Dear Evan Hansen - ETHAN (Evan Hansen)

We are three weeks from opening night! I'll provide a brief update of the rehearsal process and quickly get into my interview with Ethan Landygo. 

Ethan is our Evan! Born and raised Okanagan Valley boy, playing the role of his life. I loved learning his background, what he brings to the role and how he prepares for interactions with other cast members. He is working his butt off! His falsetto singing is STUNNING and I'm so lucky I get to share a stage with him.

For tickets to Kelowna Actors Studio's "Dear Evan Hansen", running June 10-28, 2026 in Kelowna, please visit their website: www.kelownaactorsstudio.com. 

Transcript

Host 0:03

Hello! Welcome to Her Canuck Voice, where we are talking all things performing arts and the power of connection. My name is Lindsay -Anne Dow. I am the Her in Her Canuck Voice, and this season I'm taking you behind the scenes of my first ever professional production, Dear Evan Hansen. This is a multi-tony award-winning musical debuting for the first time in Kelowna, BC, Canada this spring. So, ladies and gentlemen, take your seats and enjoy the show.

Ethan 0:35

The sky and the sun are just so like very symbolic in the show. And like you hear it all the time, where it's like at the end of words fail, he's like, step into the sun. Or all we see is sky. All we see is sky. It's just broad, and there's so much world out there to explore, and it's not just in your head.

Host 0:56

The voice you are listening to is none other than Ethan Landygo, the man, the myth, the legend. Yes. Ethan plays Evan Hansen. No small feat. And yes, in the show Dear Evan Hansen, guess who's the main character? Which brings me to my brief trigger warning before we get into it here, since Dear Evan Hansen deals with complex themes of mental health, suicide, and grief after the death of a child. Please honor where you're at with these subjects. And if it's not for you today, that's okay. I invite you to move along, take care of yourself. This is heavy stuff and not for everyone. Okay, I'll provide a bit of an update before we get into my sit-down with Ethan. At the time of this airing, we are three weeks to live shows. We have learned the music and blocked all of Act One, and later this week we tackle Act Two. Now, for any non-theater listeners, blocking is essentially the movement in each scene. Director Randy Leslie helps determine where our characters should stand in relation to one another, when a natural time to move might be, where we should enter and exit the stage, whether we're bringing any set pieces or props on stage with us. Yeah. Because this is live theater, everything is timed and precise. But I actually have found it super helpful in memorizing lines. Now I can visualize where I'll be, and the flow starts to make sense. It makes any long scenes seem more broken up, like they have parts or phases to them. It's especially helpful for me and my character since Cynthia shows maybe the most amount of on-stage emotion in the show. It's her son Connor who commits suicide near the beginning. And while the show is centered around Evan, Cynthia is there supporting, evolving in her grieving process. So seeing the story come together through songs and lines and movement on stage really helps guide the show for me from an audience perspective. How can I best take the audience along on this journey with me? How can I be authentic and real and not feel like I'm over or underacting this part? All good stuff. Okay, let's get to Ethan. Ethan Landygo is another young member of our cast, and as you'll hear, this role is a dream come true for him. Of course it is. Ethan is no stranger to the stage, being essentially recruited by Randy to Kelowna Actors Studio from the age of 10. Ethan is now associate artistic director at the actor studio where he got his start, where he regularly appears in mainstage productions and directs kids' classes and YPC Junior, a younger version of the Young Performance Company, and, yes, has directed both my kids on stage and crew. I was very excited to sit down with Ethan in this capacity, not just as a mom of his students, but as a peer, a colleague, a comrade. I was so excited, in fact, that I kept him much longer than anyone would be interested in listening to, but fear not. This episode is edited down to a nice manageable length. You're welcome. Ethan has a lot in common with Evan, and he brings some lived experience to this very complex role. He will be on stage for most of this show because Evan Hansen. And I know he's up for the task because in rehearsals he's already so good. Without further ado, I bring you our Evan, Ethan Landygo. Hi Ethan.

Ethan 4:51

Hi Lindsay.

Host 4:52

Or Evan.

Ethan 4:53

It's all good. Ethan, Evan, whatever you want to do. Evan Evan, yes.

Host 4:57

Um, okay, before we get into the deeper questions, let's start with some icebreakers to make sure we're all comfortable. Okay, favorite live music experience.

Ethan 5:09

Um, so a couple years ago, we went to uh we took um a youth theater group to uh New York, and um I was on that trip. And actually Skyler, Jackson, and Kate, who are in the show, were also on that trip. We got to see The Outsiders, which was the original Broadway cast, and that was life-changing. That was awesome. But the main one that really stuck out for me personally was we got to see Moulin Rouge and Aaron Teveit. He was returning from uh hiatus, and he had just come back. We saw the matinee performance, and I was bawling as I was walking into the theater. I didn't stop crying. Like it was You were so excited. I it is my favorite musical of all time.

Host 5:51

I interviewed Skye the other day and she mentioned the New York trip as well. Really? And she picked a show from that trip being her just favorite. Um, how cool that you guys got to do that. Yeah. Like moving on. Triple threat. So triple threat is described as someone who acts, dances, and sings. Which is your strongest and weakest trait?

Ethan 6:13

I'm not a dancer. Um I um I've definitely gotten better uh over the years. But when I if you had seen my first show where I actually was dancing and doing a doing choreography, oh boy, you would not like you would you would think I had two left feet, like genuinely two uh two, maybe even one leg.

Host 6:34

Um first time I ever saw you, I just remembered this. You were backstage for Shrek Jr. that Aria, my daughter, was in, and you were operating like the front right side of the dragon. The way the show is, is you guys are kind of involved in making this dragon come to life. And you were like doing all of the facial movements that the dragon was doing, and it was so funny. Like I was like, who is that guy? Like, I didn't even know who you were, and I'm like, who is that? He's amazing. I can't take my eyes off him, he's so funny, and you just like got it. You just did stole the show.

Ethan 7:20

Oh, well, that wasn't the goal. That wasn't the goal.

Host 7:23

It was a funny song, it's a funny show, it was a funny song, and you just took the opportunity to like take your moment, and I just thought it was like I just thought it was like really. Of course you did. Yeah, it was like it's one of a million things that you've done, but that was the first time I was like, oh, that's that's Ethan. Last question Yeah. Uh of the icebreakers. You just landed the gig of your life. What is it?

Ethan 7:52

Can I be honest with you?

Host 7:54

Please.

Ethan 7:55

It's this one, genuinely. Um, I have three big dream roles, I guess. Like a people people say dream roles, but like you you you kind of hear a show's coming up and you're like, oh, I would love to do that role or I'd love to do that role. But the three ones that I'm like, oh my god, this show is coming up and I really need to do this part are um Christian in Moulin Rouge, which uh is Aaron Teveit's part that I was talking about earlier. Frankie Valley in Jersey Boys. Okay, but those are those are roles that I can play in like my 30s, right? Like those those are the roles that I'm gonna do. Those are for later. Those are for later. The one that I wanted to do right now that I wasn't sure if I was ever gonna get to do was Evan and Dear Evan Hansen.

Host 8:30

That's awesome. Congratulations then.

Ethan 8:32

Yeah, it's great. I'm super excited. I'm super excited. You're Evan Hansen.

Host 8:36

You're a bit of a big deal in the show.

Ethan 8:38

A little bit, a little bit.

Host 8:40

Okay, let's go back and learn a bit more about Ethan. Yeah, not Evan, Ethan.

Ethan 8:46

Born and raised Born in Kamloops. Okay. Um, moved here six months later.

Host 8:52

Okay, so you're basically a local.

Ethan 8:54

Born and raised, is what I usually just say. Yes. But um, that's the deeper thing. I yeah, just came here and haven't left.

Host 9:02

And is there so performing is is there like a history of performance in your family? Where do you get the gene?

Ethan 9:10

Yeah. So ma on my dad's side, my dad and my aunt um were both performers. My aunt was a pretty prominent country singer here in here in the Okanagan, as well as like kind of around in BC. She would go to Vancouver sometimes in Calgary. Everyone else, I if you saw them on stage, hell is frozen over. Um so uh it's kind of kind of got passed through to me.

Host 9:37

Siblings.

Ethan 9:38

Ashton is my older brother.

Host 9:40

Your brother, okay.

Ethan 9:41

And he, if he if I saw him on stage, I genuinely don't know what I'd do. Um he is has the worst stage fright.

Host 9:52

He does not get lit up by being under the lights.

Ethan 9:55

Not at all. Not in the stage.

Host 9:57

In the in a good way. That feeling where you light up on stage. The the exact opposite to the feeling your brother gets, where you love it. You you get up there and you're like, This is amazing. I have to do this again. When do you remember when you first got that feeling?

Ethan 10:14

I have two.

Host 10:15

Okay.

Ethan 10:16

Can I do two?

Host 10:16

Yeah, of course.

Ethan 10:17

Um, so back in grade seven, I was um gonna audition for school theater, and um they announced to put on morning announcements, and I'm like, oh my god, okay, I'm gonna go quickly with gonna go do this, I'm gonna go do this. And then I walked in the room, there was 150 kids, all from grades grades seven to nine. And I was in grade seven, so there were a bunch of people who were much bigger than me and like like louder and more intimidating. I was I was terrified. I was terrified. I walked in, I sat down, I got up, and I walked out. And opens the door is one of my best friends, Owen, and I'm still friends with Owen to this day. And he walks in, he's like, Oh my god, are you auditioning for the school, school play? And I go, Yes, I am. I am totally auditioning for this play. And so I turn back around and I sat down. The drama teacher walks in and she goes, Oh my gosh, this is the best, this is the best turnout I've had in years for the theater, but I only have 15 parts. So I I do the monologue and she just stops for a second. She goes, Is this your first time doing this? And I go, Yeah, this is my first time. I've never done anything like this, like like acting before. And she's like, Okay, you're good to go. Thanks so much. Eventually, like a week and a half later or something. It was like it was the worst week and a half of my entire life. And so I walk up to the board and I see a paper, it says the cast list. I look and I don't see my name. And so at the bottom, it had like this little thing that said, Please come see me at the first rehearsal so that I can give you your part. Go up to her at the at the first rehearsal. And it was, there were five of us, and each one of us got given one of the leading parts in the role in the in the show. And here I am, little grade seven, next to these grade nines who are just about to graduate from the middle school and go up to high school, who had been doing this for years and years and years. And I'm sitting here, little old under under four foot six, small, just like I'm just happy to be here, man. And so I loved it. It was so much fun. And um, my next one would be uh Tommy, one of the final bows in that show. It's like the fourth last or so, third last. And I go out uh and I'm bowing, and everyone's just cheering, everyone's standing. It was at the Kelowna community theater, and everyone was standing, and it was just such a it was such an amazing moment. It was so good. It was such a great show. I really, really liked it.

Host 12:46

It's so cool, like how theater does that, hey? Like for the for the right people. I mean, obviously, your brother would be like, he would be horrified to be in that situation. He would that then you can just get up and be on stage. Okay, so what was high school like?

Ethan 13:06

You know, it's it's it's hard growing up. Finding your friends, finding your your groups, the things you like, the things you want to do for the rest of your life. That's hard. One of the great things about um the show that we're doing is that that gets vocalized and that gets shown. And it's really, really, really beautiful. Growing up, uh, school was hard for me. You know, like that, I have ADHD, right? And that's kind of what I want in one way I relate to my character. Um and so focusing, making friends, anything like that, that was super difficult. And I actually didn't have a solid group of friends until first year of middle school. Uh, I was the kid in elementary school that would walk around the the school and just wait till the bell rings until I get back into class. And one the one thing that like kind of made me go, everyone kind of was like, oh, you're kind of weird in school was that I would sing constantly all the time in class. And um they hated it. Everyone hated it. My teachers, my friends, like my classmates, and I still do it to this day, where I just will start singing random show tunes or or random songs, and I'll hear from downstairs from my dad or something. Shut up! And it's like it's a I still do it to this day.

Host 14:21

And was that like uh did it help you focus to do that?

Ethan 14:25

Or was it it still does? It still helps me focus, and it just kind of was it was kind of like um a way to stimulate my my brain. Yeah, but doing that in front of 30 kids, it's it's and now they're all distracted. We're also trying to work, and so I was kind of the distractor, and then that kind of that that didn't really land much well with friends. And then eventually in grade seven or eight, I kind of was able to like hone it in a little bit more, and then I finally started getting my group of friends like Owen and some other people as well, um, who I'm still friends with to this day. I think what that brings to this this role is um the fact that I have that experience, right? That I have that experience of being Evan, that I have that experience of of not fitting in and having that experience of wanting more. I'm trying to portray that through my words, through my voice, through my emotion, and I'm hoping that it's coming through.

Host 15:24

So Evan Hansen is his exact diagnosis is never talked about. And and I've read some things from the the original writers that they just didn't want it to be about his specific mental illness, let's just call it, because they didn't want people focusing on that. But what we see is a boy who's a little awkward, he's taking medication, one of the songs is on the outside, always looking in. So he's just outside of everything else that's going on at school. How do you relate to that?

Ethan 16:00

I I grew up walking around the school, watching all the other kids play, watching everyone play tag or basketball, and I was never a sports kid, right? Like I was always kind of like walking around and and trying to find my people and then no one taking me in, but like just looking for someone to hang out with. And that's kind of one of the things that I try and tap into for my performance. One experience that I had that I'll that I'll kind of mention is back in the day I we had uh this uh fish tank and um I got really hyper fixated on it, right? Like of just watching the fish and whatnot. And I remember turning around and people like taking pictures and like and posting it to like their stories about how weird that I am and called me fish boy. It stung and it still stings, right? And it's it's those moments of just having that vulnerability and being weird and awkward and not fitting in to the rest of the group, but I feel like I can bring that to this character and use that to tell a story and maybe make someone else not feel as alone.

Host 17:10

Oh, Ethan, like so much of what you just said captures the Evan Hansen experience and what so many of us feel in high school at the same time. Even if we find a way to kind of squeak through unnoticed and unnoticed in a good way because then you're not made fun of. We all, I think a lot of us understand that fear of standing out for the wrong reasons. Evan is very disconnected from obviously from people at his school because he's a little bit of a loner, a little bit of an outsider, does hasn't found his people. He's Ethan walking around the school looking for his people, right? Yeah. He's also disconnected from his mother. And it's a very nuanced relationship that he has with her. And I I have have lots of thoughts about it. I've thought about this many times. I want to hear your perspective on his relationship with his mother.

Ethan 18:06

Well, this is one of the ones where it it's it's tricky to relate. Um, my mom's great. I love my mom. She's one of the strongest people I know. So I kind of relate more to the fact that he has an absent father figure.

Host 18:18

That he's missing a father. You see it more that he's missing a father.

Ethan 18:21

More that he's missing a father. Then he's disconnected from her father. And that and that his mom has to pick up the pieces.

Host 18:25

Yes.

Ethan 18:25

And his mom has to work 16-hour days just to keep them afloat and get him into college and doing all the stuff that he um that he is beneficial for Evan. But what he really needs is that a parent. He just wants a connection and not to feel alone.

Host 18:43

Because the unfortunate effects of mom being away, working 16-hour days, is Evan's alone a lot to be alone with his thoughts.

Ethan 18:54

Alone with the anxiety, alone with the depression, and alone without anyone to really talk to. So neat to dive into that and to dive into the emotions and to make the connection that you have with these characters and figure out who your Jared is, who your Alana is, who your Connor is, who is that how you look at it?

Host 19:16

Like, do you think about people in your life?

Ethan 19:18

Oh, I I always do with all my shows. I had to correlate it to different people in my life to who see like visualize. Visualize it and to try and like kind of how I mold the character is like how these people have molded me.

Host 19:31

I'm always interested in other people's processes. And in particular, I'm interested in you because when I think of the relationship between Evan and Heidi, who's his mom, I think about it from the mom's perspective, of course. And what she could be doing differently, or or how the mom's, you know, because I play the other mom, I play Connor's mom, how they differentiate from each other. So this is an interesting spot to kind of bring in Cynthia and Evan's relationship. So basically, Evan is living this life. He has a kind of chance encounter with Connor Murphy, who is an outcast type kid. A letter gets passed to Connor that Evan was writing. Connor then tragically commits suicide. The letter is found with him, and mistakenly everyone believes that it was a letter that he wrote to Evan Hansen. It wasn't. But Evan Hansen sees an opportunity to create a connection with another family and takes it and runs with it. Why did he do that?

Ethan 20:47

He never had it. He wanted it. He wanted to belong. He wanted to belong to someone, he wanted to belong to a a group of people, and he wanted to make them feel better. Parents losing their kid is awful. It's uh it's the worst thing that you could possibly happen to a parent is outliving their kid. Evan obviously sees that and is tries to make it a little bit better. And he does it and he makes them feel like Connor actually meant something. And eventually he actually makes Connor mean something.

Host 21:27

The other night at our second music rehearsal, we were feeling more comfortable singing as our characters. Expressing ourselves as well. Yes. So there was a moment in I believe it was for forever. For forever. And you were singing it to me. And that's totally how you should have done it. But I have not experienced that before, and I was very moved by that because Evan Hansen is saying what he's saying, and he's singing it because it's a Musical, and that's how it comes out because he sees Cynthia struggling and he sees a way to help her through this very troubled time. And when you looked at me, I was just like, oh my gosh, like this is real, this is happening. I'm gonna have to have you look at me every night, sing that same song. Perfect. And but I wanted to hear your perspective.

Ethan 22:27

That was the first time in rehearsal for me that I started to tear up as well. With the small cast, it's been really fun. Yeah. And looking at everyone while they're singing and like getting in like a like that little semicircle that we got into and like actually looking at people while you're singing. Oh my gosh.

Host 22:42

We're gonna be sharing lots of time together, but a lot of my time is gonna be listening to you. And sometimes I'm listening with hope, and sometimes I'm listening with hurt. The other song that got me the other night when we sang it was Words Fail. Thank you. That's where you know it is basically the opposite of for forever. And the hurt and the realization that it was all not true and having to show that to you while still caring for you. Like I think this isn't just like a this isn't just like a I'm hurt, you're a jerk. I feel the way that Evan helps the Connors is you almost assume the role of the son in the family.

Ethan 23:33

Yeah.

Host 23:34

And I think you help them grieve through this process of losing Connor. So when I'm hurt at the end there, when you sing words veil, it's not like I'm angry, it's like I'm just like I'm losing you too. You know?

Ethan 23:51

That's where I tap into little grade five Ethan right there. That's the one where he's walking around the school. And uh it's so surreal just thinking about it like that. And then looking at the people who you are singing the words that you're saying and telling them that what their what their whole life was up until that point was a lie.

Host 24:13

This is a deep show.

Ethan 24:16

100% it taps into mental health, uh belonging, family. It's one of those shows that come it's once every decade or so.

Host 24:25

There's like a certain sparkle about it.

Ethan 24:27

There's a spark, but like, and I I've told a bunch of people around town whether I'm meeting them for the first time or just saying, like, I'm oh I'm doing Dear Evan Hansen, there's eyes I'd love like, no way, what are you doing in Dear Evan Hansen? Who are you playing in Dear Evan Hansen? Oh, Evan. No way. Oh my gosh, that's awesome. I'm gonna have to get tickets to that. I didn't know that was happening here in town.

Host 24:46

I'm super stoked for you. A couple more questions. Yeah. Talk to me about Evan and Zoe's relationship.

Ethan 24:54

Oh god. Yeah, Evan and Zoe's relationship is one of the probably the most complicated, if I'm being completely honest with you.

Host 25:01

Well, Evan presents a version of her brother that while I think she is very distrusting of it at first, of course. She can't help but be intrigued by this version of Connor. Yeah. Because Connor was a monster to her.

Ethan 25:16

100%.

Host 25:17

And Evan is showing her another side of him that she didn't ever see. For sure. Almost what happens to Evan is the perfect storm, right? And that's why it's a it's not real life, it's a show, it's a made-up story. But like between all the between missing out on family life because his mom isn't able to be around as much because she's working two jobs, between having a crush on Zoe and this kind of all covered into this crazy situation. Yes, this situation has presented itself, and he's able to get the girl, get the family, get the attention it's a lot of people. He fits in, he's got it all. That's why it's so hard for him to let go. But ultimately, in the end, he has to because he sees that it's causing tension amongst the family. It's just kind of the perfect storm. Yeah. Perfect storm.

Ethan 26:09

100%.

Host 26:11

Boom.

Ethan 26:13

Um have you had anyone else on the podcast other than Sky?

Host 26:16

No, you're my second interview. And then I'm gonna do Jackson and Kate are coming together. Kate is they're doing it together.

Ethan 26:25

Oh, that's perfect. Those those two are like two peas in a pod. So you can't. That's what I was getting.

Host 26:28

Like Jackson messaged me. He's like, me and Kate really want to do it. And I'm like, Do you guys want to do it together? And like, you don't have to, we can do it separately. And he was like, Yeah, let's do it together. So they're gonna be sharing a mic, and I'm gonna do that later next week. And then I'll reach out to Del and Mac. Yep.

Ethan 26:46

And Malachi.

Host 26:47

Malachi, yeah.

Ethan 26:48

Oh, I'm like, You gotta do one with Malachi.

Host 26:50

I I'm on doing everybody. Everything unless somebody's not comfortable with it, like I'll do everybody. Yeah. But like as soon as I heard about the show, I knew I had to be a part of it, or I knew I had to try my absolute hardest. 100%. And I figured that, and I I hoped, I guess, that the people who were gonna be in it with me felt the same way. And I'm not surprised that it seems like they do.

Ethan 27:18

This is uh a dream show for everyone.

Host 27:21

Well, I can absolutely say that I am living my dream by being in this. I feel very honored to be involved, and I'm take taking it very seriously and working my butt off because I you guys are uh all so talented and very intimidating to be around because of your first show, right? This is my first one at the actor studio with the actor studio. This is my first show, you know. If I'm talking about stage theater since high school.

Ethan 27:56

Crazy. If I'm being honest, I'm not trying to like pump you up or anything like that, but you're doing a really, really great job. I will I will pump you up any day. Any day.

Host 28:07

Thank you. I I've thought about getting back into it for a long time.

Ethan 28:11

And what a perfect show.

Host 28:13

Okay, so we have a cast of eight. You and me, plus six more people, eighteen shows over three weeks. I don't know how we're gonna do that, but I'm here for the ride. I said to Sky, do we do energy drinks? Like, what is our how do we get through this?

Ethan 28:29

Through sheer grit and just the love of each other. And just the love of each other, right? And uh we're doing this, we're doing this, we're doing a really special show and we're experiencing something really special together. And the eight of us will maybe be in a cast together, but it won't just be the eight of us. Take it day by day and enjoy every moment of it.

Host 28:46

Okay. June 10th to 28th, Wednesday through Sunday, two matinees on the weekend, four evening shows per week. Tickets are selling, Kelona Actors Studio.com. I find your falsetto beautiful, by the way?

Ethan 30:20

Thank you.

Host 30:21

Your falsetto, like you sound it's got strength to it.

Ethan 30:25

Yeah.

Host 30:25

And it's so clean.

Ethan 30:27

Thank you.

Host 30:27

It's really good.

Ethan 30:28

I was uh the lead soprano in my uh middle school choir.

Host 30:32

I was gonna say, I was gonna say you sound like a choir.

Ethan 30:35

I was a choir boy. Oh god, you should see my posture right now.

Host 30:38

Um you don't have to sit that way. No, no, it's great. No, this is perfect.

Ethan 30:42

No, I'm I'm comfortable right now.