Dear Evan Hansen
Believe it or not, there’s a theater ticket that is as hard to get as Hamilton. And it’s for a play you may have never heard of. Dear Evan Hansen is taking the theater subculture by storm. A look at the website reveals that there’s no hope and the production is too small for a significant aftermarket. We were lucky to jump on a fundraising extra performance, excited to see what all the buzz was about. The good news is this production is moving to Broadway and will be available to all. It is likely to remain a smash.
“On the outside
Always looking in
Will I ever be more than I’ve ever been?”
I guess the best description might be – a millennial musical. Our story – a socially awkward adolescent (who isn’t, really?) becomes the center of a social phenomenon through a series of unexpected events. In our 21st century environment, what is our real identity? Is it our social media presence or the flesh and blood self?
Ben Platt as Evan Hansen
Our main character evolves on a conflicting course. Evan Hansen, skillfully played by Ben Platt, immediately captures us in the show's opening number. He plays the isolated adolescent who draws more compassion than pity. As things develop and his popularity rises, we are fully buckled in for the adventure. The emotions are extreme and advanced mostly by the excellent soundtrack and extraordinary performances.
Heidi Hansen, played by Rachel Bay Jones, is particularly riveting in presenting the challenges of the single parent with a difficult child. The widening divergence between Evan’s electronic presence and the child this mother knows creates the ever-increasing tension in our story. Every step on the path is laid out by clever and thoroughly entertaining musical numbers.
My favorite character was Conner Murphy played by Mike Faist; a one-man Greek chorus who keeps the whole show grounded.
Referring to people in general; “they only see what they want to see” is a line by the main character in the movie The Sixth Sense. This concept feeds heavily into this story and provides a large component of how Evan’s powers rise.
The feverish buzz followed by the immediate broadway transfer of a small off broadway production is, generally speaking, the formula for what most will find to be a throughly enjoyable theater experience. Follow this link (Dear Evan Hansen) to sign up to be informed when tickets go on sale and gather your favorite millennials for a ground breaking show experience.
Why we went: finger-on-the-pulse recommendations from the always reliable Vicki and Hannah
JMG