DEAR EVAN HANSEN Reviews — Page 6

Skimbleshanks2 said: "Saw it last night...I cried...The second act is one of the strongest out there... BEN PLATT is good... But I will still be rooting for ANDY KARL (whom I saw already in LONDON and WILL! be seeing again)....What a competitive year!!!

OLIVIA PUCKETT was straight out of theater school... NEXT! Loved EVAN's mom though....I prefer STEPHANIE J. BLOCK in FALSETTOS but it'll be a good TONY win...

Cannot WAIT to use "WAVING THROUGH A WINDOW" for my auditions...



"

What do you mean Olivia Puckett was straight out of theater school is that a good thing or bad thing.

hannhannham said: "Was anyone else not blown away by this show? I saw it Saturday evening with the highest expectations based on reviews and postings here -- maybe a little too high. It's objectively a good show, and Platt is carrying it extremely well, but I did not leave amazed the way I thought I would"

You're highlighting a common problem anymore. People no longer go in to see a show, but to measure the actual show versus their impression of the show...

Or simply update those things to the currently contemporary match.

I'm not sure how they can, he's a catalyst only. This is Evan's story, and Connor's family story, not Connor's.

While I absolutely loved every second of this show, I can't help but think about all the problems I have with the story, personally, as I revisit it through the OBC.

icecreambenjamin said: "His death, as talked about in Requiem, is not really a great tragedy. I know that it isn't such a pleasant thing to say, but it is true."



That's actually really upsetting to hear someone say. Let's just say that I have perhaps a too personal connection to the show and I firmly believe that treating suicide as a "catalyst" or anything other than an overwhelmingly tragic event is ignorant and selectively devalues certain lives.

Updated On: 10/21/20 at 01:07 AM

BakerWilliams said: "icecreambenjamin said: "His death, as talked about in Requiem, is not really a great tragedy. I know that it isn't such a pleasant thing to say, but it is true."



That's actually really upsetting to hear someone say. Let's just say that I have perhaps a too personal connection to the show and I firmly believe that treating suicide as a "catalyst" or anything other than an overwhelmingly tragic event is ignorant and selectively devalues certain lives.

Thank you BakerWilliams for pointing out the one thing that has bothered me about DEH. Don't get me wrong, I loved the show and the score (and Ben Platt along with rest of cast is unbelievable), but also related perhaps a bit too personally as a mother. The overarching message that everyone "will be found" is way off when you think of Connor. Connor was never found. Not even his family "found" him because everything they thought they were learning about him was predicated on lies. Creating a memorial to him didn't change the fact that Connor ultimately was alone, nor did all the social media activity actually create a tribute to his life (though I think the message of depersonalization by social media is very accurately and poignantly portrayed if that's indeed what they were going for - though I'm not sure they were). I understand the book was not focused on Connor's journey but on Evan's, but the suicide, to me, ends up being trivialized because of the message the show tries to impart. Perhaps a simple tweaking of the "you're not alone" theme would have helped me with this.

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They didn't need to make the show about the suicide or Connor. I think those of us with issues with the book are reacting to what we perceive as the trivialization of the suicide because the theme of the show is "you will be found" which completely ignores Connor. While his suicide was certainly a tragedy to his family (I would hope nothing less) he still was never "found".

And to the poster above who says his suicide was not such a tragedy because he likely would have gone on to cause harm to people due to serious mental health problems, that reflects zero understanding of mental health and teenagers (in which case I actually envy you). Connor was obviously a depressed and angry teenage boy who acted out and had family and relationship difficulties because of how he felt about himself. I have one of them myself and know many others. It's sadly very common. Connor was not portrayed as someone who was likely to become a serial killer. He was simply a lonely and sad kid with poor coping skills, captured in time during probably the hardest age of a teenagers life. Put depression on top of it and you are going to have some tough times ahead. But to say it's ok he killed himself because he wouldn't have improved and likely would have hurt people? Not even close.

kdogg36 said: "Nycat63 said: "Connor was not portrayed as someone who was likely to become a serial killer."

I totally agree with this. In fact, the one time we see the actual Connor on stage, he acts somewhat kindly towards Evan. It's his own messed-up sort of kindness, intermingled with his less noble qualities, but the kindness seemed evident to me. I actually wished there was a scene later in the show where Evan described that moment to Connor's family.

[Disclaimer: I only saw the show at Second Stage, so my thoughts here might now be off-base. But I gather there weren't any huge changes on the way to Broadway.]



I only saw it on Broadway, but the only references to any physical aggression from Connor are that he threw a printer toward a teacher in elementary school and he shoves Evan when he thinks Evan is making fun of him. While I'm not justifying that type of behavior, it is indicative of so many "mild" mental health or developmental disorders (ADHD, anxiety, depression) particularly in light of Connors age when he did those things. There is plenty of hope for kids like that to turn things around and become wonderful, functional people. Nothing about Connor even on Broadway suggested future psychopath or that he'd be dangerous. Like Evan, he was struggling with his own mental health/developmental issues - he was just coping with them very differently. Saying his suicide was no real loss is almost like saying Evan's would have been no big loss. I don't think we should ever say that about teen suicide, but it definitely wouldn't have applied here.

Again, I'm a fan of the show as a whole - the overall message that everyone will be found/no one is completely alone just nags at me a bit in light of Connor's character and his suicide. Just seems like a plot hole that no one cared to fill.



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I feel like Connor was found, in some way, at the end, especially when

To me, Connor's tragedy sparks a "wake up call" (though that sounds like I'm trivializing it - not my intention at all!). His family was so caught up in daily life that they failed to see what was going on. Everyone ignored or neglected to see that he was suffering until it was too late. "You will be found" is not only a message to those hurting, that they shouldn't be afraid to ask for help, but also to those who might know someone who needs help. It was too late to find Connor before he committed suicide, but then they try to find him after the fact, which is why they gravitate towards the letters and stories.



I know "To Break in a Glove" isn't everyone's favorite, but I feel like it's that pivotal moment when Larry realizes he probably didn't put in all the time and energy he could have in trying to understand Connor.



Or I could be completely off, and completely rambling!

Olivia Puckett went on for the first time as Zoe yesterday. Did anyone see it?

I'm pretty sure she had already gone on for Zoe before, no?

Updated On: 3/27/17 at 11:12 AM