I don't like Dear Evan Hansen but I still want Dear Evan Hansen intimacy in Broadway

BwayStarlette said: "I don't understand why people are so into bashing DEH and act like the show was never good. Everyone loved it two years ago! Now everyone seems to totally hate it. Am I right? I love the show. But I was not really into the movie. Now, it seems like the show is going to have a very hard time and that makes me sad. It's all strange to me, as a longtime fan."

I think it got dated in its depiction of mental illness and teen suicide. Like Hamilton, it feels very of the Obama era. It's clearly well intentioned but I think after the last several years with MeToo and Trump and people reckoning with systemic racism, this story doesn't land as well as it did. When it originally came out we weren't talking about Evan as someone manipulative or predatory or the depiction of his mental illness as written too vague and contrived or the amount of privilege that comes with him getting away with a stunt like this with such little consequence. We were compelled by the performances and found it deep and heartwarming for the time. Moral grays I think were more amusing pre Trump and COVID. It was the height of stories about antiheroes. 

Could people circle back to this show later? Maybe. It's a really easy one to put up regionally and in small black box so I'm sure it will find success that way. 

I think the best thing the writers could do for the show is rethink the ending and incorporate some of the film changes at the end for licensing. Cause I would say it came close to being satisfying compared to the rushed no consequence end of the show.

And maybe all along, had they just cast a younger more naive looking newcomer in the role of Evan Hansen and had the film come off more like an innocent who gets in over his head none of this backlash could've ever happened. 

But hey in the end, if the choice of nepotism truly ruined the success of the show-well that's a lesson isn't it.

Updated On: 10/19/21 at 03:40 PM

BwayStarlette said: "I think you're right about it being Obama era. My friends all rag on DEH now. It's very much old news and no one seems to appreciate it like I do, which sucks, because I truly loved the show when it first premiered. I saw it so many times! But now it feels like a show that will maybe not be around for the years I expected. Makes me very sad."

Some art has a season. Rent is not the juggernaut it once was but it still has fans and people continue to do it all over the country.

And bottom line any musical that isn't fantastical or a specific period piece there's no guarantee it won't become dated in its want to capture "right now."

What befalls many 'modern' musicals over decades we've seen is it captured "then"

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "BwayStarlette said: "I don't understand why people are so into bashing DEH and act like the show was never good. Everyone loved it two years ago! Now everyone seems to totally hate it. Am I right? I love the show. But I was not really into the movie. Now, it seems like the show is going to have a very hard time and that makes me sad. It's all strange to me, as a longtime fan."

I think it got dated in its depiction of mental illness and teen suicide. Like Hamilton, it feels very of the Obama era. It's clearly well intentioned but I think after the last several years with MeToo and Trump and people reckoning with systemic racism, this story doesn't land as well as it did. When it originally came out we weren't talking about Evan as someone manipulative or predatory or the depiction of his mental illness as written too vague and contrived or the amount of privilege that comes with him getting away with a stunt like this with such little consequence. We were compelled by the performances and found it deep and heartwarming for the time. Moral grays I think were more amusing pre Trump and COVID. It was the height of stories about antiheroes.

Could people circle back to this show later? Maybe. It's a really easy one to put up regionally and in small black box so I'm sure it will find success that way.

I think the best thing the writers could do for the show is rethink the ending and incorporate some of the film changes at the end for licensing. Cause I would say it came close to being satisfying compared to the rushed no consequence end of the show.

And maybe all along, had they just cast a younger more naive looking newcomer in the role of Evan Hansen and had the film come off more like an innocent who gets in over his head none of this backlash could've ever happened.

But hey in the end, if the choice of nepotism truly ruined the success of the show-well that's a lesson isn't it."

I feel like much of the backlash to the movie has been ridiculous and OTT, but at the same time entirely predictable! Right now we’re living in this world of reckoning where people aren’t even allowed to have flaws anymore it seems, so of course DEH was gonna be looked at through more of a judgemental lens than when it came out on Broadway. Then add to that that social media has become more toxic than ever and posting for clout is rampant, of course DEH was going to get bashed mercilessly. Especially when you also factor in the easy hits like Ben’s age and nepotism!

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Especially when you also factor in the easy hits like Ben’s age and nepotism!

You're right that the nepotism was an easy hit. I felt like nepotism in Hollywood was NEVER going to get called out. Let's hope it starts a trend of us continuing to call it out. Too many brilliant actors hustling while we keep casting Joe Producer's son or daughter."

I’m no fan of nepotism, but I do think it’s a little unfair that Ben is getting called out for it as if he only got the role because of his dad, forgetting that Ben was involved with DEH wayyy before his dad hopped on board as one of the producers (of the stage show). That’s not to say that his dad being a big Broadway / movie producer hasn’t helped him get a leg up in his career - but this idea that he somehow stole the movie role from more deserving actors is weird when he literally created the role of Evan on Broadway and put 3 years of his life into the show.

I’m not even a Ben fan, lol - I just think the criticism has been OTT. 

SouthernCakes said: "I think the criticism is totally fair. Look at his brother playing Fieyro on Broadway for no reason. It’s the nepotism for me. And now we are trying to make him a pop star. Pass. "

But what are we criticizing though? If Ben’s dad wasn’t a producer of the movie, other than the age issue would people be complaining about Ben being cast? I doubt it, especially considering people are always moaning that the theater stars are always replaced for the movie versions. He was great in the stage version so I think based on that talent it was fair enough he was cast in the movie. Of course the fact his dad produced it though leaves a sour taste though, because it’s clear no one else was even considered. But I do find it funny when I see people saying that Jordan Fischer would have been a better choice, when he’s actually older than Ben! 

WestEndGal said: "SouthernCakes said: "I think the criticism is totally fair. Look at his brother playing Fieyro on Broadway for no reason. It’s the nepotism for me. And now we are trying to make him a pop star. Pass. "

But what are we criticizing though? If Ben’s dad wasn’t a producer of the movie, other than the age issue would people be complaining about Ben being cast? I doubt it, especially considering people are always moaning that the theater stars are always replaced for the movie versions. He was great in the stage version so I think based on that talent it was fair enough he was cast in the movie. Of course the fact his dad produced it though leaves a sour taste though, because it’s clear no one else was even considered. But I do find it funny when I see people saying that Jordan Fischer would have been a better choice, when he’s actually older than Ben!"

While I understand what you're saying, you're ignoring a few things here. The reason he got so much backlash for being in the film is that he clearly was much too old for it and not the right actor to play the role in the movie versions case. I saw it recently, and he looked shockingly out of place IMO. So it's fair to say that in the case of the FILM, he only got the role because his father, who was lead producer, wanted it that way. He was the only actor ever considered for it cause daddy said so. Had he been great in the film, it would have been a situation similar to the stage version where yeah, some people will still complain but the performance is great so you really can't be too mad at it.

Also, this whole thing of "but this actor is the same age playing the same role!"... This has been said at exhaustion already, but it's not about how old they are in real life, but how old they can convincingly PLAY. As proven by the film version, Platt can no longer convincingly play a teenager and that's the issue.

Updated On: 10/20/21 at 09:36 AM