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

[HSky]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 12:29am

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.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 1:28am

talinatter said: "I agree with this review out of all in the thread. I went into the show with very, very high expectations, and went out very confused to whether or not I had liked the show. Spoiler:!!!

 

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Connors character really confused me because it's unclear why he killed himself, and based off of his character alive, he didn't seem like he would want his parents to be happy, so I didn't really understand his ghost.

 

 I would have liked to see Connor explain himself and be more against what Evan was doing."

Here are my thoughts on this:

 

 

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I think it's intentional that we don't get to know Connor while he is alive. I think the point is that whatever he was going through inside, no one knew the extent of it, and he couldn't connect with anyone. If they had shown more of him, I think t would've lost some of that. 

 

And as to the behavior of his "ghost," the reason it was out of character for him is that it wasn't Connor's ghost. It was Evan imagining talking to Connor and projecting his feelings. Evan was talking to himself, but imagined he was talking to Connor. That was my initial interpretation, but at the talkback on Sunday, Michael Grieff alluded to it as well, because he said something like "when Evan was talking to himself, or rather projecting what he was feeling onto his imaginary conversation with Connor..."  

 

So after Connor's death the authors aren't using him to develop his character, they're developing Evan and his internal dialogue. Connor's "ghost" cares so much about Connor's parents because Evan does. And Connor seems conflicted about what Evan is doing, because Evan is conflicted. Sometimes he uses the projection of Connor to justify his actions, and sometimes he uses it to try to get himself to stop. 

That was my interpretation. Interested to hear if others had a different reaction. 

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 1:28am

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

[pupscotch]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 6:51am

ChiTheaterFan said: "Also I agree I could see Ben Platt in Curious Incident. 

 

"

I was thinking this as well. The whole show reminded me of Curious Incident a little bit, especially with the effects.

[JM226]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 8:12am

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.  

[yfs]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 9:27am

That's kind of like saying that Death of a Salesman is about Biff. He's an important character who's impacted by the events of the story, but the story is about Willie Loman. Dear Evan Hansen is about Evan Hansen -- he's the protagonist, he's the person who takes the action that drives the story, and he's the person who, at the end, is left to deal with the mess that he made. The mothers may be an important subject in the piece, but the story is about Evan. 

[JM226]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 10:54am

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 

[HSky]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 11:57am

ChiTheaterFan said: "That was my interpretation. Interested to hear if others had a different reaction."

I agree with that interpretation.

 

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I think the parallel connections between characters are better defined in this production, whether it be Connor/Evan (being upfront about it being an internal discussion and calling out Evan's suicide attempt gives him a needed moment to come clean with himself via Connor about some truths prior to confessing to the the Murphys rather than leaving it as subtext), Cynthia/Heidi ("Does Anybody Have a Map?", or even Jared/Alana (Jared now being part of The Connor Project and helping to unify their perspective as Evan's peer voices in Act 2 rather than having them mostly in the separate social media spheres).

 

Updated On: 4/4/16 at 11:57 AM

[FutureDirector]

Posted: 4/6/16 at 11:54pm

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

[JM226]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 9:11am

if ben platt is starring in the show, marc platt will not be a producer. there's no LAW but there is a general understanding and unspoken agreement in the industry to avoid potential concerns of nepotism and conflict of interest (cue hoganshero claiming, "there are no rules," even though i know i am correct from dealing with dozens of off-broadway and broadway productions).

 

with respect to the show, of course it's not perfect. it is still in previews.  i am sure they'll keep making changes.  revisiting in a couple weeks... look forward to it. 

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/8/16 at 12:49am

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. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/8/16 at 8:24am

I saw this last Sunday and am just now getting around to sharing my thoughts. I knew NOTHING about this show going in (I hardly ever go into shows cold). I absolutely LOVED everything about Dear Evan Hansen. I was completely blown away.

 

If this were on Broadway this season, I honestly think that Ben Platt would hands down win the Tony for Best Actor. His performance is extraordinary. The entire cast is turning in incredible performance. Rachel Bay Jones and Lauren Dreyfus were astonishing. I also found the score to be one of the best new scores I have heard on Broadway in years. I enjoyed the score much more than Hamilton's score. 

 

Usually I HATE projections, but I was not bothered by the use of projections in this show at all considering the subject matter of the story. The set was simple, but effective. The sound design for this show is worth mentioning - it was one of the best sounding shows I have heard in a while. Loud, but crip and clear. I did not miss one word.

 

Overall, I think Dear Evan Hansen is one of the best shows running in NYC right now. In fact, I enjoyed it more than any new musical or revival (except maybe She Loves Me) that has opened this season. Dear Evan Hansen is a very special show, and I really hope that the rumors of this transferring to the Booth in fall turn out to be true. This needs to be on Broadway.

[cascade]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 1:02pm

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.

[BOM]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 1:08pm

What are the chances of this getting a cast recording?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 1:16pm

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.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 1:32pm

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

 

I think there's a good chance. Though they might want to wait to see if they can transfer to Broadway before they record one. I think that might be what they did for Dogfight. A few months after closing Off-Broadway, they recorded the CR. However, you never know. I'm still really bummed that Invisible Thread didn't make a cast recording (yet?). 

[HSky]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 2:52pm

"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.

 

 

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 3:29pm

I went on Friday night [Persistence pays off when you try TodayTix digital rush] and they've cut a few lines here and there [RIP Milk Scholarship line, I'll miss you]. The most major change I noticed was during Evan's big speech at the end of the first act, Evan gets his cards mixed up and gets very flustered, causing him to drop one of the cards. When Evan goes to pick it up, he falls down and just kind of stays there a moment before slowly getting up and beginning "You Will Be Found". 

They continue to flesh out Evan and how he broke his arm, which without getting spoilery - is fantastic. 

Also, in case anyone was wondering about a song list - 

Updated On: 4/10/16 at 03:29 PM

[JM226]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 4:08pm

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

 

"

 

very, very high. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 5:23pm

I am rooting for a recording AND a Broadway transfer (in any order). This show is so special and different. 

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 6:37pm

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).

[steven22]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 6:45pm

^ I agree that Rachel Bay Jones gives a break performance! I also think that Jennfer Laura Thompson is great up there! 

 

Hoping for a cast recording soon! 

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 8:07pm

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?

[steven22]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 8:09pm

It would work well at the Booth!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 8:34pm

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)