Go back to school for a heartbreaking, heartwarming, heartfelt production that tells the story of modern youth in a way that only the theater can. The multi-award winning Dear Evan Hansen weaves a picture of teenage loneliness, grief, community, and hope together into a musical sensation. Follow the play’s title character as he becomes a central figure in the aftermath of a classmate’s suicide, finding the recognition he’d never had before thanks to a web of deceit that began with a lie he never meant to tell. Dear Evan Hansen tickets have been going fast ever since the show hit Broadway, so don’t miss your chance to experience the lyrical roller coaster of emotion that comes with revisiting the trials of young adulthood.
Writers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul drew on events that Pasek remembered from his own high school years, reflecting on the number of people who claimed friendship with the deceased and taking the idea to its theatrically absurd conclusion. Brought to the stage with directing by Michael Greif, who has already dazzled the theater world with Rent and Next to Normal, this is one of the rare original stories to get the Broadway treatment. With performances in New York and across the United States in 2018, you have more chances than ever to laugh, cringe, and cry along with this coming-of-age story that takes modern life head-on.
Dear Evan Hansen premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015 and thanks to its rousing success, moved to New York as an Off-Broadway production from March to May 2016. In December 2016, the show opened on Broadway in the Music Box Theatre, and Dear Evan Hansen tickets still sell out quickly. In 2017, Dear Evan Hansen won 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for Ben Platt as Evan Hansen. Starting October 2018, you can get tickets to see Dear Evan Hansen near you as it tours over 50 US cities including Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle.
If you love the musical, or can’t wait to see it, then pick up a copy of its adaptation as a young adult novel of the same name. Written by Val Emmich in conjunction with the show’s creators, the book expands upon the original story with additional material based on scenes and songs cut from the final production of the stage show.
After seeing the show, you’re sure to catch yourself humming the melodic pop-rock tunes of this emotionally resonant score. Acoustic guitar, keyboards, and strings enhance the belted high notes and vulnerable trebles of the cast. The songs “Waving Through a Window” and “You Will Be Found” shine as anthems for anyone who has felt like an outcast and yearned for social acceptance. The original cast album of Dear Evan Hansen reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart and won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Designed by the award-winning David Korins, who also worked on Hamilton and Grease! Live, the stage of this contemporary musical is draped with screens that flash with posts and tweets in response to the characters’ actions. As the plot progresses, this modern design reflects the duality of how social media can be used to inspire public engagement for change and how viral movements can be vectors of deceit. The dynamic set expertly transports you from the tribulations of high school hallways to a reflective ballad sung in a teen’s bedroom. Grab a box of tissues and your tickets to Dear Evan Hansen to experience this history-making musical sensation for yourself.
