Dear Evan Hansen is a musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. 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".
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.
Upon opening, 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.
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.
Production history
U.S. productions
There were several readings prior to the first stage production, all in New York: May 2014 at Pearl Studios July 2014 at Chelsea Studios September 2014 at Manhattan Movement and Arts Studio
A full workshop took place in March 2015 at Gibney Dance Center. It was initially called The PPL Project. Platt was involved in all readings and the workshop.
Productions outside the U.S. The first city to produce the show after New York and London was Buenos Aires, where it ran from April 7, 2023, at the Metropolitan Sura theater under the title “Querido Evan”. This would be followed by productions in Finland, Israel, Australia and other parts of the world.
Plot
Act 1
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").