'Dear Evan Hansen' Plot: What Is the Tony Award-Winning Musical About?
"Dear Evan Hansen" received the most awards at this year's Tony Awards, taking home a total of six trophies, including the best musical award. Given its popularity in the broadway scene, many are wondering what this new musical is all about. Here are a few things to know about the popular musical.
Plot
Starring Ben Platt of "Pitch Perfect" fame, "Dear Evan Hansen" follows the titular high school senior character who is suffering from a social anxiety disorder. A misunderstanding leads him to become involved in the aftermath of his classmate's suicide, which changes his life forever.
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Platt drew inspiration from his own struggles
Similar to Evan, Platt also deals with anxiety from time to time. The actor said it helped him portray the character better. "For Evan's physicality, I would think of little impulses I'd have when I was sitting down on a plane, which is one of the places where I get most anxious ... and I would use those as jumping-off points," he told Vogue.
The story also highlights parenthood
As Huffington Post pointed out, the musical also explores the hardships of being a parent. One of the songs, titled "Does Anybody Have a Map?" is performed by two mothers who are finding it difficult to connect with their teenage kids. Some even dubbed the number as a "parenting anthem."
"La La Land's" Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote the songs
The Academy Award-winning duo penned the songs for "Dear Evan Hansen," with the help of orchestrator/music supervisor Alex Lacamoire. He is best known for his work on "Hamilton," another Broadway hit.
"Dear Evan Hansen" Nationwide Tour
Broadway fans dying to see this musical will later have a chance to see the critically acclaimed musical in different U.S. cities. "Dear Evan Hansen" will go on a nationwide tour, which officially kicks off in Denver in October 2018.
