Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen is a musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson.[1][2][3] The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn".[4]
This article is about the stage musical. For the film adaptation, see Dear Evan Hansen (film). For the politician, see Evan Hansen (politician).Dear Evan Hansen
July 10, 2015: Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.
2015 Washington
2016 Off-Broadway
2016 Broadway
2018 First US tour
2019 West End
2023 Argentina
2023 Finland
2023 Israel
2024 Second US tour
2024 UK tour
2024 Australia
2024 Austria
2024 Germany
2024 Czech Republic
Tony Award for Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
Tony Award for Best Original Score
Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
Drama Desk for Outstanding Lyrics
Obie Award for Musical Theatre
Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Production
Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Original Score or New Orchestrations
The musical opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in December 2016, after the show's world premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015, and an Off-Broadway production at Second Stage Theatre from March to May 2016. The show closed on September 18, 2022.
The show received critical acclaim. At the 71st Tony Awards, it was nominated for nine awards, winning six, including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Actor for Ben Platt, and Best Featured Actress for Rachel Bay Jones.
A film adaptation was directed by Stephen Chbosky and co-produced by Marc Platt, the father of Ben Platt, who reprised his performance in the title role. Released on September 24, 2021, it was a box-office disappointment and received negative reviews from critics. This, along with soft ticket sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, became the leading factors that would cause both the Broadway and West End productions to close.[5]
The show continues to be performed worldwide, with Music Theatre International holding the licensing rights, which have yet to be made more widely available to the general public as of February 2022.[6]
Plot[edit]
Act 1[edit]
Evan Hansen, a bullied 17-year-old with social anxiety, depression, and a recently broken arm, is assigned by his therapist, Dr. Sherman, to write letters to himself detailing what will be good about each day. Evan's overworked mother, Heidi, suggests that Evan ask people to sign the cast on his arm to make friends. Meanwhile, Cynthia and Larry Murphy struggle to connect with their own 17-year-old son, Connor, a sullen drug user ("Anybody Have a Map?").
At school, Evan meets precocious classmate Alana and his reluctant "family friend" Jared, both of whom decline to sign his cast. Evan runs into Connor Murphy, who misinterprets his awkwardness for hostility and pushes him to the ground. Connor's sister, Zoe, with whom Evan is infatuated, feels obliged to apologize for her brother's behavior. Evan wonders if his destiny in life is to always be ignored ("Waving Through a Window"). Evan writes a letter to himself in the school library (begun with "Dear Evan Hansen,"...), wondering how he could talk to Zoe and if anyone at school would notice if he disappeared ("Waving Through a Window" [Reprise #1]). Connor bumps into Evan again, this time ironically offering to sign Evan's cast. He finds Evan's letter on the printer and, at the mention of Zoe, becomes furious and storms out, taking the letter with him. Meanwhile, Alana ponders her own inner anxieties ("Waving Through a Window" [Reprise #2]).
Days later, Evan is called to the principal's office, where Connor's parents tell him that their son has died by suicide. They found Evan's letter in Connor's pocket, and mistakenly believe Connor wrote it, indicating a close friendship between him and Evan. Connor's signature on Evan's cast strengthens the Murphys' belief, despite Evan's fumbling attempts to explain what really happened. The Murphys invite Evan to their house for dinner, where he is awkward and uncomfortable, so he tells them what he thinks they want to hear, pretending that he and Connor had secretly been best friends, and recounting a fictional version of the day he broke his arm at an abandoned apple orchard the family had visited years ago ("For Forever"). Evan enlists Jared's help in creating fake, backdated email conversations between him and Connor ("Sincerely, Me").
After Evan shows the Murphys the fake emails, Cynthia is ecstatic to "learn" that her son had a friend, but Larry is hurt, believing Connor took his family and his privileged life for granted, and Zoe still refuses to mourn Connor because of how he treated her ("Requiem"). However, after reading the "suicide note," Zoe notices that she is mentioned fondly and asks Evan why Connor would say that about her, so he tells her all the reasons he loves her under the guise of Connor saying them ("If I Could Tell Her"). Evan impulsively kisses Zoe, but she pulls away and tells him to leave.
Evan, encouraged by a vision of Connor, enlists Alana and Jared's help in founding "The Connor Project" to keep Connor's memory alive, which the Murphys eagerly encourage. Cynthia asks Evan to wear Connor's necktie at its official launch ("Disappear"). Evan suffers a panic attack but composes himself during the speech, which goes viral online. Zoe, overcome by the impact her brother and Evan have had, kisses him. Meanwhile, Heidi discovers Evan's viral video ("You Will Be Found").
Act 2[edit]
Evan and Alana pitch a fundraising campaign on The Connor Project's website, to raise $50,000 to restore the abandoned apple orchard. Meanwhile, Jared continues to help Evan write fabricated emails ("Sincerely Me" [Reprise]). After Heidi learns about Evan's speech about Connor online, she asks him why she never knew about this or about the "friendship", and they get into a fight. Evan runs off to the Murphys' house, where he bonds with Larry, who offers Evan Connor's old, unused baseball glove ("To Break In a Glove"). Zoe tells Evan that she doesn't want their relationship to be about Connor, but about the two of them ("Only Us"). Evan becomes preoccupied with Zoe and begins to neglect Heidi, Jared, and The Connor Project.
On one of his many visits to the Murphys, Evan finds they invited Heidi for dinner. She is offended to learn they want to give Connor's college fund to Evan. At home, Heidi and Evan have a fight, with Evan telling her he has found family in her absence. Heidi, Alana, and Jared converge in Evan's conscience, compounding his guilt and doubt over his decisions ("Good for You"). Evan debates with the vision of Connor about whether he should tell the truth ("For Forever" [Reprise]).
Alana has become suspicious about Evan's "friendship" with Connor, so Evan shows her Connor's "suicide note", which paints a more bitter picture than the letters about the boys' friendship. Realizing that the letter is the key to fulfilling the fundraising goal for The Connor Project, Alana posts it online where, to Evan's chagrin, it also goes viral. The public begin to blame Connor's wealthy, previously dysfunctional family for his suicide ("You Will Be Found" [Reprise]), making them the targets of harassment. Evan walks in on the Murphys fighting among themselves about the blame, and finally admits to them his fabrication. As the Murphys leave in disgust, Evan absorbs his perceived brokenness as inescapable ("Words Fail"). Heidi recognizes the "suicide note" online as one of Evan's therapy assignments and apologizes to him for not seeing how badly he had been hurting. She recalls the day his father moved out, and promises that she will always be there for him when he needs her ("So Big / So Small").
A year later, Evan is still living with his mother, working at a store to earn enough money to go to college the next semester. Zoe invites him to meet her at the orchard, which has been reopened in Connor's memory, and they connect for the first time since Evan told the truth. He apologizes for the pain he caused and Zoe forgives him, saying the ordeal brought her family closer together. They share a moment before parting ways, in which Evan asks why she wanted to meet him at the orchard. Zoe tells Evan that she wanted him to see the orchard.
Evan mentally writes himself one last letter reflecting on the impact he has had on his community and questions what's to come next ("Finale").
Adaptations[edit]
Novelization[edit]
The musical was adapted into a young adult novel by actor and singer-songwriter Val Emmich, in collaboration with Pasek, Paul, and Levenson. The novel, which features additional material based on scenes and songs cut from the show's development that flesh out and expand upon the story, was released by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on October 9, 2018.[95] An audiobook was released on the same date with narrations by Ben Levi Ross, Mike Faist, and Mallory Bechtel. It debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at #2 for the week of October 28, 2018.[96]
