Although I have expressed qualms about the musical on the "Dear Evan Hansen Issues" thread, I basically agree with XMasPast and think I have been a little hard on the show.
It was one of those musicals in which the wild enthusiasm of the audience didn't quite match up with my own conflicted reaction to what I thought was a barbed, often satirical work. Yes, the creators went too far out of their way in the final scene to let Evan off a little easily so the audience could feel more comfortable, in my view. And I agree that the the #youarenotalone marketing campaign does flatten out the far more complex and interesting nuances of the show.
But that's marketing, and it doesn't - and shouldn't - take away from the achievements of Dear Evan Hansen, the musical on the Music Box Theatre stage.
I can't read the minds of the creators, and their intentions shouldn't matter anyway, but the actual show portrays Evan as sympathetic from the outset. The audience laughter is mostly in response to Jared's comic, smirking remarks. (I never felt the audience was laughing at Evan. The show wouldn't work if everyone thought he was a joke.) But despite putting the audience on Evan's side, and portraying his initial interaction with the Murphys in a very sympathetic light ("For Forever" is his desperate if misguided effort to comfort Connor's mother), the show doesn't shy away from his moral ambiguity.
The first act, and "You Are Not Alone," concludes with some unusual, and ominous sounds as a grateful Zoe is thanking Evan. I think It's the only time those sounds are heard in the show, and the musical cue, followed by the strings as the couple kisses, emphasizes that Evan had crossed a line he shouldn't have gone near. The second act largely consists of misery, as Evan desperately tries to dismiss questions about his relationship with Connor, clashes with his mother, and clings desperately to his relationship with the surviving Murphys. It all falls apart with "Words Fail."
The show can certainly be faulted for making the Murphys a little too credulous, especially Zoe, and I agree with cam5y that it's difficult to come up with a way that Evan's lie (which culminates in online and phone abuse directed at the Murphys) could have possibly have done them much good in coping with Connor's death. But if the healing takes place offstage, the show does not end with Evan getting away with much. The Murphys haven't spoken to him in a year, he doesn't have a relationship with Zoe aside from their brief conversation, and he's basically a calmer version of the guy we met at the beginning of the show.
There's some sharp writing that I don't think gets enough credit. Mike Faist plays Connor, but during most of the musical, he's a figment of Evan's imagination and often a devil on his shoulder. It's a tricky role, and there's something diabolical about how it's written - and played by the still-underrated Faist - Tony nomination notwithstanding. Ben Platt is a terrific actor, but he's given some awfully good material. And Rachel Bay Jones, in "Anybody Have a Map?" and"So Big/So Small," is given well-written, moving songs that touched me as a parent.
I do disagree with RaisedOnMusicals that the show can truly be followed by listening to the cast recording. Some songs are straightforward ["Waving Through a Window"] but others don't really make sense without the context of the story. I don't love the score as much as others do, but I do think it's effective in the musical. I don't think it is a perfect show, but there's a lot to be said for a Broadway musical that is as well-crafted, current, and relevant as this one.
Updated On: 6/4/17 at 05:01 AM
