The reach of Dear Evan Hansen- Page 3

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/23/17 at 10:11am

After Eight said: "Raised On Musicals: "From my own interactions, the show seems to cut across demographics of age, gender,race, religion, political orientation and sexual orientation. That's all I meant by the reach of the show."



So that's what youmeant by the reach ofthe show? Then the same could be said ofcountless shows down throughthe ages."

 

IO think he left out the word 'passionately', After Eight.  Whether you liked it or not,everyone I know loved this show with a passion that I rarely see in the theatre.  That would apply to very few shows IMO.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/23/17 at 10:23am

haterobics said: "Jarethan said: "Has anything in your lifetime entered the cultural zeitgeist to the extent of Hamilton?"

I think the Hamilton comparison is more important in regard to its proximity to DEH, as far as the reach of social media and other factors. Once you start linking it to other big shows, in the pre-social media era, it gets a bit apples and oranges. Especially iffans submitting videos to form a megamix is sort of the proof point of reach here? I mean, no one could have possible done that for Rent orprevious milestones. "Send your VHS tape, recorded in SP mode, to: Rent Video, 1556 Avenue of the Americas..." etc."

 

I think you raise a very good point.

I think Social Media contributed to increased awareness of the show, which it also did with Spiderman.  That didn't make people love it passionately.  I know that there are people besides After Eight who don't like it, but as I said previously, the passion with which people love this show is something that happens very rarely, and to quote someone else, across broad demographics.

Re a previous poster, there are shows that date and there are shows that don't date.  'I love most of 'Bells Are Ringing' and hate parts of it because they have dated very badly, e.g., the dentist and the 'Midas Touch' sub-plot is the most extreme case IMO; I can't believe it was entertaining even in 1956, but it must have been; and some of those harmonies wreak of the mediocre 50s.  I do not think it is dated simply because it is about Susanswerphone, which no longer exists; it is simply a period piece because of that.  A show can over time become a period piece, and also be dated (I would say that applies to some of the material in Damn Yankees), but it does not have to be both.  DEH may become a period piece over time, but that doesn't automatically mean it will dated.  It will date if the writing does not hold up, not due to technology advances; it is a human story that employs the technology available at the time.  IMO.