The reach of Dear Evan Hansen

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 4:58pm

To me, this video provides a sense of the reach of DEH and why I think it will continue to be extraordinarily successful even now, after Ben's departure and will run for several years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFZmT-LRMBM

 

 

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 5:04pm

Of course, it's successful. However, my fear is that the storyline won't hold up to time and that will cut its run short. It will be a bit dated in 10 years even. 

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 5:34pm

TheSassySam said: "Of course, it's successful. However, my fear is that the storyline won't hold up to time and that will cut its run short. It will be a bit dated in 10 years even."

10 years would be an incredibly long run. I'm certainly not predicting a 10 year run, though I can see a five year run. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 5:40pm

Let me start by saying: I really liked the show...bawled uncontrollably the first time I saw it.  Have seen it 3x (with no desire to see it again).  Just mentioning so that I'm not accused of beig a hater.

 

I don't see this "reach" terribly significant - certainly, nothing like what Hamilton had.   When I left school the end of the school year just before it opened, I had 5 different teachers coming to me to ask about it and talk about ticket purchases.  Returning in the fall, there were more.   A huge porportion of my students - academic ad drama students alike - were asking questions and getting tickets and had been exposed.

 

NONE of those things have happened with DEH.  Not a single staff member has mentioned it, nor have any I reccomended it to gone to see it.   Also, ONLY my drama students know about it, and they aren't even continually talking about it.   

It will have a nice, healthy run, not unlike the original Spring Awakening, and then go on its way.

[Mike66]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 5:59pm

I saw the show and enjoyed it.

BUT it continues to surprise me, especially in the current social (#Me too) environment (which I strongly support) that there hasn't been A LOT more consideration of the actual story line -- 

There's more than a little bit of an "ick" factor to the story.  I'd suppose that if you just read an outline in your local paper of "the facts" you'd be pretty turned off about Mr. Hansen's actions.  Or worse.

Like I said -- I saw it, and enjoyed it, and don't want to get preachy -- but it seems to have gotten a pass that hasn't been offered to a bunch of other folks.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 6:48pm

I do not think it will be dated in 10 years.  I do think it will be running in 10 years because it is one of those shows that happens rarely: t has entered into a special zone that very few shows achieve.

Setting A Chorus Line as the starting point arbitrarily, in the past 52 years, I would say the following have entered that zone, in which 'everyone wants to see it (whether they do or not)'; it has a rare level of recognition that goes well beyond traditional theater goers, and finds itself being discussed all over the place).

-- A Chorus Line

-- Phantom 

-- Les Mis

-- Rent

-- Wicked

-- BOM

-- Hamilton

-- DEH.

 

Doomsayers predicted that grosses would drop as soon as Platt left.  While it is still too soon to say definitively that his loss will not impact the box office, it sure looks like that is going to be the case; and the buzz about the show is still huge.  

So, unless I am forgetting something, I think it is one of a handful of shows in the past 50 years to reach the level of awareness that it has, and to amass the interest that non-regular theatergoers have in seeing it, and actually purchasing tickets to do so.

(I leave off Hello Dolly; despite the incredible box office, it is about Bette Midler.  Once she leaves, the 'I absolutely MUST see that show regardless of who is in the cast' prerequisite to being on the above list will dissipate, i.e., unlike the above shows, box office will be immediately impacted negatively and demand will go down (even if it sells out week to week) once she leaves)

(I exclude Chicago because, despite its long-run, I don't think the zealousness associated with wanting to see the above shows was matched by Chicago.  Clearly, I am splitting hairs).  

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 9:55pm

I will eat my hat if DEH is playing in 10 years. I think it had a great impact on the theater in 2016-17, but is nowhere near the ticket selling powerhouse that Hamilton, Phantom or Les Miz were.

[phan24]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 10:26pm

^agreed

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 11:09pm

Raised On Musicals wrote: "To me, this video provides a sense of the reach of DEH"

To speak of this show's having a "reach" strikes me as quite the reach.

 

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 11:14pm

After Eight said: "Raised On Musicals wrote: "To me, this video provides a sense of the reach of DEH"

To speak of this show's having a"reach" strikes me as quite thereach.

I'd explain it to you but troll that you are, you're not worth the effort. 

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 11:24pm

^

 

Thank you for sparing me --- us --- your explanation.

It's much appreciated.

The show has about as much "reach" as Moose Murders or Got Tu Go Disco ---- but with far less entertainment value.

 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 12/20/17 at 11:48pm

TheSassySam said: "Of course, it's successful. However, my fear is that the storyline won't hold up to time and that will cut its run short. It will be a bit dated in 10 years even."

what about it do you think will be dated?

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 6:57am

gypsy101 said: "TheSassySam said: "Of course, it's successful. However, my fear is that the storyline won't hold up to time and that will cut its run short. It will be a bit dated in 10 years even."

what about it do you think will be dated?"

 

Not who you are asking, but I think the weaknesses of the book will become much more apparent without a talent as great as Ben Platt as the lead. He was very much the driving force behind the show. Also I never thought about the ‘metoo’ angle but I do think that it was be really hard to sell the plot as time goes on given the awareness of sexual harassment/assault and teen suicide. 

[CorkySt.Clair]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 7:25am

After Eight said: "Raised On Musicals wrote: "To me, this video provides a sense of the reach of DEH"

To speak of this show's having a"reach" strikes me as quite thereach.

"

Oh my gosh AfterEight, I had NO IDEA you were so famous! (http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/weekend-update-jebidiah-atkinson-reviews-broadway-plays/2779224?snl=1)

[Wick3]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 8:55am

I think DEH will still be playing here 10 years from now. I doubt they'll be commanding the high premium ticket prices we are seeing at the moment thanks to Ben Platt and the Tony awards and the remaining OBC.

If school groups from the tri-state area and around the country go see DEH as part of their NYC trip, then I really think DEH will stick for the long run. I think this is one of the main reasons Hamilton, Wicked, Phantom, etc. have a had long runs. 

[Rainah]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 9:12am

It'll do well, and will become one of the well known shows of musical theatre canon like spring awakening or next to normal or fun home. It will probably have a similar run. Comparing it to shows like Les Mis, Rent, Chicago, ect strikes me as very optimistic. But the length of run will also depend on how much the showrunners are will to poledance to keep it open - stunt casting, marketing to school trips, ect.

 

As for reach... tell me honestly, what has DEH done that other shows have not? You can make an argument that it does a lot of things well, and in a very entertaining package, but what boundaries has it pushed that have not already been broken by other successful shows? Aside from the technology aspect, which as noted may appear dated very quickly.

 

I don't mean to rag on the show, it's clearly successful and has touched a lot of people. But I fail to see how it can be compared to genre-changing, once in a decade shows like Rent or Hamilton. It's a successful broadway show, and I think we should be thrilled at that.

Updated On: 12/21/17 at 09:12 AM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 10:09am

I am not saying that those are the best shows of the last 52 years; I am saying that they have entered mass consciousness the way very few shows have, and have not been impacted when the original cast left.  I can think of only one show that entered mass consciousness, only to fall steeply when the original cast left, The Producers.  Maybe DEH will fall into that category, but I don't think so.  

Only time will tell.  But DEG has a number of things going for it that The Producers did not.  

1.  With The Producers, Lane and Broderick were big theatre stars when the show opened.  They were famous (certainly to the theatre crowd and the tri-state area) and they were all over the place for awhile, basking in the acclaim.  When they left, the follow-on casts were not as good as them by a mile: no-one could come close to Lane for his larger than life charisma and they had great chemistry together.  Ben Platt was not famous and, beyond Broadway, is not famous now.  Plus, if anyone saw him on Will and Grace, they probably concluded that the show was a hit because of the show.

2.  As someone pointed out, DEH is going to be on every school must see list for the foreseeable future.  High school kids are going to see it, and their younger siblings will want to see it.

3.  It has hit a nerve.  Whether the show is a little contrived, as some on this board claim, it doesn't seem to matter with audiences.  All three times I saw it, many audience members around me were in tears during the last two numbers.  That really doesn't happen often.  It has an emotional pull that may be stronger for occasional theatre-goers than the frequently jaded participants in this board.

4.  The show is going to have a special pull for anyone who felt themselves an outsider in high school.

5.  (I am assuming that) the weekly operating nut is modest, and can be managed effectively when grosses start to go down.

 

Not that this is actually relevant, I will remind everyone of the discussion as to how quickly Hamilton business was going to go down when Lin Manuel Miranda left Hamilton.  There were a number of posters who were convinced that the zealotry would die down pretty quickly even if business continued strongly for awhile.  From where I sit, it is harder to get tickets to Hamilton a year and a half after Miranda left than it was when he was in it.  I was always able to find a few non-premium tickets here and there the first year.  Now, I don't seem to have any luck at all (I must admit that I never seem to know when the next block goes on sale, which doesn't help).  While I am not comparing DEH to Hamilton, I do see fervor that very few shows achieve. 

I am NOT saying that I expect DEH to run anywhere near as long as Hamilton.  While I do really believe that DEH could run for a decades, I am assuming that Hamilton will be around for several decades, and that, for a time, the four longest running shows in Broadway history will be, in order, The Lion King, Phantom, Wicked, Hamilton.  I don't expect to be alive when that happens so I will not be around to say I was right (or, oops, I was wrong, Chicago is still running).  I also realize that, for The Lion King to make it to #1, Phantom will actually have to close at some point.

[Mike66]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 10:16am

If your point is that you think that this show is having some huge existential impact on America/Theater and "Culture", I will respectfully note that here in Ohio no one has heard of it, let alone thinks it has some message that informs their lives.

(and we have the second largest theater district in the country -- so don't get snarky.)

 Sometimes the NYC bubble can be pretty much a world unto itself.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 10:53am

When show are "hot" (Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, DEH...etc) tickets are NOT available to groups for a discount that most NEED to make the trip affordable.   (The inner city thing Hamilton is doing isn't available to all.)   So school groups are not something effecting this.  You STILL can't get group discounts to Lion King and Wicked.

And I made the point that Mike did -- this is NOT the same as Hamilton.  It's known to theater fans for the most part and hasn't roped in a larger audience beyond it.  It will not last 10 years.    

 

And while I have group, discounted tickets for A Band's Visit - I wouldn't be surprised if they were no longer being offered.  We put in for them back in October - before, I believe, it even started previews.  Shows that don't NEED to discount, don't.

Updated On: 12/21/17 at 10:53 AM

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 11:20am

The gauge I use to tell if a show has reached a national consciousness level is my dad.  He's not a theater fan, but does go occasionally.  But when he tells me he's heard of it, I KNOW it's famous beyond NYC and theater fan circles.  He's heard of Phantom, Wicked, Lion King (as a show vs the animated film) and Hamilton without my prompting or asking about it.  

He's also heard of Mamma Mia, but only because he's a die-hard ABBA fan. (and before the movie came out!)

I'm also glad to hear mention of people finding fault with DEH's book. (I haven't really been following it, because, frankly, I didn't like it and found Ben Platt to be a major scenery chewer. Full disclosure: I may be tainted by the fact that I was in the 2nd row off-Broadway, and could see him digging his nails into his palms, near hyperventilation and chewing his cheeks in order to cry on cue.)  I find the near worship-level adoration for what could be construed as illegal to be kind of crazy - does he get a pass because he's got serious issues?

Of course, I also take major exception to the love for Christopher Fitzgerald's character in Waitress, who, in any other context would be, at the very least, a stalker if not a sexual harasser. Sad, especially considering the female creatives behind it. #metoo, ladies? But that's for another thread.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 11:57am

Mike66 said: "If your point is that you think that this show is having some huge existential impact on America/Theater and "Culture", I will respectfully note that here in Ohio no one has heard of it, let alone thinks it has some message that informs their lives.

Ohio has a population of about 11.6 million people. It's really interesting that with that many people, not one of them has heard of DEH  Thanks for sharing that amazing fact. 

 

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 12:06pm

gypsy101 said: "TheSassySam said: "Of course, it's successful. However, my fear is that the storyline won't hold up to time and that will cut its run short. It will be a bit dated in 10 years even."

what about it do you think will be dated?"

 

There are websites like Kickstarter in the show. Tech brands like these come and go frequently. In a few years, Kickstarter may merge with another company and that brand will cease to exist.  

You can tell most of the script was written about 5 years ago and in 5 years, you'll be able to see it was written 10 years ago. Social media & technology are growing too rapidly for a show with a solid libretto. 

 

The Encores production in 2041 will be an excellent nostalgia trip for me though.  

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 12:42pm

RaisedOnMusicals said: "To me, this video provides a sense of the reach of DEH"

I don't know that the geodiversity of the people who send in a video, solicited amongst fans of the show's social media channels, can prove its broader reach. I mean, it is sold out, and demand is high, but it doesn't seem to be entering the cultural zeitgeist as much as Hamilton did. Not that it needs to, as long as they keep filling up the Music Box, they're fine...

[Rainah]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 12:42pm

and honestly... where is the evidence at all that DEH has entered the global conciousness in the way Hamilton has? Theatre fans know all about it, sure, but in terms of exposure, discussion, coverage, I would compare it more to other hit shows with heavy concepts like Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, Fun Home. Longtime fan favourites, but not shows that run for a decade. Ticket prices on the secondary market are already declining, though the show is still sold out

[Mike66]

Posted: 12/21/17 at 12:51pm

Mike66 said: "If your point is that you think that this show is having some huge existential impact on America/Theater and "Culture", I will respectfully note that here in Ohio no one has heard of it, let alone thinks it has some message that informs their lives.

Raised on Musicals said:  Ohio has a population of about 11.6 million people. It's really interesting that with that many people, not one of them has heard of DEH  Thanks for sharing that amazing fact. 

To Raised on Musicals, and to those who behave likewise:

Over the 2+ years that I've been reading these boards, I am continually struck by the level of rudeness and sheer obnoxious behavior by many posters.  For much of that time, I convinced myself that it was "an in joke" or that the lack of civility was among a few people who had been friends for a long time and were 'razzing' each other.

But its not.  

Far too many posters feel this is their change to behave in ways which I assume they never would face to face.  

I started reading and posting because I enjoy theater and thought it was a great place to learn more, ask questions and share opinions knowing that the community shared the interest in Broadway and theater generally.  I didn't expect to be insulted anonymously most of the time that  I have the gaul to actually offer an opinion.

Since Broadway World provides this site in order to promote and sell things, maybe they should consider whether their mission is really be advanced by creating a place where folks act poorly and the rest of us have to put up with it.