Dear Evan Hansen Character Analysis

From the moment it hit the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in 2015, Dear Evan Hansen has struck hearts and brought tears to the eyes of anyone who has experienced its magic. With Ben Platt and Laura Dreyfuss at the helm, backed by a colossal songwriting duo, Pasek and Paul, with their emotional score and the entire package addressed by phenomenal playwright Steven Levenson, the musical was full of star potential. From the writing process to the hit Broadway musical, the piece endured rejection and criticism, went through revisions, and eventually found success.

Dear Evan Hansen is a story about young man who struggles with social anxiety and is simply to find his way through the chaos of his senior year when he finds himself thrown into what

(Vanity Fair) Dear Evan Hansen was able to afford a large room to establish the show in. There, they conducted rehearsals and performances for people who are interested in in joining and funding the show to sit in on. It soon drew the attention of many large-scale producers and creative team members, namely Michael Greif (director). Before Dear Evan Hansen, Grief had worked on seven original musicals including the award winning pieces Rent, Next to Normal, and Grey Gardens. When asked about what drew him to join these young amateurs and their show, he said that “the opportunity to work with these collaborators, who I thought were exciting, and young, and very interesting theater makers. And then, when I first heard about what the piece was, I was very drawn to the complicated and emotional lives of the characters. I really thought that Benj, Justin, and Steven were creating a piece where the characters … had very good reasons to express themselves through song and music. In such a heightened emotional arena it … the stakes are so high that it feels like the characters are singing for their lives.” (DEH Study Guide) Along with Grief, the Broadway choreographer of shows like Fun Home, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and The Bridges of Madison County, Danny Mefford shimmied his way onto the creative

Its effect on everyone who merely listened to the music on YouTube was profound and spread like wildfire, which brought even more people to enjoy the amazing sounds that many many souls worked for years upon years on. People who never had a taste for musical theatre soundtracks soon found themselves humming and listening to the tunes non-stop. Those in the theatre community who devour every new OBC Album heard about the show and fell in love without anything more than a mention of it. The message spoke the community of those who are depressed and have social anxiety or other such disorders. The main character is relatable on a deep level that everyone has somewhere- the space where self-doubt and disappointment thrives. His solo “Waving Through a Window” speaks to everyone, voicing their inner fears of “Did I even make a sound?... Will I ever make a sound?” (Lyrics, “Waving Through a Window”) Did I leave my print on Earth? Will I be remembered? Fears every person has and need to know that they are not alone and when they’re drowning in their crippling fears they need only to “...reach, reach out your hand, someone will come runnin’ and I know they’ll take you home”(Lyrics, You Will Be