One of the biggest musicals of the past decade has been “Dear Evan Hansen,” and it’s about to go out on tour again with Alex Pharo, of Madison, Alabama, in the pivotal role of Connor Murphy. The national tour is a first for Pharo, who was studying musical theater and marketing at Auburn University when he got the call. Now? He’ll return to Auburn Oct. 25-26 when the tour (which opens this weekend in Texas) comes to Alabama. He answered some questions before the show hit the road.
Tell me a bit about yourself, Alex.
I grew up in Madison, Alabama, and went to high school at James Clemens High School. I was raised by my amazing parents, Wendy and Joey Pharo, with my brother, Andrew. Funnily enough, I grew up playing a lot of sports all throughout school. It wasn’t until the end of middle school that I was introduced to theater.
How did that happen?
My brother was involved in a production of “Beauty and the Beast” when he was in high school, where he played LeFou. He heavily inspired me to start acting and eventually singing. I starred in “The Snow White Variety Show” at Liberty Middle School and was off from there!
What kind of shows did you do?
Under the direction of the amazing Amy Patel at James Clemens, I got to do a lot of plays and musicals, including “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Matilda,” “Radium Girls” and a couple of originals like “The Dentist.” In the community during that time, I was also in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Legally Blonde” and “Heathers” with Lyrique Music Productions led by Luz Ladrillano. I took a small break from musical theater my freshman year of college while studying marketing, but I was able to be in “EDGES” as Man 1 with the Auburn Theatre Department at the end of my sophomore year. The following year (this past year) I officially became a musical theater and marketing major and was involved in “Monstersongs” as The Doppelganger and “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812” as Anatole Kuragin.
Have you been a fan of “Dear Evan Hansen”?
I have been a HUGE fan of “Dear Evan Hansen” since it premiered on Broadway. In fact, it was the first show that I was attached to and listened to. My brother showed it to me, and I swear that it was the only thing I listened to for about a year. “Dear Evan Hansen” was a big inspiration for me as I was starting out. I used to put Ben Platt’s Tony performance of “Waving Through a Window” on my TV at home and try to replicate it for hours.
How did the national tour role come your way?
There was a national open call that my friend Sydney Pereira told me about, and she was the one that actually convinced me to submit for it. I had never submitted for an open call this big, so I didn’t think that anything would come from it. Initially, there was a virtual callback then a final round/in-person callback that took place in NYC. Two days after I finished my final callback, I got an email from one of the casting directors who informed me that I got the part!
Tell me about Connor Murphy, the role you play.
The part of Connor Murphy has been a great challenge for me as an actor for the past couple of months. Connor is so angry at the world and all of the people around him, but there’s a part of him that yearns for a genuine connection. The thing that stops him is showing the raw parts of himself, because if he does that, his world ends.
Do you have a favorite moment in the show?
There’s a scene close to the beginning of the show between Evan and Connor that I love. Connor finds Evan’s note that he wrote to himself and intends on returning to Evan. Before he reads it, there’s a tiny moment where you think that the two of them could actually be friends or at least have some sort of connection. It’s a great “what-if” moment.
Connor has got to be an interesting part to play, given his death is the catalyst of the show.
It’s a tough role! Not only do I play the actual Connor Murphy, but I also come back as alternative versions of Connor through Evan’s mind. These past couple of weeks I’ve been trying to find ways to differentiate the two Connors, but also keep the same energy of him in both versions.
Why do you think “Dear Evan Hansen” has been such a popular musical?
I think “Dear Evan Hansen” strikes a chord with so many people because it doesn’t focus on a certain age group. Both children and parents can find some resonance in this piece. Also, the message is clear and relatable. No matter who you are, there have been moments we’ve felt engulfed by so many elements but also so alone at the same time. That’s a big reason as to why I love this show so much, because it resolves with such a hopeful and meaningful message.
The tour comes to Auburn in October. Are you looking forward to that?
The fact that we’re bringing the show back to Auburn is surreal! Auburn helped me learn so much not just on an educational level but on a personal level. Auburn and its people re-lit the fire for my musical theater journey, and it’s certainly an integral reason as to why I got this job. I have already been telling people in the cast and creative team about how excited I am to go back to Auburn to bring this show to my family and friends.
What comes next for you? This had to have been somewhat a surprise.
This role certainly did come a lot quicker than I thought it would. After this, I would love to finish up my marketing degree at AU. After that, I’d love to get right back out there and start auditioning again. At this point, I’d just love to keep performing. It would be amazing to perform on Broadway, but performing something that’s fulfilling and entertaining is what’s important to me.
