#taylortrensch

[emoboy]

taylor trensch

[osmessiah]

#TaylorTrensch was in attendance at Radio City Music Hall for the 72nd annual #TonyAwards, the #Broadway's biggest night! (em New York, New York)

[wandernic]

Taylor Trensch as Evan Hansen

!!!!!!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!! Last night marked Taylor’s first performance as the official lead in Dear Evan Hansen.  Along with attending last night, I took in one of his preview performances on Saturday.  Some thoughts: -Taylor’s opening monologue as Evan has a slower delivery than previous Evans.  I’m not sure if this is a conscious creative choice, or if he’s just trying to make sure he doesn’t trip up on the lines since it’s all new for him.  The result of this delivery makes this Evan seem a bit less manic/on the edge, and a little more comfortable in his own skin.  In general this Evan seems less overwhelmed throughout. -Speaking of which, a friend and I have been calling Taylor’s Evan “happy Evan.”  Not because Evan is actually happy, but he has more genuine smiles and seems a bit more open to the little affection he is offered.  When Heidi lovingly grabs his shoulders at the beginning of the show, he still turns away to the other side of the bed, but it’s with a sweet little laugh - like even though he’s a little uncomfortable, he’s also glad she actually seems to care about his well-being when no one else does. Don’t get excited thinking this more optimistic Evan will lead to a happier experience for Evan overall.  He merely sets us up for a greater heartbreak.  When Heidi proposes the Taco Tuesday for them, Taylor’s Evan lacks the cautious optimism of previous Evans (who I think were half hopeful, but half expected that she would probably flake out as has likely happened before.)  This Evan seems genuinely happy at the offer and like he unreservedly believes the proposed mother-son time will actually happen.  When it doesn’t, we can practically see the wall of self-protection arise within Evan.  While Heidi’s reasons are understandable (she is juggling everything on her own, and can’t avoid dropping the ball sometimes), this is the moment it becomes clear Evan has been let down one too many times by the only person he has in the world.  This is when he realizes he has no one he can confidently count on to be there for him.  Having seen this show multiple times, this is the first time I’ve realized this is likely the moment where Evan’s motives with the Murphys truly shift from mostly wanting to help them, to desperately needing their companionship to fill the void in his own life.  The look on Taylor’s face when Evan realized his mom forgot him has me shook.  That scene went from an “aww poor Evan” moment to “WTH HEIDI HOW COULD YOU?!”  Freaking devastating.

-WTAW was our first opportunity to hear the power of Taylor’s singing voice.  It is strong and has a beautiful tone.  I did notice the very occasional dropped noted in this and other songs in which Evan has to run around while singing (Disappear, Sincerely Me).  I think this glitch will be easily remedied with more performances in the role to increase his comfort level with the material.  There were moments in the show Taylor’s voice reminded me of Colton Ryan’s Evan, and other times it reminded me a bit of Michael Lee Brown’s.  I am not unaware this is like saying a color reminds me of both red and blue, but for the purposes of this analogy, Taylor is purple.  He is especially strong on the highest notes in the songs. -One of my favorite things is in Only Us, when Zoe and Evan take each other’s hands, Taylor’s Evan actively wipes his palms on his pants first to clear away any potential sweat.  It added a nice nuance to the relationship to show that even though Zoe is now Evan’s girlfriend, he’s still so in awe of her that his hands get sweaty.  (This feels like a bit of Twitter life advice: “Find yourself a guy whose hands still get sweaty in your presence“ lol). -Taylor’s interactions with the rest of the cast already show a lot of chemistry between the characters.  I can imagine how this will even increase with more performances under his belt, and am excited to see it.  I felt his dynamic with Mike Faist’s Connor is especially strong already. -For me, Taylor’s strongest sequence is the final portion of the show, starting from Good for You, through Words Fail, and especially his bond with Rachel Bay Jones’ Heidi in Words Fail.  I do think he’s still perfecting where to sing the melody in Words Fail and where to let it drop in favor of a dramatic shout (as has every Evan before him), and I’ll be interested to see what he’s done with it in another month or two. -Overall, the role of Evan is once again entrusted to a tremendously talented performer.  This show keeps knocking the Evan casting out of the park, and Taylor Trensch is no exception!

[leonheartedboy]

Date Night with my favorite man, ME! The cast, led by the SPECTACULAR Donna Murphy, was stellar. The entire show was exactly what I needed. I laughed, I giggled and I fell in love over and over and over again . . . #datenight #saturdate #nyc #newyork #broadway #theater #hellodolly #donnamurphy #gavincreel #katebaldwin #beaniefeldstein #taylortrensch #davidhydepierce #gay #love #life #happiness (at Hello, Dolly on Broadway)

[hannahbuck]

A Very Broadway Valentine's Day at @54below tonight.... Such an incredible night filled with beautiful, talented couples. These boys are the kindest! Oh, and damn they can sing/entertain. @maxcrumm @knucklesandwich #54Below #MaxCrumm #TaylorTrensch #Broadway #NewYork #Travel