Dear Evan Hasten is a gorgeous new musical for everyone with a beating heart. It is a new American musical about life and the way we live it.
Dear Evan Hasten is an original musical written by Pasek & Paul, with the book by Steven Levenson. The musical opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in December 2016, after its world premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC in July 2015 and an Off-Broadway production in March to May 2016.
The protagonist, Evan Hansen, is a high school senior with social anxiety disorder who finds himself amid the turmoil that follows a classmate's death. The musical has received critical acclaim, especially for Ben Platt's leading performance, the lyrics, and the book. Ben Platt is ecstatic to bring Evan Hansen to Broadway after creating the role to critical acclaim at Arena Stage in Washington, DC and at Off-Broadway’s Second Stage Theatre (Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Nominations). Platt was the original Elder Cunningham in the Chicago production of The Book of Mormon and reprised the role on Broadway (dir. Trey Parker and Casey Nicholaw). Film: Benji Applebaum in Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2, Ricki and the Flash (dir. Jonathan Demme, Starring Meryl Streep). Upcoming: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (dir. Ang Lee), Drunk Parents (dir. Fred Wolf),The Female Brain (dir. Whitney Cummings). National Tours: Caroline, or Change (directed by George C. Wolfe). Regional credits include The Black Suits (Barrington Stage Company), The Power of Duff (dir. Peter DuBois/New York Stage and Film), Dead End (dir. Nicholas Martin/Ahmanson Theatre), The Music Man, Mame, Camolot, and The Sound of Music (dir. Gordon Hunt/Hollywood Bowl).
Dear Evan Hansen premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., running from July 10 to August 23, 2015. Directed by Michael Greif, with orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, the set was designed by David Korins and the projection design was by Peter Nigrini. The cast featured Ben Platt in the title role.
The musical opened Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre on March 26, 2016, in previews, with the official opening on May 1. The cast featured Ben Platt, Laura Dreyfuss, Mike Faist, Rachel Bay Jones, Will Roland and Jennifer Laura Thompson repeating their roles from the Arena Stage production. New cast members were John Dossett and Kristolyn Lloyd. Michael Greif again directed, with choreography by Danny Mefford. The Off-Broadway engagement closed on May 29, 2016.
The show premiered on Broadway on November 14, 2016, in previews, and officially opened on December 4. After originally announcing that performances would take place at the Belasco Theatre, in mid-September 2016, producers announced that the show would instead be performed at the Music Box Theatre. Michael Park, who originated the role of Larry in the Arena Stage production, returned for the Broadway production (replacing John Dossett who went on to the musical War Paint). All other cast members from the Second Stage production returned for the Broadway engagement
At the 71st Tony Awards, it is nominated for 9 awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Actor in a Musical for Platt.
