Broadway actor mentors young Naples performers in 'Dear Evan Hansen' musical

At the Community School of Naples, young performers take the stage to tell a story of connection.

"We all have a story," said Lori Oliver. "We all hurt, but we're not alone."

Lori Oliver is the founder of the Naples Performing Arts Center. Her vision to bring the musical "Dear Evan Hansen" here to Naples started with a trip to New York ten years ago.

"We went to see 'Dear Evan Hansen,' and at 10 years old, it's a big deal to go to the stage door and get the autograph," said Lori.

After Lori and her then 10-year-old son, Luke, watched the show on Broadway, they met the lead actor, Michael Lee Brown.

"My son handed him his playbill and had him sign it, and he said, 'My mommy owns a performing arts school!'" said Lori.

What Lori thought was simply a sweet exchange with a star is a dream realized a decade later.

"It's really awesome to see how the story resonates with kids today," said Brown.

Brown is now directing young actors performing Dear Evan Hansen in Naples.

"The way he talked about Evan, and how I should think about Evan, I was like, I never would have even thought about that," said actor Dylan Saavedra, who plays Evan.

For Brown, directing is more than just about Broadway chops; it's about mentorship.

"Getting to watch them naturally, their instincts, and what resonates with them is really exciting for me to see," said Brown.

For Lori, what she thought was too big a vision became a lesson in taking a risk.

"I thought, oh, he's not going to call, and now 10 years later, he's one of my closest friends," said Lori. "He's really shown our students that kindness, work ethic, dedication, it all pays off."

The payoff for this group isn't in how many people show up on opening night; it's in boldly taking center stage and going for it.

You can find tickets to "Dear Evan Hansen" on the Naples Performing Arts Center website here.