by Daniella Ignacio ’17
Musical theatre has the power to tell stories that otherwise might not be told. “Dear Evan Hansen” champions those who are on the outside, who struggle with anxiety and who feel grief for their lost loved ones. With a book by Steven Levenson and music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (lyricists of the Oscar-winning musical movie “La La Land” and composers of musicals such as “Dogfight” and “A Christmas Story”), “Dear Evan Hansen” brings ideas of deep concern for millennials to the forefront and gives new hope for the future of musical theatre.
“Dear Evan Hansen” tells the story of high school senior Evan Hansen (Ben Platt), who has intense social anxiety. When his classmate, Connor Murphy (Mike Faist), commits suicide, Connor’s family comes to Evan for consolation under the impression that Evan is Connor’s best friend. (He’s not Connor’s best friend.) As he helps the Murphys through their process of grief, he finds the family he always wished he could have had and gets tangled up in a web of lies that escalates as he begins an online movement in Connor’s memory with two fellow classmates.
Through an honest depiction of anxiety and a family’s grief, as well as a set design of projections that exhibits the firm hold that social media has on our generation, “Dear Evan Hansen” is a wholly original and realistic contemporary musical that has the power to evoke deep emotions. Never before has there been one show that has caused such a collective reaction of catharsis and tears within the audience, across several different generations.
The pop/rock-infused music contributes immensely to the tear factor. The song used most widely in radio ads for this show, “Waving Through A Window,” is even more incredible live as audiences see Evan struggling to find a place to belong. The first act closer, “You Will Be Found,” is chill-inducing, from Evan’s opening solo, to the full ensemble sharing the message that no one is alone, to the final moment as the orchestra swells and ends the act with a powerful chord. And during Heidi’s lullaby to soothe a distraught Evan when it all comes crashing down, “So Big/So Small,” audible tears could be heard from the audience. The genuine, complex performances by all actors in this show, particularly Ben Platt and Rachel Bay Jones (Heidi, Evan’s mother), contributed to my love for these musical moments.
There were very few aspects of this musical one might find fault with. “Good For You” was the only song that fell flat, as it depicted Heidi as a little too unhinged and even immature as she sings in a rock style for the first and only time in the show, and one would wish the audience could have closure with Evan’s classmates Jared and Alana, who had interesting stories of their own that got dropped halfway through the second act. However, as a whole, the show allowed for a very enjoyable and empowering night at the theater.
This is a show for anyone who has ever felt like they were on the outside looking in. With the perfect mix of gravitas and humor, “Dear Evan Hansen” is a work of art that has touched the lives of many. If more musicals continue to reach out to the younger generation in the way that “Dear Evan Hansen” has, it’s safe to say that the future of musical theatre looks bright.
4 out of 5 stars
