You may have heard about the new musical that has hit the stage at Broadway called Dear Evan Hansen. Many have predicted it to be the next Hamilton, and that’s not a far off prediction. Aside from the fantastic acting, singing, and music, Dear Evan Hansen is a heartbreaking story that many teens will be able to relate to.
The musical centers on Evan Hansen (Ben Platt), a high school student starting his senior year in college, who suffers from severe social anxiety. As a result of his mental illness, Evan doesn’t have any friends and often feels lonely and like an outcast. The before his first day of school, he writes a letter to himself, as suggested by his therapist, to give himself a pep talk. In it, he tells himself that it’ll be a good day and also talks about his crush, Zoe Murphy (Laura Dreyfuss).
At school, Zoe’s brother, Connor (Mike Faist), finds Evan’s letter to himself. Connor is a troubled young teen and takes the letter away from Evan. Later, Connor commits suicide and his parents find Evan’s note and assumes that Connor wrote the letter to Evan because they were friends. In hopes of giving the family some closure, Evan goes along with the lie. Although pretending to have been Connor’s best friend proves to help lessen the severity of Evan’s social anxiety, the lie soon spirals out of control.
So, why should you watch this show? Well first of all, it provides great representation to social anxiety. It shows how social anxiety effects the way you interact with people. And, Ben Platt does an amazing job in portraying a boy with that illness, through his mannerisms and the way he speaks. Also, Evan’s mom is constantly supporting him through his mental illness. She pays for his therapy and medication and does her best to understand and help him, though she doesn’t have a lot of money. They show a parent being supportive of her child’s mental illness. It also sheds a light on suicide and the importance of helping those who are suffering and also not forgetting those who took their own lives. Plus, there’s also the added bonus of the incredible songs and performances that you’ll love.
Dear Evan Hansen is an incredible show that deserves every bit of success it gets. At some point of the show you’ll find yourself relating to at least one character. If you’re able to, I encourage you to support the show and its actors and go see it live. If you don’t have the means to go see it, you can still support the show from home by spreading the word about it. You can also listen to the songs “Waving Through A Window” and “Only Us” that have been released from the soundtrack.
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