Amy Adams has joined the cast of Dear Evan Hansen, Universal’s adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Stephen Chbosky (Wonder) is directing the feature which has a script by Steven Levenson, who wrote the book for the stage musical. Music and lyrics are by Academy Award-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who also worked on La La Land and The Greatest Showman.
Ben Platt, who originated the role and even won a Tony for it, is reprising the character of Evan Hansen, a socially awkward teen who gets caught up in a lie when he says he was best friends with a schoolmate who commits suicide. The act initially brings him closer to a crush and brings him attention but he must face repercussions when the truth surfaces.
Kaitlyn Dever is playing Zoe, the crush, while Amandla Stenberg has nabbed a part that expands upon the original stage role. Colton Ryan will play Connor, the teen who dies. Nik Dodani is also on the roll call.
Adams will play Cynthia Murphy, the mother of Dever and Ryan’s characters. The character kicks off the musical with a duet with Hansen’s mother’s with the song Anybody Have a Map?
Marc Platt, who produced La La Land, and Adam Siegel will produce for their Universal-based Marc Platt Productions.
Universal’s senior vp of production Sara Scott and director of development Lexi Barta are oversee production on behalf of the studio.
Adams has sung for her supper in several movies, Disney’s Enchanted and The Muppets, among them. The six-time Oscar nominee next stars in Netflix drama Hillbilly Elegy and the thriller The Woman in the Window.
She is repped by WME, Linden Entertainment, Narrative and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.
