GYPSY w/ Patti LuPone (Chicago Ravinia Festival)
***Click here for the Playbill.com Press Release
"The evening was first rate. Leo Ash Evens as Tulsa turned in a thrilling 'All I Need is the Girl'...An unforgetable evening." -Margo Channing (Broadwayworld.com)
"Leo Ash Evens made a fine Tulsa, performing 'All I Need is the Girl' with a manly grace that isn't always found in the role." -Joseph F. Panarello (Broadwayworld.com)
"Leo Ash Evens' Tulsa and Jen Tenman's June were as about as good as these parts get..." -Don Rosenberg (The Clevelend Chronicle)
"Leo Ash Evens shines brightly in Tulsa's 'All I Need is the Girl'...and with Paul Gemignani holding down court at the baton, the score has never sounded richer or more scintillating." -Joe Stead (Steadstyle Chicago)
"Leo Ash Evens does the honors as Tulsa quite nicely. Ravinia's Gypsy and its star performance deserve to be seen and heard widely." -John Olson (Talkin' Broadway)
WEST SIDE STORY (Houston TUTS)
"As Riff, the Jets' leader, Leo Ash Evens exudes spirit and spunky, whether singing or dancing; his singing of 'Cool' is ... well, cool."
-Everett Evans, Houston Chronicle
"Leo Ash Evens can belt out a song with tons of Broadway brass."
-Lee Williams, Houston Press
"The performace of Leo Ash Evens as Riff, is top drawer." -Gloria Smith, Houston Community Newspapers
"Leo Ash Evens, fresh off a winning performance as Tulsa in Ravinia's August staging of Gypsy with Patti LuPone, distinguised himself in Houston with a charismatic, smoothly sung Riff who projected a natural leader's combination of grit, poise, and panache. A gifted dancer, Evens transformed the loose-limbed grace he displayed in Gypsy's "All I Need Is The Girl" into the coiled tension and barely-contained violence of Robbins' choreography for the Jets' commander. He effectively communicated the complexity of Riff's emotions, bringing out his bewilderment and frustration at Tony's withdrawal from the web of gang and neighborhood loyalties that define at the end of the moments of Riff's accidental death at the end of Act 1 and his reappearance in the Act II ballet." -Christopher Weimer, The Sondheim Revue
OKLAHOMA! w/ Shirley Jones (Pittsburgh CLO)
"Leo Ash Evens (Will Parker) and Jennifer Cody (Ado Annie) were in cahoots all the way. Evens showed off some great tapping skills in "Kansas City" and a playful crouch in wooing his pony-tailed country girl." -Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The sidekick roles of Will Parker and Ado Annie are played by Leo Ash Evens and Jennifer Cody, exuding youthfulness and a sweet form of daftness that serves the material appropriately. Evens plays Will with a natural ease that charms, making Will and Annie a great fit." -Ann Miner, Talkin' Broadway
"The highlights of the show are the spirited song-and-dance numbers, especially the Evens-led "Kansas City"..." -Jolie Williamson, Pittsburgh Tribune
GYPSY w/ Andrea McArdle (Houston Ballet and Theatre)
"There's one lyrical scene that rises above the rest of the show: Leo Ash Evens as Tulsa dances the number exquisitely with a series of slow-motion moves..." -David Brooks Andrews, Metrowest Daily News
"Leo Ash Evens scored with his ambitious song-and-dance turn to All I Need Is The Girl..." -Everett Evans, Houston Chronicle
OKLAHOMA! (Casa Mañana)
"Casa Mañana sweeps up in Oklahoma! Leo Ash Evens gave a solid performance as the well intentioned-but-not-so-bright Will Parker...as good as any you've seen in major professional productions." -Mark Lowry (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)
GOING DOWN SWINGIN'
(New York Musical Theatre Festival '07)
"The dashing and focused Leo Ash Evens loosens up as the rock and roller and then tenses up appropriately walking into the landmine that is the live radio show overseen by someone who has it in for him. Interestingly, another level of tension is added via his character, the rock and roller new man in Annabelle’s life." -Rob Lester, Edge New York City
"Leo Ash Evens rounds out the male leads with just the right amount of angst as a rock-n-roll heartthrob with a secret." -Sarah B, NYC Blogspot
"Going Down Swingin’ is a very tight musical. The songs integrate with the plot the way they are supposed to, characters are developed, the story holds your attention. These aspects, combined with strong performances all around help to make it one of best shows of the festival." -Amanda @ NYMF Bulletin
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (The Arvada Center)
"Leo Ash Evens is particularly appealing as the Damon Runyonesque Jimmy, first Millie's antagonizer and then, ofcourse, her suitor." -Lisa Bornstein, Rocky Mountain News
"Leo Ash Evens, who plays Millie's dogged suitor, Jimmy, matches Sterling with a strong presence and smooth vocal delivery." -Mark Collins, Denver Daily Camera
"Leo Ash Evens is a knockout as Jimmy, the New York City boy who falls for Millie right from the start." -Ourfront Newsletter
FOOTLOOSE (Pittsburgh Musical Theater)
"Evens has charm and the dancing/singing chops the hyperactive Ren requires, with just enough of the bad boy to make it believable he might be seen as a rebel." -Chris Rawson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Evens brings just the right balance of charm, youthful insolence and outrage to the role of the rebellious Ren. He sure can dance. " -Alice Carter, Pittsburgh Tribune
"Leo Ash Evens is just a whirlwind of talent as the out-of-town rebel here to make the kids dance, damnit, I said dance! He's a delight to watch from beginning to end." -Ted Hoover, Pittsburgh City Paper
"Evens, had an amazing voice and stage presence. Both Evens and Miller brought their characters to life, and the two worked excellently together. Throughout the musical, the chemistry between them was palpable. When they finally kissed, there was a collective sigh from most of the audience. In addition, their conversations seemed to flow naturally; between the two of them, nothing was forced, which made the musical all the more interesting."-Pratima Neti, The Tartan
BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER
(New York Musical Theatre Festival '05)
"Mr. Abrams's score offers a well-tempered mix of catchy choruses and belty ballads, and Mr. Augustin's book has bolstered the film's affirmative agenda. The production, directed by Daniel Goldstein and choreographed by Wendy Seyb, looks well on its way to Broadway polish." -Ron Kendt, New York Times
Disney's ON THE RECORD (U.S. National Tour)
"...an extremely talented quartet that sings with gorgeous harmonies and dances with festive fun: Leo Ash Evens, Meredith Inglesby, Keewa Nurullah, and Ian Rhodes." -John Garcia, Dallas Talkin' Broadway