I was fortunate enough to make it to Music Box Theatre on Broadway last Tuesday to see the Tony-Award winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen. After listening to its captivating soundtrack for months, I was very grateful to be able to finally witness it on stage. To be completely honest, it was breathtaking and one of the best shows I have ever seen. I will try to recount my experience and do a Dear Evan Hansen Review by giving my opinion and trying to avoid major spoilers.
Plot and Characters
The creators dramatized the plot to have high stakes, but did it in a believable and relatable way. Lies at the risk of falling apart, family drama portraying the distance between mother and son, and a high schooler’s desire for a life he could not have are all themes that the character of Evan Hansen struggled with.
A lot of the characters felt like someone you would know in high school. The insecurities of each of them were also put on spotlight. The extreme social outcasts, Evan and Connor, were probably rarer of a stereotype. People like Jared and Alana though, felt very real. I obtained a copy of the script when I left the show, and I chuckled at a stage direction line that said Jared had “a swagger that only the deeply insecure can pull off”. Alana’s repeated mention of how she had “acquaintances” and her ridiculous obsession with extracurriculars also made her someone we were all so familiar with.
The most touching part, though, was probably the family relationships. Distance was an important theme in the musical. The distance between the members of the Hansen family and of the Murphy family showed that. The scenes showed Evan and his mother as they spend very little time together. From that, we can grasp why Evan acts the way he does and understand why his desires might be as they are. A very talented cast brought all that to life very vividly.
Music/Choreography
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul composed music that varied in style to tell a tale that was an emotional rollercoaster for the protagonist. The two main songs also nicely complement each other. Waving Through the Window conveys feelings of being an outcast and viewing a world from the other side as if you don’t belong. You Will be Found emphasizes there is a place for everyone.
Songs like Sincerely, Me and Does Anybody Have a Map were also catchy and very well-choreographed. The conversations in between the songs were well-placed and quirky.
I have listened to the cast recording of the soundtrack so many times before I had seen the show. Because of that, I had sort of constructed my own idea of what the story would be about. What was interesting was there were a few reprises that weren’t on the cast album. (Sincerely, Me (Reprise), You Will Be Found (Reprise)). Those songs essentially served as the turning point in the plot, so it completely made sense to leave them out.
Experience
The show itself, the stage, and the acting were all phenomenal. The story really sprung to life from the very beginning. For me, the most intense and well-done parts were mostly in Act II. One example was the argument scene between Evan and Heidi. The vocal range of Heidi Hansen’s character also really impressed me. One moment she would be screaming and the other she would be consoling. The great pacing and the continuous suspense kept building left the audience with questions after each scene. It is definitely one that I wouldn’t mind seeing again. A quick Dear Evan Hansen review made me reflect on why like the show, and it includes reasons pertaining music, choreography, quirkiness, and creativity.
Last Musical Film/Theatre Review: https://recountthetimes.com/musical-recounts-greatest-showman/
Next Planned Musical Film/Theatre Review: Moulin Rouge! (2019 Broadway production)