DEAR EVAN HANSEN at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre — Page 4

BOM said: "I agree with the curious incident comparison. He started off the show, and I got this sort of autistic vibe from him. He just had these mannerisms that were very similar to Alex sharp in Curious. It faded throughout the show though. "

It goes along with the character's arc - contrast the start of the show with the entrance for the final scene.

Also I agree I could see Ben Platt in Curious Incident.

For me, the biggest problem is the opening number, which seems to me to be about the wrong thing. The show's not about two mothers.



actually, in many ways, the show IS all about the two mothers. depending on what you prioritize and how you decide to watch or view the show, you could argue -- from an interpretation standpoint -- that the story is not at all about Evan or Connor but, rather, about how mothers (who are essentially on their own) deal with distant and disconnected sons. Evan & Connor are just the vehicles in which that story is driven.

that is the beauty about art. it is subjective and we can take away many different things from a piece of art, which also influences and impacts the opinions we form. cheers

I'm mixed about the show. I should start off saying I really wanted to love it. Huge fan of the entire creative team and very much one for this type of show. However, I'm really surprised more people aren't talking about how close the main storyline is to a simplified version of John Guarre's "Six Degrees of Separation"

----spoiler (sort of)----

The premise of boy being introduced into a broken, well to-do family's life under the assumption he is a school friend of their son. He becomes a somewhat member of the family very quickly, money becomes involved and then it all falls apart bringing the family closer together. The only key difference being that the family finds him, not the other way around.

-----End spoiler------

I'd be less wary of the similarities if I felt the piece were trying to say different things from the predecessor, however it seems pretty spot on. It would be different if "Evan Hansen" went further into dealing with depression and suicide and the power of social media, instead of hitting them on a surface level.

On top of that Evan's two school friend's are so over-charactered they almost feel like they are strait out of a bad Saturday Night Live sketch, with some real clunker material, the low definitely being the acorn line. I felt like most of the one liners were trying WAY too hard to be finny. I also felt that the awkward "how will he get out of this" situations Evan constantly finds himself in left me an extremely anxious audience member, I was almost relived when he ---SPOILER (albeit predictable)---- came clean. ---END SPOILER--- Which is weird because for all of its flaws, the show somehow manages to be fairly engaging. I wasn't ever board.

The cast is great, most of the score is pretty strong and not as lyrically all over the place as most modern pop musicals. The cast does an excellent job especially Platt (though I can't explain why his character has such bad anxiety that he can barely string a sentence together in the first part of act one, yet doesn't have an issue singing to other people 100% eloquently), Dreyfuss (Who's character could have easily been annoying, she gives a charming performance), Jones and Thompson (though opening the show with the moms is weird). Jones especially kills her big act 2 moments. And It's not often you get a musical with such strong book scenes as a lot of the ones in act 2.

Griefs direction is for the most part simple and incredibly effective. Though some of the interactions between characters in act one feel a little directionally imposed and it takes about 20 minutes for the projections to stop being distracting, however after that point they are used really effectively, with some very pretty moments in act 2.

A decently enjoyable night at the theatre even not a perfect show. With the way the show is selling and the potential for Platt to come on board as a producer, I wouldn't be surprised at all, in fact I almost expect it to transfer next season.

Updated On: 4/7/16 at 11:54 PM

JM - Do you mean just in the general sense or of an opening new show, because his eldest son is currently starring in Wicked as Fiyero.

I saw this last night, having gotten a ticket after a friend who saw it in DC raved about the show. I was sitting second row which was a perfect view. A group of us went and we all enjoyed it-- I found myself thinking about it still today. Ben Platt is very impressive. His voice is amazing, and he moved gracefully between the ball of anxiety, comedy, drama, and heartbreak. The evolution of his character throughout the show is subtle but effective. It's an incredibly vulnerable performance and he lays it all out there.

I guess I'm in the minority in that I found the character of Jared hilarious and the "Sincerely, Me" number was one of my favorites. The cast as a whole was really strong. Second to Platt in my favorites was Rachel Bay Jones, whose second act song to Evan hit me straight in the gut. Laura Dreyfuss sings beautifully but I'll admit there was something a little irritating about her speaking voice, not sure if that is just how it is or if it was an affect.

I do think if it transfers to Broadway it would have to be a small theater since it is a pretty intimate show. Another concern is that, as a friend of mine put it during intermission, this show is "very 2016", and with all of the social media platforms the book relies on, it may date itself quickly. The story itself is really a musical version of a young adult novel (not meant to be an insult in the least), the plot isn't super original but it has a few surprises and despite being a comedy/drama of errors in a sense was still compelling for me. I would see it again happily.

I don't (yet) know how it's changed here, but I LOVED Sincerely, Me in DC. I was surprised at the negative reaction in this thread.

"Sincerely, Me" hasn't really changed since DC and I also enjoy the number and its reprise. The reworking of "Disappear" to involve the vocal layering of the ensemble much the way "Part of Me" used to be, and slight changes in word choice in "Only Us" were the main things I noted.

BOM said: "What are the chances of this getting a cast recording?



"



very, very high.

I saw this yesterday afternoon. I was mostly impressed. The acting is first rate, and I felt the story was believable enough even if I didn't buy every twist and turn completely. I liked the music enough to wonder about a cast recording though I have to admit that an hour after the show I couldn't recall a single tune. Count me in the camp with people who LOVED Rachel Bay Jones. She broke my heart. The story of the mothers spoke to me as I am a mother of a teenager. I brought said teenager and her boyfriend to the show, and they both enjoyed it a lot, too. We all thought that Ben Platt killed it. And I also liked Connor. We all enjoyed "Sincerely, Me," and I thought the actor playing Connor a really lovely smile (you didn't see it much since his character is generally brooding).

What are the odds that this transfers to broadway? Wouldn't the Helen Hayes be shut down after The Humans for renovation? I know they could just transfer elsewhere but would second stage attach their name anyway?

Saw this Saturday afternoon and I loved it. Is it preachy and heavy handed? YES, and I didn't care I was thoroughly enchanted



From reading the comments., they seem to been making lots of changes...and I think there's still some to go. My thoughts are nitpicky/personal....so I'll let them sit a while before posting.



Thought Ben Platt was great, but too old. LOVED both mums, particularly Rachel Bay Jones, her Act II song is devastating.



I heard a recording isn't expected until a Broadway run in case there are cast changes. (So who knows what will happen if no transfer)