Dear Evan Hansen Review: Is it Worth the Hype?


Deprecated: mb_convert_encoding(): Handling HTML entities via mbstring is deprecated; use htmlspecialchars, htmlentities, or mb_encode_numericentity/mb_decode_numericentity instead in /home1/ineedmo3/public_html/wp-content/themes/pipdig-styleandlight/inc/functions/inc/functions/pinterest_hover.php on line 36

About 2 weeks ago I went to see Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. I have wanted to see this show for the LONGEST time and I finally decided to buy a ticket. I bought mine on StubHub the night before the show because it is sold out through November. Although I paid about 3 times face value (sorry, wallet), I really wanted to see it with the original cast. I entered the lottery for 2 straight months, but unfortunately we have another Hamilton situation on our hands, so if you want to see this show you are probably going to have to buy a ticket.

I decided to write this review for you all because it is such a highly anticipated show. And so many people have asked me, is it really worth it? Read on for my Dear Evan Hansen review!

WARNING: Spoilers

The Plot

Dear Evan Hansen is a super emotional show about a teenager with anxiety who gets entangled in a lie. It talks about the deeply important issues of suicide and anxiety, which is a conversation that not many people feel comfortable with. This is why I think the show is so important. Although it deals with these heavy topics, it is still incredibly important that people see it and know about it. It portrays suicide and anxiety in such a real way. It is real and completely full of emotion. And at the same time, it is able to be super funny and engaging.

Although I had memorized all of the songs and listened to the album countless times prior to seeing the show (obviously), actually being in the audience gave the show a completely different feeling. Seeing how the characters react to the material, seeing the real emotion on the actors faces and feeling the emotion of the audience elevated the show to a whole other level. The dialogue throughout the show was very emotional and impactful. You also don’t fully grasp the connections that Evan begins to make with his new friends, like Jared and Alana when just listening to the album.

The Music

The music in this show is amazing. The lyrics are incredibly touching, the hit song “Waving Through a Window” discussing feeling like an outsider, which I think everyone has felt at some point in their life. There are songs like “Requiem” and “So Big/So Small” which are incredibly moving, and there are others like “Sincerely Me” and “If I could Tell Her” which are super funny and keep the show light and not super sad. My favorite vocal moment of the show was during the end of “Waving Through a Window” when all the other characters come on stage and sing the backing vocals. It was super impactful and you were able to hear how each of the characters were struggling.

The Acting

The actors are so amazing. I know a lot of people say that you cannot beat the original broadway cast of any show, but  that is very true with Dear Evan Hansen. Ben Platt gave 200% during his performance. You could tell how hard he was working, he was literally sweating from the second he got on stage. You could see just how much effort he was putting into his performance, he really gave his all. The characters of Jared and Alana, provide a lot of comedic relief throughout the show and keeps the material light after times when it gets kind of heavy. Unfortunately, I did not see Laura (who plays Zoe), but her understudy was absolutely amazing.

The Set Design

The set design is something that is very important to this show. Since the show also demonstrates the impact of social media on the lives of the characters, there were panels on stage with social media feeds constantly refreshing on them. Putting social media in the center of this show also allows many more people to connect with it. Since we live in the age of technology, so many (older) people don’t realize how hard it is to grow up with social media. Everything you do and say is immediately on some social media channel for everyone to see. It puts a lot of pressure on us to be perfect, because if we mess up, it will forever be online.

The little touches were another thing that I commend them on paying attention to. In the song “If I Could Tell Her”, Evan comments on how Zoe “scribbles stars in the cuffs of her jeans” and she actually did have stars drawn on the bottom of her jeans. Sound effects of phones ringing and buzzing played before the show and during intermission while the social media feeds scrolled. It was such a nice touch that added another layer to the performance and really made it a complete experience.

My Grade of Dear Evan Hansen: A+

Overall, I really really love this show. The only thing I would say is that it is very deeply emotional. These issues affect a lot of people, so be prepared to be emotional, which is not a bad thing. Seeing the show made me really start thinking about these things, which I think is good because it opens up this tough conversation. It is also incredibly healing to see how many people connect with these issues.

The sheer fact that the show is selling out night after night proves that everyone can connect with it. Anyone who has experienced depression, anxiety, suicide, social media, loneliness, family, love, feeling like an outsider; everyone will see themselves in Dear Evan Hansen. And I think that anyone who is able to see the show has to see it. Even if you have to buy a ticket for a year in advance, it is so worth it. It really is a beautiful show!

Have you seen Dear Evan Hansen? What do you think about it?

xoxo Gabriela

Dear Evan Hansen Website

 

Follow:

Deprecated: mb_convert_encoding(): Handling HTML entities via mbstring is deprecated; use htmlspecialchars, htmlentities, or mb_encode_numericentity/mb_decode_numericentity instead in /home1/ineedmo3/public_html/wp-content/themes/pipdig-styleandlight/inc/functions/inc/functions/pinterest_hover.php on line 36
Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *