worlds pass by | dear evan hansen

Chapter 7

"When do you want the wedding?" Jace asked, as he and Kasey sat in Central Park, with their usual Strawberry Kiwi drink and Doritos spread out on the blanket.

"I don't know, soon," Kasey said, shrugging. "I don't want to draw this out too long. Why wait, if we've already agreed to spend the rest of our lives together?"

"I agree, but what season? It seems a little too late for summer."

"Maybe fall or winter. Those are my favorite," Kasey told him. "What about November, ish? That way we know the weather will still be pretty decent, but not buggy and gross."

"That seems like the perfect time," Jace agreed. "How about late November? We can have it in a nice, classy location, and we can keep it pretty lowkey. Not too many people, which will be hard to do with the amount of friends we have."

Kasey checked her calendar on her phone. "November 27? That's close to December, but should still be nice weather." 

"Sounds good," Jace agreed. 

They exchanged smiles. "We just picked a date," Kasey said wonderingly. "It seems too easy, you know?"

"I get what you mean," Jace laughed. "I've thought about this wedding for so long. It seems weird to get a key detail nailed down in ten minutes."

"We should get our invitations out soon, then," Kasey said. "If the wedding is in November."

"Believe it or not, Kaitlyn Knox has offered to design the invitations. We can meet with her next week, if that sounds good to you. Only if you want her to, of course."

"No, that's fine!" Kasey exclaimed. "I love Kaitlyn. We can do that, for sure. I'm excited. They'll look amazing when she's done."

Just then, Kasey's phone rang. She frowned at the interruption, reluctantly checking the screen. She immediately sat up straighter.

"It's the DEH director," Kasey said, heart pounding. Jace leaned closer, clasping Kasey's hand in his.

"Go on, babe, answer it. I'm sure it'll be good news," he urged.

Kasey held her breath and answered the call. "Hello, this is Kasey Winslow."

"Hello, Kasey, this is Michael Greif," the voice on the other end said. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty well, thank you for asking," Kasey said politely. "And how are you?"

"I'm very pleased to tell you that you are being offered the role of Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen," Michael told her. 

Kasey gasped. Jace knew instantly what that meant, and he grinned proudly. 

"I am very honored," Kasey breathed. "Thank you so much."

"Thank you, Kasey, for your stunning audition. We were blown away by everything you did in the audition room. Now, we know that you're leaving Frozen in a few weeks. We were hoping you could attend put-in rehearsals in the final week of August. That gives you about two weeks of vacation time."

Kasey exchanged glances with Jace. "I think that sounds perfect."

"We'll send you more information regarding scheduling and such in a few days. Laura plans on leaving around the second or first weeks in October. She plans on talking to you about the exact date."

"Thank you so much," Kasey said emphatically.

"No, thank you, for your stunning, wonderful audition," Michael replied instantly. "There was a reason why we wanted you to audition- and we were right. Well, have a good day, Kasey. We'll be in touch soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kasey and Jess's final show neared closer and closer. It was an odd feeling- they didn't have to attend as many cleaning rehearsals because they wouldn't be performing soon anyway. 

They decided to arrange a little get-together with Madelyn and Elizabeth- a 'passing of the torch' of sorts, in the week before their last show. It was the first time Madelyn had really interacted with Jess and Kasey outside of the rehearsal hall.

Kasey had been running a little late, and was, as a result, the last one to arrive at the cafe Jess had picked out.

"I am so, so sorry," Kasey said breathlessly as she slipped into the seat next to Jess. "I was teaching a masterclass and time ran a little longer than I thought it would be." 

"No, that's okay," Jess answered instantly. "So, Kasey and I thought we'd just take you two out, to talk, chat, ask questions, whatever you both want. We're just here to address any worries you have about the show."

Elizabeth and Madelyn exchanged glances.

"Just... how do you do it? Stay calm," Madelyn asked. "I don't know, I'm already nervous, and I haven't even debuted yet."

"First of all, don't be. Your performance is beautiful," Kasey told her. "Secondly, don't compare yourself to anyone. No one will have the same interpretation or style as you. There's a reason why you were picked for this. Remember that."

"And have fun, and trust what you know. Trust your cast members, to hold you up. Being a lead isn't a one-person job. You cannot expect to carry the show alone. Recognize your limits and where you need help. There will be times when you'll need to admit weakness. Don't be afraid of that," Jess added. 

"Definitely," Kasey agreed. 

"Are you sad that you're leaving?" Elizabeth asked. "I know the ensemble is."

Jess glanced at Kasey. "I don't think I'm sad, actually. I know that the show will be in perfectly capable hands, with you two, and it's time to move on. I'm ready for a new challenge, and to pass on the role to you."

"Same here. I'm starting a new chapter in my life with my upcoming marriage, and I think a new show change goes with that. It's important to remind people that the cast is a revolving door all the time. The OBC doesn't last long, in comparison to the length of the show's run. Nothing lasts forever, and I wanted to do it on my own terms. That being said, I'm content knowing that you and Madelyn will be taking the reins. I'm definitely going to see it."