impart.

And yet, experts say that social media addiction is currently not recognised as a mental health disorder, which could impede the consistency of its terminology, choice of diagnostic tools used and recommendations on treatment.

Ms Michelle Tan, a Clinical Psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health, is wary about deducing a direct causal link between social media usage and mental health problems. “As with any mental health disorder, it is a combination of factors — such as life stressors, poor coping strategies, biological vulnerabilities, and lack of a supportive environment — that results in the development of certain difficulties over time; we cannot attribute it to social media alone.”

Social media was developed, first and foremost, to enhance human connections by overcoming geographical distance and physical immobility, a means of relieving social isolation and loneliness by offering the chance to remotely communicate with others.

Online communities sprung up as sources of information, support, and motivation, providing tips or inspiration towards healthy lifestyle goals, such as quitting smoking or getting in shape. The globally popular social networking site, Black Dog Tribe, encourages people with mental health struggles to share their experiences, so as to help one another in their recovery journeys.

Over the years, social media has evolved into:

a legitimate career avenue, making millions for millions. (“Influencer” is a proper job, you boomer!)

a powerful and far-reaching marketing tool. (Newspaper ads are so 20th century.)

an easily accessible portal for news – factual or fake. (What’s a newspaper?)

a source of information and misinformation. (“Encyclopedia? That’s yo mama,” says Wikipedia.)

a journal to share private thoughts and feelings. (Who wants to keep their thoughts and feelings private?) at its most frivolous, easy entertainment, and at its most useful, a welcome distraction from daily stress and mundanity. (Nobody: “I don’t like cat videos”.)

Undeniably, social media is the only means for some people to ask for help.

But it is important to distinguish between a post that reads: “Help! I’m going on holiday but can’t fit into my designer clothes after losing a whole 2kg cos of my pilates!”

(the dreaded humble brag that is, in actuality, casting a net for “likes”), and one that simply says: “I’ve lost all hope…”, which may be annoyingly coy and enigmatically emo, but is very possibly a genuine cry for help. For this person, your virtual hugs are not going to be enough.

In 2022, Singapore saw its highest number of suicides since 2000, with the greatest number of deaths being among young people aged 20 to 29, the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) reported. For those aged 10 to 29, suicide remained the leading cause of death for the fourth consecutive year, constituting more than one-third of all deaths within this group. Suicides also rose from 112 in 2021 to 125 in 2022, among this group.

While there are no Singapore studies conclusively linking social media use with suicide, the chase for “likes” on social media and the dangers it poses is well-documented. Mrs Anita Low-Lim, Senior Director, Children and Youth Group at Singapore’s TOUCH Community Services, notes that youths in the 13–20 age bracket are especially prone to the comparison trap.

“Youths are at a developmental stage of wanting to find their own identity and desiring peer acceptance. Because their online identity is very much a part of overall identity, they tend to seek validation online via social media likes, follows or comments.

There is a mental stress of constantly needing to measure up to what others post, and those who don’t may feel inferior or even suicidal about not being as ‘perfect’ as others,” she says.

For people with self-esteem issues, hearing about others’ happiness and successes can deepen inferiority,” agrees Ms Tan. “It is easy to forget that social media posts often present an idealised, heavilyedited version of life. A vicious circle develops, whereby social media perpetuates unrealistic comparisons and heightens the fear of missing out, (‘FOMO’) on certain experiences and activities.”

In June 2024, the United States’ top health official, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, proposed that warning labels be placed on social media platforms. His urgent message to parents, tech companies and regulators: while acknowledging that the effects of social media on adolescent mental health were not fully understood, the same attributes that make social media a force for good can also have a negative impact on mental health. He stated that there are “ample indicators” that social media use could have a “profound risk of harm” on children and adolescents’ mental health and well-being.

US research psychologist Jean Twenge believes that there is an indisputable connection between the rise of smartphones and social media and a decline in teen mental health globally. She says that those who spend too much time in the virtual world may feel alienated in real life, as they lack the social skills to communicate face-to-face and forge relationships. The cloak of anonymity afforded by social media may also embolden some users to engage in cyberbullying, cyberstalking or online scams, causing psychological and emotional distress to their victims.

Jacqueline Sperling, PhD, a psychologist at McLean Hospital in the US, who works with youth who experience anxiety disorders, says: “Think of a slot machine: if game players knew they never were going to get money by playing the game, then they never would play. The idea of a potential future reward keeps the machines in use. The same goes for social media sites. One does not know how many likes a picture will get, who will ‘like’ the picture, and when the picture will receive likes. The unknown outcome and the possibility of a desired outcome can keep users engaged with the sites.”

To boost self-esteem and feel a sense of belonging in their social circles, people post inflated content with the hope of receiving positive feedback – the abovementioned mutant imposter syndrome. Couple that with the potential of future reward, and you get a recipe for constantly checking platforms.

In addition to providing young people with a window through which they can view missed experiences, social media puts a distorted lens on appearances and reality. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat increase the likelihood of seeing unrealistic, filtered photos at a time when teen bodies are changing.

In the past, teens read magazines that contained altered photos of models. Now, these images are one thumb-scroll away at any given time. It’s not only celebrities who look perfect—it’s everyone. When there is a filter applied to the digital world, it can be hard for teens to tell what’s real and what isn’t, which comes at a difficult time for them physically and emotionally.

“School already is challenging for students with all of their developmental changes. As they go through puberty, they’re tasked with establishing their identity at a time when the frontal lobes in their brains are not fully developed, and there is a lack of impulse control. All of this happens while their relationships with peers become more important,” Sperling says. “It’s a very vulnerable population to have access to something where there is no stopgap before they post or press the send button.”

References:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/bigread-teenagers-social-media-addiction-cost-mentalhealth-3647121

https://www.imh.com.sg/Documents/publications/ imagine/IMAGINE_Jun-Sep_2019.pdf

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/ it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mentalhealth#:~:text=FOMO—fear%20of%20missing%20 out,can%20create%20anxiety%20and%20depression https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/25/learning/doessocial-media-harm-young-peoples-mental-health.html

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Ultimately, experts, parents and youths acknowledge that social media exposure is inevitable in this age, adding that it is important to know how to use social media in moderation and within boundaries.

A 2018 study by American researchers, published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, found that limiting the use of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to 30 minutes per day may reduce stress and depression. But humans are not usually motivated to change lifestyle or habits by simply hearing it’s bad for us.

So, while it’s probably impossible for most of us to quit social media completely, experts recommend these more realistic options instead:

Do not browse through social media feeds when you are feeling vulnerable and lonely.

Think twice before posting anything to make sure that it is not offensive.

Consider consequences of criticising or getting into arguments online –what does it achieve? Is it worth it?

Stop stalking your expartners or their new partners online. Engage in self-reflection. “If you feel worse after using a specific social media site, change who you interact with or stop using the site altogether,” advises Ms Tan.

Be selective, for example, avoid following sites that make you experience negative thoughts.

Avoid comparing yourself to others. Positive self-talk or cognitive reframing strategies may help, suggests Dr Jiang. “View others’ successes and positive moments shared on social media as opportunities to get inspired, or to think about your own strengths and achievements [instead of feeling distressed or inferior].”

Log off. Set a daily limit on social media use, or take “social media vacations” from time to time. Put the phone down to interact directly with those around you. Take part in offline, realworld activities that are meaningful and fulfilling.

Remind yourself that not everything you see on social media is real.

Professionals are also urging parents to actively engage with their children on their usage of electronic devices and platforms:

Talk to your teenagers: “Parents need to engage with their kids,” said Caleb T. Carr, Professor of Communication at Illinois State, US. “Just like parents did pre-social media, talk about being good humans and citizens, talk about respect for others and themselves, and talk about how their day was.” And this talk can extend to sharing thoughts and feelings about social media content.

Make a family screen time plan that takes into account which activities increase stress versus provide long-term satisfaction.

Lead by example, walk the talk, and model responsible internet use for yourself.

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

“Anybody Have a Map?”

Heidi, Cynthia

“Waving Through a Window” Evan

“Waving Through a Window (Reprise #1)” Evan

“Waving Through a Window (Reprise #2)” Alana

“For Forever” Evan

“Sincerely, Me” Connor, Evan, Jared

“Requiem” Zoe, Cynthia, Larry

“If I Could Tell Her” Evan, Zoe

“Disappear” Connor, Evan, Alana, Jared, Larry, Cynthia, Zoe

“You Will Be Found” Company + Virtual Choir

ACT TWO

“Sincerely, Me (Reprise)” Connor, Jared

“To Break In A Glove” Larry, Evan

“Only Us” Evan, Zoe

“Good for You”

Heidi, Alana, Jared, Evan

“For Forever (Reprise)” Connor

“You Will Be Found (Reprise)” Company + Virtual Choir

“Words Fail” Evan

“So Big/So Small”

Heidi

“Finale” Evan, Company

CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL

Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai is an actor, singer, and VO artist.

Selected performance credits are People, Places and Things (Pangdemonium); Merdeka (Wild Rice), NDP (2020), Occupation (Checkpoint Theatre), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Sing’theatre) and The Happy Place (Gateway Theatre). She was most recently seen as ‘Mandy Thomas’ in Secondary the Musical (Checkpoint Theatre).

Rebekah debuted her solo jazz concert Sangeetha Sings Sinatra: Live at the Esplanade in early 2019, and also sang in No Regrets – A Tribute to Edith Piaf (Sing’theatre).

Her VO reels include works for CNA, Woodleigh Residences, and SUSS. She has also spoken on panels for Advisory Singapore, Singapore Literature Festival, and Glaxosmithkline.

Her film Edith made its world premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival 2024, and will be premiering in Singapore in the fourth quarter of 2024. Catch more of her works and music online @rebekahdorai.

Gian Magdangal is an award-winning singer, recording artist and actor for television, film and musical theatre from the Philippines. He has been known for portraying character roles in some of Philippine television networks’ high rating shows.

Gian has worked in various professional theatre productions and companies for the past 24 years: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Atlantis), Willard Hewitt in Footloose and Riff in West Side Story (Stages), Roger Davis in RENT, Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer, Danny Zuko in GREASE (9Works Theatrical), Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Full House Theater Company), Man #2 in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Repertory Philippines) and the lead character Hector in the phenomenal hit Ang Huling El Bimbo — the biggest original Filipino Musical.

Gian won a Gawad Buhay for Best Male Lead Performance in a Musical for his performances as Jack Kelly in Disney’s NEWSIES (9Works Theatrical) and Billy Bigelow in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel (Repertory Philippines/Cultural Center of the Philippines).

Gian is set to be part of three films premiering on Netflix this 2024.

Angelo Martinez is a Filipino-born Singaporean musician. He dedicates his professional onstage debut to his late mother.

Heidi Hansen

REBEKAH SANGEETHA DORAI

Larry Murphy

GIAN MAGDANGAL

Evan Hansen

ANGELO MARTINEZ

Since being raised in Singapore, Xander has spent the last three years completing his degree in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, graduating just this year.

Whilst at University, Xander took part in a number of productions, including; Tick… Tick… Boom! as ‘Jon’; Spring Awakening as ‘Melchior’; Rent as ‘Roger’ (all for Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society); Much Ado About Nothing as ‘Claudio’; Heroes as ‘Scab’ (Both for Marlowe Society); Miss Julie as ‘Jean’ (Pembroke Players).

Professional Theatre Credits include: On Your Bike; Jingle Street (Chordstruck Theatre); Medea The Musical (Tiny Mouth Productions); Late Company; Spring Awakening; The Full Monty (Pangdemonium); Macbeth (Singapore Repertory Theatre – SRT).

Screen Credits include: Zack & Xander Can! (Disney Channel Asia); Wa-Chew! Rise of a Kung Fu Chef (Weiyu Films); Bossa Boys (Papahan Films); Twinadoes (Ochre Productions); and Zero Hero (Hoods Inc.)

Xander is more than thrilled to have the opportunity to come home and perform in Singapore once again.

Zachary is a London-born actor who grew up in Singapore and recently graduated from Mountview from the BA Acting course.

Theatre credits include: Julie: The Musical (Le Gasp! Productions); Snow White (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds); The Son; Spring Awakening; The Full Monty (Pangdemonium); Macbeth (SRT).

Theatre whilst training include: Oh! What a Lovely War; Boy; Circle, Mirror, Transformation; Mojo; and Julius Caesar.

Screen credits include: Zack & Xander Can! (Disney Channel Asia); Forensik; Code of Law (both for Weiyu Films); Me Myself and Isaac (Papahan Films); and Super4orce (Monochromatic Pictures).

Zachary is extremely excited to be returning to Singapore to join the wonderful cast of Dear Evan Hansen.

Gaby Rae is a triple threat performer and dedicated educator. Her theatre credits include: The Three Little Pigs; Errol’s Garden (SRT); Little Shop of Horrors; Cabaret; A Singaporean In Paris; Quasimodo (Sing’theatre); Into the Woods (Pangdemonium); Sherlock Sam: The Musical! (Dream Academy). She has performed for events such as the 2024 Porsche Electric Car Launch and the 2023 Olympics E-Sports Opening Ceremony.

As a choreographer, Gaby has worked on various musicals, corporate events and most recently, a private dinner show for Hyatt Hotel.

Gaby is also an experienced dance teacher with a track record of award winning students. She prides herself in her ability to assess and create solutions that are tailored to each individual’s needs.

Connor Murphy

XANDER PANG

Jared Kleinman

ZACHARY PANG

Zoe Murphy

GABY RAE

Mia has trained at Leeds Conservatoire, and graduated in 2022 with a BA(Hons) in Musical Theatre.

Mia is a British/Japanese performer who spent her childhood in Singapore. She has recently been performing at Universal Studios Singapore, has worked with MediaCorp and was featured in a McDonald’s London Olympics advertisement.

Dear Evan Hansen marks Mia’s musical debut.

Credits whilst training: ‘Gussie’ (u/s) in Merrily We Roll Along; ‘Company’ in Chess.

Mia is delighted to be joining the cast of Dear Evan Hansen, and would like to thank her family and friends.

Ethel Yap is an actress, singersongwriter and arts educator with a career that spans more than a decade. Notable roles include: ‘Baker’s Wife’ in Into the Woods, ‘Little Becky Two Shoes’ in Urinetown and ‘Sylvia’ in Tribes (Pangdemonium). Her stage work includes Jack and the Beansprout (Wild Rice); Untitled Women (The Necessary Stage); Liao Zhai Rocks; Lao Jiu: The Musical; Four Horse Road (The Theatre Practice); Beauty World (Singapore Street Festival); A Singaporean In Paris (Sing’theatre); The Nest (Rainshadow Studios) and Secondary The Musical (Checkpoint Theatre).

As a singer-songwriter, Ethel recently released a new single, Pills, and has a forthcoming second EP, Ethel Yap Vol 2

You can listen to her music on all streaming platforms and learn more about her work at @ethelyap on Instagram and www.facebook.com/ethelyapsg.

Today is going to be a good day, And here’s why — because today at least you’re you, and that’s enough.

Alana Beck

MIA SMITH

Cynthia Murphy

ETHEL YAP

CREATIVE TEAM

TRACIE PANG

Director

Tracie trained at Croydon College, London, and has clocked up more than 25 years working in theatre throughout the UK and Asia. In Singapore, she set up The Little Company, for whom she wrote and directed numerous productions for children aged 3–14. She was Associate Artistic Director for Singapore Repertory Theatre from 2006–2010.

In 2010 Tracie founded Pangdemonium Theatre Company with her husband Adrian. At the Straits Times Life Theatre Awards, she won the Best Director Award for Pangdemonium’s Falling, and received nominations for Pangdemonium’s The Full Monty; Dealer’s Choice; Rabbit Hole; Next to Normal; Fat Pig; Tribes and Dragonflies, and also for SRT’s The Dresser; The Snow Queen and The Pillowman. Other productions she has directed for Pangdemonium include Closer; Spring Awakening; Swimming with Sharks; Gruesome Playground Injuries; The Rise & Fall of Little Voice; Frozen; Circle Mirror Transformation; Chinglish; The Effect; RENT; The Pillowman; Tango; Fun Home; The Father; Peter and the Starcatcher; Late Company; This is What Happens to Pretty Girls; Urinetown: The Musical; The Son; Girls and Boys; The Mother; The Glass Menagerie; End of the Rainbow; People, Places & Things; Into the Woods and Falling (2024).

Tracie was awarded the 2015 AWA International Woman of the Year for The Arts, and the 2017 Women’s Weekly “Great Women of our Time” Award for Media and the Arts.

BENJ PASEK & JUSTIN PAUL

Music & Lyrics

Known together as Pasek and Paul, the duo are an American song-writing team for musical theatre, films and television. While Pasek usually writes lyrics and Paul usually writes music, they share credit for both elements. Both are graduates of the University of Michigan and winners of the American Theatre Wing’s 2007 Jonathan Larson Grant, which honours achievement by composers, lyricists and librettists.

Their work for theatre includes Edges, Dear Evan Hansen, Dogfight, also contributing to A Christmas Story, The Musical, which was nominated for a Tony Award in 2013 for Best Original Score.

At the 71st Tony Awards, Dear Evan Hansen was nominated for nine awards, winning six, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for the duo. The musical also received the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award and a 2016 Obie Award for Musical Theatre. At the 2018 Grammy Awards, Dear Evan Hansen won Best Musical Theatre Album.

In 2022, they won the Tony Award for Best Musical for serving as producers for the Broadway production of Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop

They wrote the lyrics for the musical romantic comedy-drama film La La Land. The film’s track “City of Stars”, with their lyrics and composition by Justin Hurwitz, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 89th Academy Awards.

Pasek and Paul wrote the songs for the 2017 musical drama film The Greatest Showman. The duo’s song “This Is Me” won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards.

In collaboration with Alan Menken, Pasek and Paul wrote the lyrics for two new songs for Disney’s 2019 live action film adaptation of Aladdin.

STEVEN LEVENSON

Book

Steven Levenson is an American playwright and television writer. He won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen.

His other stage playwriting credits include The Language of Trees and Seven Minutes in Heaven, The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin, If I Forget, and Days of Rage

He was a writer for the Showtime series Masters of Sex, which ran for four seasons, from 2013 to 2016. He served as showrunner for the FX biographical miniseries Fosse/ Verdon about the lives of directorchoreographer Bob Fosse and actorsinger Gwen Verdon.

Although he writes for television as well as the stage, he said: “Theater will always be my first love.”

TIMOTHY KOH

Assistant Director

In New York City, Tim has worked as an Assistant Director at Lincoln Center Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club, held a Fellowship at Playwrights Horizons, and directed thesis plays at NYU’s Graduate Department of Dramatic Writing. Other US experience includes work with Scott Rudin Productions, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, and the Lucille Lortel Awards.

In Singapore, he is the Associate Director of Pangdemonium. With the company, he directed Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Doubt: A Parable (Production of the Year and Best Director nominations at the Life Theatre Awards) and Muswell Hill. Recently, he directed Singapore, Michigan at SIFA 2024. With Pangdemonium, he’s assistant directed Into the Woods, People, Places & Things, and The Glass Menagerie, among others. He also helms the company’s Very Youthful Company and New Works Lab.

Training: New York University Tisch School of the Arts (BFA Theatre), College of Arts and Science (BA English and American Literature).

ANDY BENJAMIN CAI

Choreographer

Andy Benjamin Cai is a highly skilled professional in dance, known for his exceptional abilities as a choreographer, educator, and performer. Graduating from LASALLE College of the Arts, he has represented Singapore in global competitions and showcased his choreography in countries like Italy, France, and Russia. Andy has received prestigious awards and recognition for his talent. He has contributed to the local theatre scene, lending his expertise to productions like La Cage Aux Folles, Voyage De La Vie, Crazy Christmas, Dim Sum Dollies, The LKY Musical, December Rains, Turandot, RENT, and Urinetown. Handpicked as a Creative Director for the esteemed Music & Drama Company, Andy has proven his leadership and inspiring abilities. His most significant accomplishments include being selected as the Chief Choreographer for National Day Parade in 2017, 2022, 2024 and as the choreographer for the inaugural Olympics Esports Week, showcasing his exceptional skills on a national and global scale.

TJ TAYLOR

Vocal Coach

TJ has been a practitioner in the Singapore musical theatre community for the last 11 years. Over that time he has directed, produced and been vocal coach for many shows.

He has also performed in several local shows including; Little Shop Of Horrors, End of the Rainbow and Quasimodo. TJ has worked with most of the top local theatre and production companies such as: Pangdemonium, Sing’theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre, Base Entertainment, Universal Studios and Lasalle College of the Arts.

TJ was previously the Associate Artistic Director of Sing’theatre and was head teacher of the Academy. He is thrilled to be a part of this show alongside the amazing Pangdemonium team.

EUCIEN CHIA

Set Designer

Eucien has been a long-time Pangdemonium collaborator since 2011. His scenic designs for Pangemonium include Falling (2024); Into the Woods; RENT; This is What Happens to Pretty Girls; End of the Rainbow; Muswell Hill; The Father; and The Pillowman.

His design work with Pangdemonium has often been recognised at the Straits Times Life Theatre Awards, with nominations in the Best Set Design category for Doubt: A Parable; The Glass Menagerie; The Mother; Urinetown; Little Voice; and Spring Awakening; and receiving the Best Set Design award for Dealer’s Choice.

Other Awards: Straits Times Life Theatre Awards Best Set Design winner for The Almighty Sometimes (SRT); Company (Dream Academy); December Rains (Toy Factory)

Selected productions: for SIFAThe Commission; DisSPACEments (installation); for Esplanade Theatres - Kingdoms Apart; A Good Death; with Wild Rice - La Cage Aux Folles (2017); Boeing Boeing (2017); A $ingapore Carol; The Emperor’s New Clothes; Snow White; with Checkpoint Theatre - Normal; with Toy Factory Productions: December Rains; Shanghai Blues; Sleepless Town; with STAGES - H is for Hantu; with I-Theatre - Sing To The Dawn; The Wizard of Oz; The Arabian Nights; Fairytaleheart.

Eucien thanks God for his amazing family.

JAMES TAN

Lighting Designer

James Tan (Pangdemonium’s Associate Artist/Independent Lighting Designer) was conferred The Young Artist Award and awarded Arts Professional Scholarship by The National Arts Council of Singapore. Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design, University of California San Diego. James leads the Pangdemonium Lighting Apprenticeship Programme – giving a lighting individual an exclusive opportunity to further develop their craft with the company each season.

Selected Theatre Lighting Design

Credits: The Glass Menagerie, Dragonflies & Next to Normal (Pangdemonium), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs & Merdeka (Wild Rice), 2:22 A Ghost Story & Disgraced (SRT), Lord of the Flies (Blank Space Theatre with Sightline Productions) and Stream of Memory (An Esplanade Commission and Production with Papermoon Puppet Theatre, Indonesia). Selected Events Lighting Design: National Day Parade 2022 (Defence Science and Technology Agency), From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience (Singapore Bicentennial Office), OCBC Garden Rhapsody: Rainforest Orchestra – Asia & Australia Edition (Gardens By The Bay) & The Art of the Brick® Exhibition by Nathan Sawaya (MBS ArtScience Museum). Selected Public Artwork: Yellow (Public Art Trust – Rewritten: The World Ahead of Us).

GENEVIEVE PECK

Projection Designer

Genevieve graduated from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London with a BA(Hons) in Theatre Practice, specialising in Lighting and Projection/Video Design.

Design credits include People Places & Things, The Glass Menagerie, Tango, The Effect (Pangdemonium), All the World’s a Sea, The Soldier and His Virtuous Wife, Four Horse Road, I Came At Last To The Seas, Lao Jiu, Liao Zhai Rocks, If There’re Seasons (The Theatre Practice), ubin, Both Sides Now 2019, Missing, With Time (Drama Box), Everything For You, Between You and Me, Lear is Dead, Art Studio (Nine Years Theatre), Grounded, Lungs, The Sound Inside, The Lifespan of a Fact (SRT), The Commission (Pangdemonium, SRT & Wild Rice).

JING NG

Sound Designer

Awarded the National Arts Council Scholarship, Jing graduated with first class honours from Rose Bruford College (U.K.) specialising in Performance Sound. Having designed for various companies and productions over 10 years of practice, he aspires to provide a wholesome sonic experience for the audience –what, why and how you listen through a live performance.

As an arts educator at NAFA since 2017, Jing has been teaching the core principles and techniques of production sound design. These modules fosters future practitioners in developing a deeper understanding of sound in various artistic mediums and discovering the infinite possibilities of sonic arts.

He was nominated for Best Sound Design in the 2014 Off West End Theatre Awards, and the 2018, 2022 – 2024 Singapore Straits Times Life Theatre Awards. Jing is currently developing future iterations of his installation work – Distance Makes The Heart Fonder.

Website: www.jingngsound.com // www.soundcloud.com/jingsound

LEONARD AUGUSTINE CHOO

Costume Designer

Leonard Augustine Choo is an international costume designer, fashion consultant and educator based in Singapore. He designs costumes for dance, opera, theatre, and film, and was the principal fabric shopper for the New York City Ballet costume department for 12 seasons, working on over 75 unique ballets.

Design credits include: Into the Woods, Doubt: A Parable, End of the Rainbow, Muswell Hill, The Glass Menagerie, Urinetown, Late Company (Pangdemonium); The Almighty Sometimes, Guards at the Taj, Gretel & Hansel (SRT); An Inspector Calls, Merdeka! (Wild Rice), iSing International Opera Festival (Suzhou, China); ABT Fall 2018 Video, Moulin Rouge Spot, Forest Boy (New York); Imagining Madoff, Don Giovanni (Boston).

Leonard has worked for The Juilliard School, television shows Gotham (FOX) and Crashing (HBO), TransSiberian Orchestra, Ballet Academy East, Barrington Stage Company, and Opera Omaha. He has lectured at LASALLE College of the Arts, National Library, and the Arkansas Arts Center.

Holding an MFA from Boston University, Leonard is the first and only costume designer awarded the Singapore NAC Overseas Arts Scholarship in 2011.

ORCHESTRA

RIZAL SANIP

BRANDON WONG

Bass

JOANNE HO

Music Director & Keyboard

Joanne is the first Singaporean to graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with an MA in Music Directing. She was nominated for Best Musical Direction in Broadway World’s West End Awards. Joanne has worked extensively abroad, with credits spanning London, Scotland, Malaysia and Korea.

Selected music directing credits include The LKY Musical (SRT, Aiwei), Tick Tick Boom (Sightlines); Spoonful of Sherman (Sing’theatre); Fun Home (Pangdemonium); In Pieces; The Box; Viral Songs: A Cycle (7/8 Musical Collective); Chicken Little, Red Riding Hood; Peter Rabbit; Three Little Pigs; Treasure Island (SRT’s Little Company); The Paiseh Pieces (Second Breakfast Company); The Addams Family (Edinburgh Fringe); Mina Kaye in Concert (Sightlines). Other selected theatre credits include Wicked (International Tour); The Soldier and His Virtuous Wife (The Theatre Practice); La Vie En Rose (Sing’Theatre); Urinetown (Pangdemonium); Aida (Limelight Productions, Scotland); Company (Dream Academy).

Rizal Sanip served as a regular in the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band for 13 years, from 1990 to 2003.

His home-grown passion for music has propelled him into musicals starting with Honk! in 2002 for SRT.

Today, Rizal plays in musical theatre and concerts, records for artistes as a studio sessionist and composes for library music (UPM). His working relationship with Pangdemonium, Sight Lines Productions, Double Confirm Productions, Wild Rice Productions, Dream Academy, SRT, Vizpro, Toy Factory, Base Entertainment and LASALLE College of the Arts has provided him with ample opportunities to work in theatre productions.

Musical Theatre:-

Into the Woods, Crazy Christmas, Broadway Beng (All instalments), Little Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Getai The Musical, Jack and the Beansprout, Cinderel-lah, Oi! Sleeping Beauty, 881 the Musical, Spirits, Aladdin, December Rains, Glass Anatomy, Spring Awakening, Once on this Island, LKY The Musical, Rent, The Great Wall, the award winning Next to Normal, Fun Home, Peter & the Starcatcher, Peter Pan In Serangoon Gardens and The Lion King.

Concerts:-

Kit Chan, Dick Lee, Joanna Dong, Sebastian Tan, Hossan Leong and JJ Lin.

To enrich his experience as a veteran musician, Rizal went back to school at age 48 in 2018 to obtain a music degree from LASALLE College of the Arts.

He feels blessed to have a career in music, continually be involved with major theatre productions and is thrilled to be involved the production of Dear Evan Hansen. Drums & Percussion

Brandon Wong is synonymous with the classical, jazz, pop and musical theatre scene in Singapore. A brilliantly versatile musician, Brandon has collaborated with major ensembles including the Singapore Armed Forces Bands, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, and Metropolitan Festival Orchestra to name a few. Brandon graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications in 1998. A full scholarship recipient, Brandon graduated in 2017 with B.Mus Honours (Distinction) – Double Bass Performance from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, NUS and is also recipient of the Steven Baxter Memorial Award for outstanding performance and achievements.

Multitalented and inquisitive, Brandon extends his industrious nature to being a double bass specialist and luthier, audio engineer and producer.

RYAN SIM

Singaporean cellist Ryan Sim is a Master’s graduate of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore and the Robert Schumann Hochschule Dusseldorf in Germany.

An avid musician and teacher, Ryan often performs and freelances with local ensembles such as the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, The Philharmonic Orchestra Singapore and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Ryan is also a founding member of Singapore’s premier cello quartet Bossa Celli.

Recent notable projects include the 2023 run of Into the Woods by Pangdemonium, the 2024 Singapore Ballet production of Sleeping Beauty, and the 2024 production Our Singapore Songbook performed by the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra for lower secondary school students. Cello

SEBASTIAN

HO

Guitar 1

A versatile and very sought after guitarist, Sebastian is one of the most prominent guitarists in Singapore. He was the principal guitarist for Walt Disney’s The Lion King, as well as other international shows like Santa Claus, Evita, The Addams Family, Anna Karenina, Facing Goya, Final Fantasy, etc. Apart from playing with many artistes like Stefanie Sun, Qi Yu, Zhou Shen, Eric Moo, Huang Ping Yuan, Wen Zhang, Laura Fygi etc, he has also toured with Kit Chan, Joanna Dong, George Lam and Sam Lee. He has performed for various international jazz festivals in Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and India. He has arranged and recorded albums for local artistes, most notable being Kit Chan and Aisyah Aziz. Currently he is also one of the composers under Universal Production Music, composing and recording original library music. Apart from performing, Sebastian is also lecturing at LASALLE College Of The Arts and NIE.

A young veteran of the industry, Weiwen first began his journey as a professional musician at the age of 16 when he was signed as an artist to an independent record label.

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2018 with a double major in Contemporary Writing & Production and Songwriting, Weiwen has served as a session musician (Joi Chua 蔡淳 佳, RRILEY, MengFM 夢飛船, Marcus Lee 李俊緯, Rangga Jones, & Juliet Australia, HAMILTON International) and music producer (Marcus Lee 李俊 緯, Rangga Jones, lewloh) for artists spanning a myriad of genres.

As an independent artist, Weiwen’s original music has amassed millions of streams across digital streaming platforms, and was on a select list of works featured in Singapore Airlines’ in-flight entertainment systems.

JOELLE HE

Violin

Joelle was admitted to the Eastman School of Music at 16 years of age. Subsequently at 20 she was one of the youngest students to commence the Masters’ program at New York University where she also held the post of Adjunct Instructor in violin.

Selected Musical Theatre credits include LKY the Musical (2022, 2015); Fun Home; and The Great Wall. She has also performed with The Eagles, Sarah Brightman, Richard Marx, Jam Hsiao, Jacky Cheung, Hacken Lee, Il Divo, Kitaro and Michael Bublé.

Joelle performs with The Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Resound Collective, Singapore Lyric Opera just to name a few.

A passionate teacher, her students have won top prizes in the American Protege music competition, Vienna Virtuoso Festival, Singapore Raffles International Music Festival and Music Singapore International Competition.

Joelle has toured with the Schleswig Holstein Festival Orchestra and with AIMS festival orchestra in Europe.

MAY LOH

May holds a Master of Music in Viola Performance from the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf and a Bachelor’s degree from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. She had also studied at the Orchestra Centre of North Rhine Westphalia (Orchesterzentrum NRW). Viola

May Loh currently works as a freelance musician with many orchestras in Singapore such as the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, re:Sound Collective and Wayfarer Sinfonietta, and also serves as LeaderMentor in the Orchestra of the Music Makers. She was previously a member of the Detmolder Kammerorchester and Cologne New Philharmonic Orchestra, and has participated in numerous international music festivals such as the International Summer Music Academy Mozarteum (Austria), Allegro Vivo Summer Academy (Austria) and Young Euro Classic (Germany). May was also previously selected as an academist in the Korean National Symphony Orchestra (South Korea).

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Heidi Hansen

Larry Murphy

Evan Hansen

Connor Murphy

Jared Kleinman

Zoe Murphy

Alana Beck

Cynthia Murphy

CREATIVE TEAM

Music & Lyrics

Book

Orchestrations

Director

Assistant Director

Ableton Programming by Music Director

Choreographer

Vocal Coach

Set Designer

Lighting Designer

Projection Designer

Sound Designer

Costume Designer

Associate Set Designer

Associate Sound Designer

ORCHESTRA

Music Director & Keyboard

Drums & Percussion

Guitar 1

Guitar 2

Bass

Violin

Viola

Cello

REBEKAH SANGEETHA DORAI

GIAN MAGDANGAL

ANGELO MARTINEZ

XANDER PANG

ZACHARY PANG

GABY RAE

MIA SMITH

ETHEL YAP

BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL

STEVEN LEVENSON

ALEX LACAMOIRE

TRACIE PANG

TIMOTHY KOH

SCOTT WASSERMAN AND ENRICO DE TRIZIO

JOANNE HO

ANDY BENJAMIN CAI

TJ TAYLOR

EUCIEN CHIA

JAMES TAN

GENEVIEVE PECK

JING NG

LEONARD AUGUSTINE CHOO

GRACE LIN

JEAN YAP

JOANNE HO

RIZAL SANIP

SEBASTIAN HO

WEIWEN SEAH

BRANDON WONG

JOELLE HE

MAY LOH

RYAN SIM

PRODUCTION & STAGE MANAGEMENT TEAM

Production Manager

Assistant Production Manager

Production Coordinator

Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Swing Assistant Stage Manager

Technical Manager

Set Consultant

Props Master

Props Assistant

Costume Coordinator

Wardrobe Manager

Dresser

Sound Operator No. 1

Sound Operator No. 2

Sound Operator No. 3

Lighting Programmer

Followspotter

Followspotter

Projection Operator

Projection Operator

Projection Operator

Crew

Lighting Apprentice

Production Apprentice

Hair Consultant

Make-up Consultant

Accessible Performances Consultant

Captioning Operator

Captioning Operator

PRODUCTION TEAM

LEAH SIM

OTHMAN M. YUSOF

TRICIA WEE

KEIRA LEE

KOH YI WEI

QISYA MARICAN

NUR AMIRAH

PETER CHI

MARC ANDRE THERRIAN

DANIEL SIM

JIONG LING (THE BACKSTAGE AFFAIR)

TAN JIA HUI

JUSTINA KHOO

RILLA DJONO

PUNG KI MAY

RAYMOND GOEI

LEEYAU SHI MIN

ENQI CHEE

MUHAMMAD GHAZALI

ARAB

TAN YI KAI

IAN LEE

AMETHYST

NADYA SIDDIQUE

IAN PEREIRA

ZAITUN MABALHIN IBRAHIM

LEONG LIM

GRACE MENG

GRACE LEE-KHOO (ACCESS PATH PRODUCTIONS)

JANSEN NG

DANIEL YONG

Artistic Director / Managing Director

Artistic Director / Producer

General Manager

Associate Director

Production Manager

Production Coordinator

Marketing Manager

Digital Marketing Executive

Relationship Manager

Business Development Manager

Ticketing Manager

Accounting Manager

Company Administrator

Production Apprentice

Marketing Assistant

Marketing Assistant

Associate Artist

TRACIE PANG

ADRIAN PANG

RENEE TAN

TIMOTHY KOH

LEAH SIM

TRICIA WEE

KRISTAL ZHOU

RICHIE RYAN

GUINEVIERE LOW

ANNABELLE LIM

MICHELLE SEETOH

MARIEM TOUAHRIA

HILMI SHUKUR

QIANG QIAN TAN

AZ ADILAH

JAMES TAN

FOH Manager

VANESSA MOSTAFA PANGDEMONIUM TEAM

ZAITUN MABALHIN IBRAHIM

VIRTUAL CHOIR

RYAN ANG

MARCUS ELLIOT CHEONG

BENJAMIN CHOW

VANESSA KEE

BENJAMIN KHENG

PRESTON LIM

LAURA SIROTA MAURER-STROH

NIKKI MULLER

BEATRICE JAYMES PUNG

TONY TONG MINH QUAN

MARISSA VOJODI

NATALIE YEAP

SPECIAL THANKS

JANE FOO

LEONARD GOH

RYAN NG

KATRIEL TAI

WU BINGLING

PANGDEMONIUM BOARD

JOHN CURRIE

DEBBIE ANDRADE

LEONARDO DRAGO

DR. JADE KUA

BEATRICE CHIA-RICHMOND

TRACIE PANG

ADRIAN PANG

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

TRIPLE THREATS MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP

Our long-running Triple Threats Musical Theatre Workshop is designed for youths aged 13 to 19 who are interested in the art of musical theatre.

The programme aims to impart the fundamentals of storytelling through music, expression through song, vocal instruction, and movement. The programme culminates in a special showcase.

Our alumni have gone on to perform in professional productions such as Six: The Musical, Fun Home, Miss Saigon Vienna, and The Great Wall Musical. Many have furthered their training in musical theatre degree programmes both locally and abroad.

Applications for the next showcase will begin early next year. As part of our continuing growth and evolution, our 2025 Triple Threats cohort will, for the first time ever, be performing a full-fledged musical!

A major component of Pangdemonium’s mission is to nurture aspiring artists and theatre practitioners. We want to provide opportunities for emerging talents to work with and learn from industry professionals in a challenging and inspiring environment.

With these practical and instructive programmes, we aim to reach out to the community, fuel the creative instincts of young minds, cultivate the passion for the art of storytelling on stage, and share handson experience in the craft of theatre making. Through this, we hope to foster future theatre-makers.

VERY YOUTHFUL COMPANY NEW WORKS LAB

The Very Youthful Company (VYC) represents our youth wing, where theatre-makers aged 14-19 form a company and perform a fully-staged play.

Through weekly Saturday sessions, they act, stage manage, and design aspects of the show under the guidance of our Pangdemonium team.

Last December, we staged Thornton Wilder’s Our Town at the Drama Centre Black Box.

Applications for this year’s performance have closed. The programme will run from September through December 2024.

We launched our New Works Lab in 2022. The Lab provides playwrights with intensive dramaturgical support on a new original play.

Applications for our 2024 edition have closed. This year, we are working on a new work with Myle Yan Tay.

TECHNICAL APPRENTICESHIP

Our Technical Apprenticeship programme offers a production-wide, professional experience for highly motivated and committed individuals who are looking to bridge the gap between their academic experience and a professional career in theatre. We offer apprenticeships in Production Management, Technical Management, as well as an exclusive programme in Lighting Design.

TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT

Apprentices will have the opportunity to work with our professional Technical Management team and Creative team. The apprentice will gain hands-on experience working with professionals in the industry from pre to post-production.

This is a 24-month apprenticeship programme for all young professionals interested in Technical Management. Dates and hours will be determined by the needs of each production.

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Apprentices will work with our full-time Production Management staff.

Production Management has the critical role of keeping a production running smoothly from conceptualisation through rehearsals, set-up, performances, and eventually strike and archival.

Apprentices will assist the Production Management team in coordinating the various production disciplines – scenic, lighting, wardrobe, sound, multimedia projection, and stage management.

Production Management apprentices are required to fulfil office hours in the department as well as attend to the needs of the production during performances.

LIGHTING DESIGN

This is an apprenticeship for our mainstage productions that will give an intermediate-level lightingspecialised individual an exclusive opportunity to further develop their craft under the mentorship of Pangdemonium’s Associate Artist, James Tan.

Dates and hours will be determined by the needs of each production.

James Tan is an established Singaporean Lighting Designer. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design from UC San Diego. James recognizes the significance of mentorship from young aspiring lighting professionals. James was conferred The Young Artist Award and awarded Arts Professional Scholarship by The National Arts Council of Singapore.

We’re looking for early-career professionals who meet the following qualifications:

Have some previous theatre training and skills.

Exhibit a strong drive to work in this field (relevant academic qualifications are a plus, but not a requirement)

Over 18 years old.

Willing to clock irregular working hours.

Can commit for the length of the production (depending on individual apprenticeships, may be anything from 3 to 6 months).

Word processing and spreadsheet experience are required.

Admission by interview only. For enquiries, please email us at education@pangdemonium.com

THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR FRIENDS!

SEASON PATRON

DBS Bank Ltd SL

Sze

WHITE KNIGHTS

Alfa Tech VestAsia Pte Ltd

Anthonia Hui & Leonardo Drago

WINGED CRUSADERS

Holywell Foundation

HCS Engineering Pte Ltd

Jacqueline Ho, Esq

The Diana Koh Foundation

The Grace, Shua and Jacob Ballas II Charitable Trust

CRUSADERS

Mrs Lee Li-Ming Priscylla Shaw

Wee Chwee Heng

SUPERHEROES

Conrad

HEROES

CK Tang & Sylvia Wong

CHAMPIONS

Loh Soon Hui

Ong

Toh

Toh

Yap

PANGDEMANIACS

Adrian

Farid

Francis

Gregory

Heng

Hiow

Huiyu

Joanna

Joee

Joni

Jorin

BECOME A FRIEND OF PANGDEMONIUM

Your support as our Friend of Pangdemonium will help us create theatre that empowers, stimulates and inspires. Your donation can be fully matched, dollar-for-dollar, thanks to the Cultural Matching Fund. With you, we can bring stories to the stage and nurture the next generation of artists, theatre practitioners and audiences.

As our valued Friend, you will receive complimentary tickets, invitations to pre-show receptions, enjoy backstage tours, receive 250% tax deduction and more.

If you wish to set up a regular monthly donation as our Young Patron, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Pangdemonium Theatre Company Ltd is a registered charity with IPC status (UEN No.: 201229915M). Donations above $50 entitles you to a tax deduction 2.5 times the value of your donation.

Donate today at donate.pangdemonium.com For more information, please visit http://www.pangdemonium.com/ support-us/fop, or write to fundraiser@ pangdemonium.com

CORPORATE GIVING — SPONSORSHIP AND DONATIONS

Be a valued partner of Pangdemonium and join us in sharing the power of live storytelling with audiences from all walks of life.

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP

Our corporate donors and sponsors receive exclusive opportunities and entitlements such as:

•

Brand exposure: acknowledgement and mentions across Pangdemonium’s publicity channels,

•

Hospitality opportunities: such as hosting your guests at Pangdemonium’s productions,

•

Tax benefits: as a registered charity with IPC status (UEN No.: 201229915M), cash donations above $50 are eligible for a 250% tax deduction.

IN-KIND SPONSORSHIP

Working with corporate partners on in-kind sponsorship arrangements helps us cover our production’s costs, while offering our corporate partners the opportunity to showcase their products and services.

Current and recent partners include airlines, hospitality groups, food and beverage and storage solutions partners.

We are extremely grateful to companies such as DBS Bank Ltd, Alfa Tech VestAsia Pte Ltd and HCS Engineering Pte Ltd for coming on this journey with us as a season patron and corporate donors respectively.

Contact annabelle@pangdemonium.com for corporate giving, sponsorship opportunities, and in-kind donations.

Tracie and Adrian would like to say a big thank you to the following for creating further pangdemonium with us on our production of Dear Evan Hansen.

SEASON PATRON SUPPORTING PARTNER

SPECIAL THANKS TO

SUPPORTED BY

CORPORATE DONORS HCS ENGINEERING PTE LTD

A special shout-out to Matt Grey and his students from LASALLE College of the Arts for their assistance during our on-site photoshoot.

Pangdemonium Theatre Company Ltd is supported by the National Arts Council under the Major Company Scheme for the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026.

Dear Evan Hansen is supported by the Cultural Matching Fund. UNDER

陳延謙基金

2025 SEASON TICKET

ON SALE FROM 10 OCT – 27 DEC 2024

We are thrilled to announce our 2025 Season, a thoughtfully curated lineup that explores the essence of our existence, the power of choice, and the pursuit of happiness.

Each production delves into deep and meaningful themes, questioning how we navigate the lives we’ve been given. They invite audiences to consider whether we are at the mercy of fate or possess the power to shape our destinies. Through their stories, these plays examine the impact of our choices on ourselves and those around us, ultimately asking, “Whose life is it anyway?”

The Season opens with A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath, a comedic, take-no-prisoners sequel to Ibsen’s timeless classic. Picking up 15 years after Nora leaves her family, home, and everything she ever knew, she has returned with a request that will shake the foundations of those she left behind. No knowledge of Part One is required!

GREAT SAVINGS

Save up to 26% off standard ticket prices.

HASSLE-FREE TICKETING

Simply flash your e-ticket to enter the theatre.

Next, we are proud to present the world premiere of Singapore, Michigan by Chong An Ong. Three Gen Zs take a road trip to the forgotten ghost town of Singapore, Michigan. What seems to be an innocuous road trip quickly goes awry. This production by Chong An Ong explores pressing questions about home, identity and what it truly means to belong. Singapore, Michigan was originally developed through Pangdemonium’s New Works Lab.

Rounding out the Season is the Asian premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical Kimberly Akimbo. Kimberly is 16, but a rare condition makes her look 60. As she navigates the travails of school and family life (Boys! Weird aunts! Dysfunctional parents!), this joyful and hilarious musical comedy is an unforgettable journey about taking life by the horns before it’s too late.

With this Season Ticket, patrons can enjoy all three shows next year, saving up to 26% off standard ticket prices. Season Ticket holders benefit from special perks, including the flexibility to change their bookings up to 48 hours before the performance date, priority booking before public sales, and personalised concierge services.

Terms and conditions apply.

SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFO!

PRIORITY BOOKING

Secure the bests seats in the house ahead of public sales for each show.

PERSONALISED SERVICE

No chatbots here — our terrific Ticketing Team will be here to assist you.

FREE EXCHANGES

Flexibility to change your booking up to 48hrs before your show.

SUPPORT LOCAL

Be a part of the Pangdemonium family and support the work we do!