Evan Hansen invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn, and events very quickly lead to devastating real-life consequences that grow wildly out of Evan’s control. Brought to you by the award-winning songwriting duo, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who brought you the music from other shows and movies, like “The Greatest Showman”, “La La Land.” Winning an amazing 6 Tony Awards including Outstanding Musical, the Grammy Award for the Album of Music and 3 Olivier Awards also including the coveted Best Musical Award, Dear Evan Hansen is finally coming to the Eccles theatre in Salt Lake City, this deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it, has struck a chord with audiences and critics everywhere, and now it’s your turn to see it, so grab some tickets now!
The musical opens with the socially awkward 17-year-old Evan Hansen, who has recently had his arm broken, his therapist assigns him the task of writing letters to himself, detailing the good in each day, and to help him make friends, his mother Heidi suggests that he ask people to sign the cast. Meanwhile, Cynthia and Larry Murphy struggle to connect with their son Connor, a sullen drug user. Later at school, Evan is pushed to the ground by Connor, and is helped up by Zoe, who apologizes for her brother’s behavior. So, Evan writes a letter to himself in the school library, wondering how he could talk to Zoe and if anyone at school would notice if he disappeared… Connor finds Evan’s letter on the school printer and, at the mention of Zoe, becomes furious and takes the letter with him. Days later, Evan is called to the principal’s office, where Evan is told of Connor’s suicide, and that Connors parents had found Evan’s letter in Connor’s pocket, and mistakenly believe it was written by their son, indicating a friendship between them; Connor’s signature on his cast strengthens that belief. This is the turning point of the show, everything has been normal, but Evans lies start to spiral out of control, and he constantly must invent and fabricate new stories to keep thing under control, how long till it all catches up with Evan.
Dear Evan Hansen is a musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. It is directed by Michael Greif, featured orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, music direction by Ben Cohn, set design by David Korins and projection design by Peter Nigrini. A film based on the musical was premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, directed by Stephen Chbosky with a screenplay by Steven Levenson and features Ben Platt from the original Broadway production reprising his role as Evan.
The Musical opened on its world premiere in Washington, D.C. in July 2015 winning three Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding Musical, it moved to Broadway in December 2016, where it won an awe inspiring six Tony Awards from nine nominations, including Best Musical, and the album of music took home the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. The West End production opened in London in November 2019, winning three Laurence Olivier Awards from seven nominations, once again taking home, Best New Musical.
Review for the Daily Beast by Tom Teeman
“Given how it loads its dramatic and moral dice, and the swings of tone between comedy and terrible tragedy, the question is what will collapse when the truths are revealed in Dear Evan Hansen. Well, it doesn’t supply what you might expect from some musicals and dramas about teen suicide, our truth-dissembling online worlds, and an extreme case of fabulism. Dear Evan Hansen, is beautiful to look at it, slickly directed, and moving, but also biting and subversive-and so may have more to say about teen suicide, parenting, and internet lunacy than the most finely worded op-ed column.”
Winner of 6 Tony Awards, the Grammy Award and the Olivier Award for Best Musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. DEAR EVAN HANSEN has struck a remarkable chord with audiences and critics everywhere.
A timely and timeless new musical about struggling to connect in a hyperconnected world, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is the winner of 3 Olivier Awards for BEST NEW MUSICAL, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE and BEST ACTOR. It is also the winner of two WhatsOnStage Awards and a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award.
“A breathtaking knockout of a musical.” — The New York Times
“One of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.” — The Washington Post
“An anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.” — NBC Nightly News
“The most vital and important musical of a generation” — Daily Mail
“A raw, relevant and exhilarating score” – BBC Radio London
