Yorktown native takes on Connor Murphy in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ 

Local actor Daniel Graf is living out a dream. 

“Every day I wake up and I'm so happy,” he said. “This is what I always wanted. I'm so grateful for the shoulders that I've been able to stand on to get here.”

Graf said following his acting skills has fueled his passion for the craft.

“It was just what I was good at,” he said. “I love the attention, and I love to be able to feel so much.”

The Yorktown native and 2021 Yorktown High School graduate, whose father is also an actor, initially began honing his craft when he was just four years old, at KJK Youth Theater Camp. Two decades later, he is still bringing his talent to the stage. This time, he will play Connor Murphy in the musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” at the White Plains Performing Arts Center this month.

The show follows high school student Evan Hansen, who is forced into a complex controversy after a tragedy hits his community. 

“It’s incredibly dark,” Graf said. “It's kind of hard to hang out with friends after doing ‘Connor stuff,’ you know. Not a fun guy to be around.”

Despite the gravity of the role, Graf isn’t new to the production. He was previously the understudy for Evan in the Phoenix Theatre Company in Arizona. 

“What honestly made it a little easier, though, is the fact that I did play Evan,” he said. “So I kind of, like, I get where his head's at.”

However, Graf said he has learned a great deal preparing for this role.

“I've learned that coming into a process with my idea of the show finished is important for me,” he said. “And I've learned that it's hard for me to separate my persona in a rehearsal room, at least in this character, the darkness of the character. It's hard for me to kind of snap in and snap out.

Regardless, he is excited to perform close to home. 

“Doing something in Westchester means that all my friends and family can see it,” he said. 

Although he has been acting almost his entire life, Graf realized he wanted to seriously pursue acting in college. “In high school, they just kind of tell you, ‘you better figure out what you're going to do for the rest of your life,’” he said. “It was just what I was good at…But then in college, I learned what I loved about it.”

And what does the 2025 Pace University graduate love about acting?

“I think everybody really just makes up rules about how the world is, how it's supposed to be, and theater is the same,” he said. “Exact[ly the] same air, same world, same ground, same everything. But we decided that in this room, we're going to do the world completely different, and I like that because the truth is, you can actually do that anywhere.” 

If Graf could have given his college self one piece of advice before graduating, it would have been to give it his all. 

“Whatever 100 percent that I can give that day, every day,” he said. “Don't show up tired and give 20 percent of what I could give.” 

In keeping with his own wisdom, Graf has a few actors and plays on his acting bucket list that he would love to give his 100 percent to.

“I would love to work with Michael Arden,” he said. “I think he's brilliant.”

Graf also said he would love to be in a production of “Lost Boys,” which won four Tony Awards in June.

“And I'd like to do a tour soon,” he said. “They're doing the ‘Lost Boys’ tour soon. So maybe. You never know.”

Graf said when audiences leave “Dear Evan Hansen,” one thing he hopes they take away from his performance is that there is help to those who need it. 

“I just hope that people know that there's resources for them and that they are actually not alone and that people love them,” he said.

“Dear Evan Hansen” opens Oct. 2 and runs through Oct. 25 at the White Plains Performing Arts Center.

You can purchase tickets here.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit wppac.com/shows/dear-evan-hansen.