Jordan Fisher to Play Title Role in Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen: 'I'm Very Honored'

Jordan Fisher is taking over the title role in the Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. The star of stage and screen will play a 16-week engagement in the show beginning on January 28, 2020, replacing Andrew Barth Feldman, who will take his final bow on January 26.

"I was working on Hamilton when the show's 'Waving Through a Window' single was released," Fisher told Broadway.com. "There were just some whispers all over the place about this great show that everybody's got to see. I was on my way to the Richard Rodgers, and I popped my headphones on and listened the entire way there, just kept looping it. When I finally saw the show, I was like, 'God, this is just a gorgeous piece of work.' Never did I even think this would be a show that I'd be able to do or be a part of."

Fisher made his Broadway debut in November 2016 as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in Hamilton. Ahead of that turn, in January 2016 he flirted with musical theater as Doody in Fox's Grease Live! Fisher first worked with Dear Evan Hansen director Michael Greif in January 2019 when he played Mark Cohen in Fox's Rent: Live, which Greif also helmed. Fisher's other screen credits include the Teen Beach Movie franchise, Liv and Maddie and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He was crowned winner of the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars.

When Fisher enters Dear Evan Hansen, he will follow in the footsteps of a group of actors that includes current Evan alternate Zachary Noah Piser (who plays the role 2-3 times per week) and Evan cover Roman Banks, both actors of color, the latter of whom was the first actor of color to play the role on Broadway; when Fisher joins the production, all three actors playing the role will be people of color—a first for this musical.

"To be the first full-time ethnic Evan is pretty special," Fisher said. "I think it says a lot about where Broadway is in terms of whatever your creed, or color or orientation, as long as you can tell the story, it's something that's malleable, which is something that I love, and I'm very honored about."