History Theatre / DearEvanHansen

The musical has received widespread critical acclaim for its music, story, and performances of its original cast, headlined by Ben Platt as Evan Hansen. [[Literature/DearEvanHansen A novelization]] was published in 2018, not long before Universal announced their plans for a film adaptation. In 2020, production officially began on the film, which will have the original composers (Music/PasekAndPaul), writer (Steven Levenson), and star (Ben Platt) attached. It will be also directed by Stephen Chbosky (who previously directed ''Literature/ThePerksOfBeingAWallflower'' and ''Literature/{{Wonder|2012}}''), and also feature Creator/KaitlynDever, Creator/JulianneMoore, Creator/AmandlaStenberg (who gets a MovieBonusSong), Creator/AmyAdams and Creator/DannyPino.

* SocietyMarchesOn: This show debuted on Broadway in 2016, just before ''Series/ThirteenReasonsWhy'' debuted on Netflix in 2017 and launched a huge backlash over public discussion of suicide and preventing suicide contagion in teenagers. ''Dear Evan Hansen'' is, itself, a deeply critical examination of the idea that suicide is a way to "live forever" or "make your mark on the world", but even just a few years later it seems very jarring that the in-universe Connor Project isn't criticized by anyone for glorifying Connor's death in this way -- and ''especially'' that Alana doesn't face any consequences for posting Connor's suicide note online.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: [[spoiler: "How did you break your arm?"]]

The musical has received widespread critical acclaim for its music, story, and performances of its original cast, headlined by Ben Platt as Evan Hansen. [[Literature/DearEvanHansen A novelization]] was published in 2018, not long before Universal announced their plans for a film adaptation. In 2020, production officially began on the film, which will have the original composers (Music/PasekAndPaul), writer (Steven Levenson), and star (Ben Platt) attached. It will be also directed by Stephen Chbosky (who previously directed ''Literature/ThePerksOfBeingAWallflower'' and ''Literature/{{Wonder|2012}}''), and also feature Kaitlyn Dever, Creator/JulianneMoore, Amandla Stenberg (who gets a MovieBonusSong), Creator/AmyAdams and Creator/DannyPino.

The musical has received widespread critical acclaim for its music, story, and performances of its original cast, headlined by Ben Platt as Evan Hansen.

* SocietyMarchesOn: This show debuted on Broadway in 2016, just before ''Series/ThirteenReasonsWhy'' debuted on Netflix in 2017 and launched a huge backlash over public discussion of suicide and preventing suicide contagion in teenagers. ''Dear Evan Hansen'' is, itself, a deeply critical examination of the idea that suicide is a way to "live forever" or "make your mark on the world", but even just a few years later it seems very jarring that the in-universe Connor Project isn't criticized by anyone for glorifying Connor's death in this way -- and ''especially'' that Alana doesn't face any consequences for posting Connor's suicide note.

* HollywoodHacking: Jared becomes involved in Evan's scheme because Evan supposedly needs Jared's computer expertise to create a fake email address for Connor and backdate the emails (presumably by changing the time and date on the system clock of his computer) to make it look like they've been corresponding for months. But this isn't actually helpful -- the ''sent'' date will be backdated into the past, but the ''received'' date would be recorded by Evan's own email server and be accurate (making it look like Connor's emails somehow took six months to arrive). Moreover, the backdating isn't necessary -- creating the account might be necessary if someone decides to check it exists by sending a message to it and seeing if it bounces; unless someone actually demands to log into Evan's email themselves and look at his inbox directly -- which no one ever does -- Evan can just make up fake screenshots or transcripts of whatever emails he wants and show them to people without having to "hack" anything. (That said, he may be so computer illiterate he needs Jared's help to do even this.)

* SocialMediaIsBad: Originally this was a major {{Aesop}} of the show as Pasek and Paul envisioned it, with a CutSong "Goin' Viral" talking about how dangerous the Internet can be and how rapidly a viral public shaming can destroy someone's life. This message went OutOfFocus as the show developed, but a big part of the show's staging is still covering the stage with projection screens showing the invisible digital world constantly surrounding the characters (and the ending scene of the show has the screens finally recede so [[InHarmonyWithNature all we see is the real trees in real dirt that represent the apple orchard]]. The songs "You Will Be Found" and "You Will Be Found (Reprise)" are what remains of this theme -- "You Will Be Found" shows the power social media has to give isolated and alienated people an outlet and a ray of hope, only for "You Will Be Found (Reprise)" to turn around and show how positivity on the Internet can turn into hate at the drop of a hat.

* InTheStyleOf: The show's score borrows heavily from late 90s/early 2000s adult [[AlternativeRock alternative]] music (Music/VanessaCarlton, Five For Fighting, Music/BarenakedLadies) and gives it a showtunes glean. "Sincerely, Me", meanwhile, is a sty
listic sound-alike of [[Music/BenFolds Ben Folds Five]].

--->[[spoiler: '''Connor:''']] Did you [[spoiler:fall? [[BungledSuicide Or did you let go]]]]?

** And, of course, the biggest WhamLine of the play, [[spoiler:where Evan finally decides to reveal his lie to the Murphys, lest he risk causing further harm to them]].

The musical focuses on teenager Evan Hansen, who suffers from a social anxiety disorder. After the suicide of fellow student Connor Murphy, a series of events land Evan in the center of a false narrative - that he was Connor's secret best friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into a web of lies, he gains everything he's ever wanted and becomes a beacon of hope for Connor's grieving family, but as everything starts to fall apart, he has to learn that even the best of intentions can turn into something harmful.

* ArmorPiercingResponse: After Heidi finds out about Evan's occasional visits to the Murphys instead of Jared's, Evan yells to Heidi that he thinks he's nothing more than a burden to her life. She ends up going ballistic, remarking back that he is the only and one good thing in her life, and sarcastically apologizes for not doing her best for him. Evan then venomously remarks that it's not his fault that other people can. This leads into [[TheHeroSucksSong "Good for You"]], as Heidi ends up being in bitter acceptance of Evan choosing the Murphy family over her.

* YouAreNotAlone: The main point Evan hopes to make with The Connor Project. It even becomes an important, frequently repeated lyric in the song "You Will Be Found". See IronicEcho for its darker use.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Evan struggles badly with the knowledge that despite claiming to and feeling like he's acting out of altruism, his actions really are just to benefit himself. Of course, you can lay that accusation on other characters, especially Alana. (The [[CutSong original version]] of "You Will Be Found" "A Part of Me" stated this theme much more explicitly.)

* ItsAllAboutMe: Evan struggles badly with the knowledge that despite claiming to and feeling like he's acting out of altruism, his actions really are just to benefit himself. Of course, you can lay that accusation on other characters, especially Alana.

The musical has received widespread critical acclaim, for its music, story, and performances of its original cast, headlined by Ben Platt as Evan Hansen.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Evan struggles badly with the knowledge that despite claiming to and feeling like he's acting out of altruism, his actions really are just to benefit himself. Of course, you can lay that accusation on other characters, especially Alana. WordOfGod is this show is about the painful knowledge that most of how people react to somebody's death isn't really about the dead person but themselves, and that despite Connor's apparently central role in this play we begin and end the play still knowing almost nothing about him. (The [[CutSong original version]] of "You Will Be Found" "A Part of Me" stated this theme much more explicitly.)

** Finally, he threatens Jared with a TakingYouWithMe remark, as Jared wants to reveal the lie. [[spoiler:He feels Evan is only using him to fabricate emails -- not because they are ''real'' friends.]]

** He then accuses Alana for only participating in the Connor Project to boost her college opportunities -- despite her selfless qualities.
** Finally, he threatens Jared with a TakingYouWithMe remark, as Jared wants to reveal the lie. He feels Evan is only using him to fabricate emails -- not because they are ''real'' friends.

** He [[spoiler lashes out at Heidi for not being present for most of his life even though she is trying very hard.]]

** Finally, he threatens Jared with a TakingYouWithMe remark, as Jared wants to reveal the lie. He feels Evan is only using him to fabricate emails -- not because they are ''real'' friends.]]

* InTheStyleOf: The show's score borrows heavily from late 90s/early 2000s adult [[AlternativeRock alternative]] music (Music/VanessaCarlton, Five For Fighting, Music/BarenakedLadies) and gives it a showtunes glean. "Sincerely, Me", meanwhile, is a stylistic sound-alike of [[Music/BenFolds Ben Folds Five]].

** He [[spoiler:lashes out at Heidi for not being present for him most of his life even though she is trying very hard.

** Finally, he threatens Jared with a TakingYouWithMe remark, as Jared wants to reveal the lie due to Evan only using him for making the fabricated letters, and not out of a pure friendship]].

* ItsAllAboutMe: Evan struggles badly with the knowledge that despite claiming to and feeling like he's acting out of altruism, his actions really are just to benefit himself. Of course, you can lay that accusation on other characters, especially Alana. WordOfGod is this show is about the painful knowledge that most of how people react to somebody's death isn't really about the dead person but themselves, and that despite Connor's apparently central role in this play we begin and end the play still knowing almost nothing about him. (The [[CutSong original version]] of "You Will Be Found", "Part of Me", stated this theme much more explicitly.)

* FullNameBasis: Evan's letters to himself always open with "Dear Evan Hansen" as a sort of ritual; then close with "Sincerely, Me." Because of this structure, people are able to mistake the letter for a letter ''to'' Evan ''from'' Connor, and then in the song "Sincerely, Me" he and Jared have to keep up the pretense that, for whatever reason, this is how he and Connor corresponded with each other (with his letters to Connor starting "Dear Connor Murphy").

* HollywoodHacking: Jared becomes involved in Evan's scheme because Evan supposedly needs Jared's computer expertise to create a fake email address for Connor and backdate the emails (presumably by changing the time and date on the system clock of his computer) to make it look like they've been corresponding for months. But this isn't actually helpful -- the ''sent'' date will be backdated into the past, but the ''received'' date would be recorded by Evan's own email server and be accurate (making it look like Connor's emails somehow took six months to arrive). Moreover, the backdating isn't necessary -- creating the account might be necessary if someone decides to check it exists by sending a message to it and seeing if it bounces, but unless someone actually demands to log into Evan's email themselves and look at his inbox directly, which no one ever does, Evan can just make up fake screenshots or transcripts of whatever emails he wants and show them to people without having to "hack" anything. (That said, he may be so computer illiterate he needs Jared's help to do even this.)

* IdleRich: Zoe sees her mother Cynthia this way because she jumps from fad to fad to stave off boredom.
* InformedAbility: Done deliberately, using the [[MusicalWorldHypotheses medium of a musical]] to full effect. "For Forever", "You Will Be Found" and "Words Fail" obviously aren't Evan singing in-universe, just speaking off-the-cuff, but the soaring vocal performance and instrumentation give us the ''idea'' that what he's saying must be incredibly powerful, explaining the emotional effect he has on everyone around him. (It's a matter of serious FanficFuel to imagine what the actual simple five-minute speech in "You Will Be Found" was that turned Evan into a national hero.)
* InstantWebHit: Played straight, and for drama. Somehow, the random video one student took of Evan's speech at Connor's memorial catches on like wildfire, spreading not only all over Evan's school but breaking out into the rest of the world, gaining over 16,000 views overnight, and within a matter of days turning Evan into a viral national celebrity. (The voiceover implies it even reaches the point of having him get mentioned on the TV news.)

** "Think about it". It is said twice to Evan; firstly by Cynthia to encourage Evan to give a public speech at the memorial assembly for Connor, and secondly by the imaginary Connor, who wants him to decide whether he wants to reveal his lie to the Murphys or not.
** "YouAreNotAlone". Firstly, it is a rallying cry in "You Will Be Found", showcasing the important virtues of friendship and belonging. When it returns in the DarkReprise, it shows [[spoiler:social media users' desires for revenge against the Murphy Family, as they believe the Murphys were responsible for their son's suicide]].
* {{Irony}}: Evan's main problem in Act One was his inability to communicate properly with other people. For Act Two, Evan faces a new difficulty: the inability to keep his mouth shut. To recount, he [[spoiler:lashes out at Heidi for her not being there for him in most of his life, even though she explicitly states that she is trying very hard. He then accuses Alana for only participating in the Connor Project to boost her college opportunities, despite the previous establishing her as selfless. Finally, he threatens Jared with a TakingYouWithMe remark, as Jared wants to reveal the lie due to Evan only using him for making the fabricated letters, and not out of a pure friendship]].

** ArtisticLicenseMedicine: A bigger issue is that Evan didn't initially intend the "perfect day" he had with Connor at the apple orchard to be the same day he broke his arm. "For Forever" starts with the line "End of May or early June". It's currently ''September'', and a broken arm typically heals in six to eight weeks. Unless he somehow repeatedly re-injures it--which isn't the case--the earliest he could've broken his arm is in July -- after the end of the previous school year when he was working his summer job at the park. The creators revealed that "For Forever" was written before the script was nailed down and it was too late to change the line when they noticed the discrepancy. They left it in as a bit of DramaticIrony, showing the Murphys could've exposed Evan immediately had they been really paying attention.
* BecomingTheMask: One of the core themes of the show. The version of himself Evan imagines in his fictitious friendship with Connor is what gives him the strength to become a better person in RealLife.

** Evan's first and last discussion with Connor, whether it's the real person or an imaginary version, contains the tree accident that caused Evan to have a broken arm. Only, for Imaginary!Connor, [[spoiler:he gets Evan to admit that he tried to kill himself by letting go rather than accidentally falling off]].

* DrivenToSuicide: Connor Murphy suicide early in Act One kicks off the plot. [[spoiler:Evan tries to before the events of the show, which is how he broke his arm]].

* FullNameBasis: Evan's letters to himself always open with "Dear Evan Hansen", as a sort of ritual, and then sign off with "Sincerely, Me". It's because of this that people are able to mistake his letter as a letter to him from Connor, and then in the song "Sincerely, Me" he and Jared have to keep up the pretense that, for whatever reason, this is how he and Connor corresponded with each other (with his letters to Connor starting "Dear Connor Murphy").

** There are a few, most of which are atypical given the unusual circumstances of the musical. "For Forever" most closely follows the trope, but all the reminiscing in it is in Evan's imagination; he's grieving over someone he never really knew.

* AdultFear: Your child committing suicide or to a lesser extent, not being able to provide for them.

** "If you're falling in a forest, and there's nobody around, do you ever really crash or even make a sound?" It refers to [[spoiler:Evan's failed suicide by jumping off a tree]].

** ArtisticLicenseGeography: A minor issue, but Evan says he and Connor talked about "biking the Appalachian Trail" after graduation. If either of them had actually seriously looked into it, they'd have found out the Appalachian Trail banned bikes back in 1984.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Evan admits his lie to the Murphys, even though the truth crushes them and destroys his relationship with the family. But, he ends up reconciling with Heidi, and after a one-year DistantFinale, Zoe. [[DidNotGetTheGirl Even though Evan's relationship with Zoe ends up being relegated to a status of]] AmicableExes, his final letter reveals he has changed over the course of the play, and has embraced himself as a [[NervousWreck socially awkward]], yet [[{{Determinator}} resolute]] man]].

** The first and last lines begin with the [[TitleDrop play's name itself]], as Evan writes a letter to himself, in the hopes of making himself better. In his first letter, he writes that it will be an amazing day, because he'll be himself, before descending into a tangent regarding his social anxiety. At the end, his letter assures him that his day will be good, as he has finally learned, and accepted, being himself.

* CassandraTruth: The ''first thing'' Evan does when confronted with Connor's "suicide note" is try to tell the truth -- "Connor didn't write that!" -- but Connor's parents just assume he's in denial about Connor's death, and Mrs. Murphy immediately reveals that the letter is the only thing they have left of their son and learning the truth would only devastate her further, which means Evan feels he has no choice but to begin lying to comfort her.

** Played straight with "You Will Be Found". The song initially conveys the message that if one is lost, they can be helped upon by others. The next time it's sung, [[spoiler:it represents the abuse that the Murphys have received from social media, as they believe the Murphys didn't care about their son enough]].

** Alana: She meets Evan and asks him how his summer was. Before Evan can reply, she interrupts with her patented response -- so many extracurricular activities. The script directions state that before she encounters Evan, she puts on a fake smile. She wants to help her community in any way possible; she is also shy like Evan but conceals that with cheeriness.
** Jared: His first line is a joke to Evan regarding his broken arm, believing that Evan stalked Zoe's Instagram and subsequently had ADateWithRosiePalms. Just like Alana, the script reveals another crucial detail: he enters with a "practiced swagger" that "only the deeply insecure" can pull off. He is not only a DeadpanSnarker and a complete joker, but someone who attempts to solve every problem with humor.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Instances referring to [[spoiler:Evan's BungledSuicide by climbing up a tree and throwing himself off]]:

** Jared: His first line is a joke to Evan regarding his broken arm, believing that Evan stalked Zoe's Instagram and subsequently had ADateWithRosiePalms. Just like Alana, the script reveals another crucial detail: he enters with a "practiced swagger" that "only the deeply insecure" can pull off. He is not only a DeadpanSnarker and a complete joker, but he is someone who attempts to solve every problem with humor.

* GoGetterGirl: Alana Beck, to the point where Evan accuses her of trying to take advantage of Connor's suicide to bolster her college applications.

** "I'm flying blind, and I'm making this up as I go." Set as the chorus of the opening number, not only making the audience sympathetic to the mothers, but sets up Evan's situation. [[spoiler:He keeps making things up as he goes, until a point where he gets cornered and has to confess to everything.]]

* ArtisticLicense: In-universe, Evan takes a number of liberties with his stories, which the writers have said were intentional in order to demonstrate how the Murphys fell for them because of their desire to believe as much as anything else (and which Alana ends up PullingTheThread on when she falls out with Evan in Act 2).

** ArtisticLicenseMedicine: A bigger issue is that Evan didn't initially intend the "perfect day" he had with Connor at the apple orchard to be the same day he broke his arm. "For Forever" starts with the line "End of May or early June", but it's currently ''September'', and a broken arm typically heals in six to eight weeks. Unless he's somehow repeatedly re-injuring it, the earliest he could've broken his arm is in July -- after the end of the previous school year, when he was working his summer job at the park, as he later admits. The creators revealed that "For Forever" was written before the script was nailed down and it was too late to change the line when they noticed the discrepancy, but left it in as a bit of DramaticIrony showing the Murphys could've exposed Evan immediately had they been really paying attention.

** Evan's first and last discussion with Connor, whether it's the real person or an imaginary version, contains the tree accident that caused Evan to have a broken arm. Only, for Imaginary!Connor, [[spoiler:he gets Evan to admit that he tried to kill himself by letting go rather than accidentally fall off]].

** Played straight with "You Will Be Found". The song initially conveys the message that if one is lost, they can be helped upon by others. The next time it's sang, [[spoiler:it represents the abuse that the Murphys have received from social media, as they believe the Murphys didn't care about their son enough]].

* EasterEgg: Evan's index cards for his speech before "You Will Be Found" go into the audience when he drops them. They have actual text on them (printed to look like handwriting) for any audience members who find them, and reveal that before Evan begins to speak from the heart and the song starts, the speech he had was going to enter into an anodyne discussion of suicide statistics. (It does reveal that [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield the setting of the show is Maryland]] by naming the suicide rate for that state, possibly as a joke.)

** Evan: The first lines of the play is his letter to himself, where he types that today will be an amazing day because he is [[BeYourself being himself]]. But as soon as he finishes typing that, he ends up rambling on all the minor details to being recognized, as well as recounting a failed encounter with someone he loves. He is socially awkward and wants to connect with other people.
** Heidi: She tries to give Evan the enthusiasm to start his school year happily, but all Evan can elicit is FlatJoy. Her song that occurs afterwards, "Anybody Have a Map?", highlights the amount of effort she puts into connecting with Evan, and her desperation when her actions fail.
** Connor: At his breakfast, he claims that he doesn't feel like going to school, and is revealed to have smoked drugs. His interactions with the rest of his family show that he has a severely strained relationship with them.
** Cynthia: In her part in the song "Anybody Have a Map?", she sings about how her lifestyle, like cooking for Larry, Connor and Zoe, is increasingly difficult, and always complicated.
** Larry: When Cynthia asks Larry to convince Connor to go to school, he only tells Connor to do so, in a nonchalant manner. Cynthia then chides him on his lack of effort to persuade Connor, believing that he is busy on his email. He then responds that Connor cannot listen to him. Two things are established; he is emotionally distant from his family, and he is more dedicated to his work.
** Zoe: She ends up swearing back at Connor, when Connor swore at her because she assumed he was definitely high. Not only is she a typical high school student, it's clear she despises her brother, and his attitude.
** Alana: She meets Evan and asks him how his summer was. Before Evan can reply, she interrupts with her having done so many extracurricular activities. The script directions state that before she encounters Evan, she puts on a fake smile. Not only is she wanting to help her community in any way possible, she is also shy like Evan, but conceals that with cheeriness.
** Jared: His first line is a joke to Evan regarding his broken arm, believing it to be Evan having ADateWithRosiePalms. Just like Alana, the script reveals another crucial detail: he enters with a "practiced swagger" that "only the deeply insecure" can use. He is not only a DeadpanSnarker and a complete joker, but he is someone who attempts to solve every problem with humor.

** When Connor asks Evan about the latter's cast, with Evan responding that he fell off a tree, Connor laughs, remarking that it's the "saddest fucking thing" he's ever heard. [[spoiler:He was RightForTheWrongReasons: the suicide attempt itself was sad, not the fake accident]], even though Connor didn't know at that time.
** Connor offers to sign Evan's cast "so we can both pretend we have friends". He doesn't know how true this is going to become.

* FriendshipSong: "Sincerely, Me" between Evan and Connor. Subverted, in that it's actually just Evan and Jared faking e-mail exchanges to keep up the lie that Evan and Connor were friends.

* IdleRich: Zoe sees her mother Cynthia this way jumping from fad to fad to stave off boredom.

''Dear Evan Hansen'' is an original [[TheMusical musical]] written by the composer-lyricist team [[Music/PasekAndPaul Benj Pasek and Justin Paul]], with the book by Steven Levenson. It opened on Broadway on December 4, 2016, after its world premiere in 2015, and an Off-Broadway production from March to May 2016.