Over the summer I got a text from a friend that
read, “What are you doing tomorrow night? Do you want to go see Dear Evan Hansen with me?” The show was
on my radar as one I wanted to see, so obviously I said yes. We bought Pay Your
Age tickets, took the Metro into Washington DC, and that night our lives
changed. For the couple months Dear Evan
Hansen performed its world premiere at Arena Stage, everyone in the DC
theatre community had one thing in common – we were all obsessed with this
show. It seemed as if everyone saw the show at least once. When it was
announced Dear Evan Hansen would
transfer to Off-Broadway in the spring of 2016, we were relieved and thrilled.
This incredibly powerful show will live on, and New Yorkers get to see it now
as well, and they have no idea what is about to hit them. Here are 5 reasons
why you need to see Dear Evan Hansen.
1)
Pasek
& Paul wrote the music. You know, the guys who wrote Dogfight? James and the Giant Peach? A
Christmas Story? The amazing songwriting duo is changing the face of
musical theatre one musical at a time? Yep. The music in the show is
beautifully addictive. The same four lines of music have been stuck in my head since July. I needed a cast recording months ago. Yet here I wait, very impatiently.
2)
BEN.
PLATT. Most people know Mr. Platt from Pitch
Perfect or for starring as Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. You guys. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of
what that guy can do. The role of Evan Hansen is incredibly demanding both
emotionally and vocally, and Ben Platt’s portrayal is nothing short of
mind-blowing. I am thrilled and relieved that he will be reprising his
performance in the Off-Broadway production. Ben Platt single-handedly raises
the bar for contemporary musical theatre tenors everywhere. Listen to this
SoundCloud clip of him singing the show’s opening number, “Waving Through a
Window.” https://soundcloud.com/arenastage-1/window-3minute
3)
Millennial
Representation!!! A major theme of the musical revolves around the effect
social media and the Internet has on society and tthe constant need to belong, issues very common in the younger generations who grew up in the digital age. My friend and
I spoke with Benj Pasek briefly after the show, and he told us that it was
important to them to push issues of our generation to the forefront
of the stage – and boy did they deliver! The result is powerful.
4)
It will
make you further appreciate projection design.
I think projections in theatre can be very effective when used in
the right way, in other words, projections do not replace the scenic design. The designers for this show nailed it right on the head. For a
show that centers around the use of social media and the Internet, the use of
such projections made that central theme all the more prevalent, and makes the
effect social media has on our lives and our minds very real and tangible.
5)
The
entire cast steals the show. The cast of eight is so strong. Each one
brings something special to their character and the
production. The entire show is so well-acted and sung. Nothing thrills me more
than seeing a show with no weak link to find. Unfortunately, two of the
original Arena Stage cast members will not be a part of the Off-Broadway
production, but I have no doubt the new actors will bring just as powerful
performances to the show.
Previews start tonight. I can't say enough good things about this show, so get your tickets now (Tip! Those of you who saw the show at
Arena Stage, use the coupon code ARENA to purchase $59 tickets! ALSO, if you're under the age of 30, look for the $34 Youth tickets!) I already have my tickets to go... now it's your turn!
Yep - got tickets for second time! Your third, eh?
ReplyDelete