Dear Evan Hansen
| Dear Evan Hansen | |
|---|---|
| Music | Benj Pasek Justin Paul |
| Lyrics | Benj Pasek Justin Paul |
| Book | Steven Levenson |
| Premiere | July 10, 2015: Arena Stage |
Dear Evan Hansen is an original musical written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, with the book by Steven Levenson.[1]
The musical had its world premiere at Arena Stage in July 2015, and opened Off-Broadway in March 2016 in previews. The focus of the musical is the teen "Evan Hansen", who becomes involved in a family tragedy of another teen.
Contents
Background and development
Dear Evan Hansen is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.[2] The musical has its origins in an incident that took place during Pasek's high school years. The musical "takes the notion of a teenager, ... Evan Hansen, who invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn."[3]
Productions
Dear Evan Hansen premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., running from July 10 to August 23, 2015.[4] The musical was directed by Michael Greif with orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire and the set designed by David Korins. The cast featured Ben Platt in the title role, a high school senior with social anxiety disorder who finds himself amid the turmoil that follows a classmate's suicide.
The musical opened Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theater on March 26, 2016 in previews, officially on May 1. The cast features Ben Platt, Laura Dreyfuss, Mike Faist, Rachel Bay Jones, Will Roland and Jennifer Laura Thompson repeating their roles from the Arena Stage production. New cast members are John Dossett and Kristolyn Lloyd. Michael Greif again directs, with choreography by Danny Mefford.[5][6][7][8]
The Off-Broadway engagement will close on May 29, 2016. It will premiere on Broadway in November 2016 at a Shubert Theatre (not named as yet), with the same creative personnel as for the Off-Broadway production.[9]
Characters and original cast
The characters and original cast:
| Character | Arena Stage (2015)[10] | Second Stage Theatre (2016)[11] | Broadway (2016) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Hansen | Ben Platt | ||
| Heidi Hansen | Rachel Bay Jones | ||
| Cynthia Murphy | Jennifer Laura Thompson | ||
| Larry Murphy | Michael Park | John Dossett | |
| Connor Murphy | Mike Faist | ||
| Zoe Murphy | Laura Dreyfuss | ||
| Alana Beck | Alexis Molnar | Kristolyn Lloyd | |
| Jared Kleinman | Will Roland | ||
Synopsis
High school student Connor commits suicide. Connor's parents, Cynthia and Larry, find a note apparently from Connor to Evan Hansen, a senior at the same high school. The note actually was written by Evan himself in an exercise suggested by his therapist to help Evan overcome his socially awkward personality and anxiety. Evan's mother Heidi works long hours as a nurse and also attends school, and his father left the family years ago. Although the two young men did not know each other, Evan decides to attempt to help Connor's parents in their grief by pretending to have been a close friend of his and writing fake e-mails to reinforce his claim. Zoe, Connor's sister, and Evan's "dream girl", is grateful to Evan for helping her parents.
According to the official website, the synopsis reads "All his life Evan Hansen has felt invisible. To his peers, to the girl he loves, sometimes even to his own mother. But that was before he wrote the letter – that led to the incident – that started the lie – that ignited a movement – that inspired a community – and changed Evan's status from the ultimate outsider into the somebody everyone wants to know. But how long can Evan keep his secret? And at what price?"[12]
Musical numbers
- Arena Stage Production
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- Second Stage Production
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Critical response
Derek Mong, in his review of the musical at the Arena Stage, wrote that all of the elements of the musical combine to make the musical "great", and credited the "all-star cast... inventive set design by David Korins...that transforms a small stage into a platform for the most intimate living room where a mother and son share a heart-to-heart to the physical abyss of internet cyberspace... book by Steven Levenson... lyrics and music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul... heartfelt lyrics with universal appeal joined by the perfect, oftentimes acoustic, accompaniment that can change the mood from somber to celebratory to sinister in a single bar of music."[13]
Barbara Mackay in reviewing the Arena Stage production for TheatreMania wrote: "Levenson, Pasek, and Paul set themselves two high, untraditional bars in Evan Hansen: exploring a community's grief and examining a lonely protagonist who desperately wants to connect with that community... Ben Platt is outstanding as Evan... Since the success of the musical depends entirely on whether Evan's solitary nature appears funny or weird, Evan's ability to laugh at himself and make the audience laugh is crucial. Platt is charming as he eternally twists his shirt tails and hangs his head... Although the themes of grief and loneliness are serious, the musical is anything but somber. It addresses challenging facts of life. But from start to finish, when Evan leaves his room and finds an authentic life outside it, Dear Evan Hansen contains far more joy than sadness."[14]
Susan Davidson, in her review of the Arena Stage production for CurtainUp, noted : "...it helps to suspend the disbelief that sullen, anti-social teenagers can change quickly. Surely that's a process requiring time-released hormonal adjustments. It is hard to accept that a long-admired- from-afar girl can change Evan's outlook on life so rapidly or that Connor's teenage disequilibrium leads him to do what he does. Coming through loud and clear, however, is the fact that what starts as deceit can be blown totally out of proportion by the Internet where lies are disseminated with lightening speed leaving plenty of victims in their wake...The music is pleasant, not terribly original but good enough to get toes tapping. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's ballads stand out, particularly Heidi's "So Big, So Small," Evan's "Words Fail" and Zoe and Evan's young sweethearts duet "Only Us.""[15]
Charles Isherwood, in his review of the Second Stage production for The New York Times, noted : "The songs, by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“Dogfight,” “A Christmas Story”), strike the same complex notes, with shapely, heartfelt lyrics that expose the tensions and conflicts that Connor’s death and Evan’s involvement cause in both families. The music, played by a small but excellent band on a platform upstage, is appealingly unstrident pop-rock, with generous doses of acoustic guitar, keyboards and strings. It’s the finest, most emotionally resonant score yet from this promising young songwriting team." [16]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Helen Hayes Awards [17] | Outstanding Musical—HAYES Production | Won | |
| Outstanding Direction of a Musical—HAYES Production | Michael Greif | Won | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical—HAYES Production | Laura Dreyfuss | Nominated | ||
| Jennifer Laura Thompson | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical—HAYES Production | Won | |||
| Outstanding Lighting Design—HAYES Production | Japhy Weideman | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Musical Direction—HAYES Production | Ben Cohn | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Set Design—HAYES Production | David Kornis (Set Design) and Peter Nigrini (Projection Design) | Nominated | ||
| The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play or Musical | Steven Levenson (Book) and Benj Pasek (Lyrics & Music) and Justin Paul (Lyrics & Music) | Nominated | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards [18] | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical | Won | ||
| Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) (The Marjorie Gunner Award) | Benj Pasek and Justin Paul | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Steven Levenson | Won | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Michael Greif | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ben Platt | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Projection Design (Play or Musical) | Peter Nigrini | Nominated | ||
| Off Broadway Alliance Awards [19] | Best New Musical | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Awards [20] | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Nominated | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Ben Platt | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Awards [21] | Outstanding Lyrics | Benj Pasek and Justin Paul | Pending | |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Rachel Bay Jones | Pending | ||
| Outstanding Projection Design | Peter Nigrini | Pending | ||
References
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- ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Off-Broadway Hit 'Dear Evan Hansen' Announces Broadway Transfer", Playbill, May 25, 2016
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- ↑ " 'Dear Evan Hansen: A New Musical' New York City Premiere Official Website
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