The title character in the musical Dear Evan Hansen is a clinically anxious high school student who is so friendless that he can’t get any classmates to sign the cast on his broken arm, except an even worse misfit named Connor. But then Connor commits suicide, and his death turns Evan’s life around.
In other hands, it might be difficult to suspend disbelief in the series of unlikely, near-satiric events at the heart of this original musical, which is now running Off-Broadway through the end of the month. But Dear Evan Hansen has become a sold-out hit, something of a cult favorite, with plans to transfer to Broadway. It’s easy to see why. Composer/lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, whose previous musicals include Dogfight and A Christmas Story, have fashioned a tuneful, affecting pop-rock score. Director Michael Greif, who has some experience with shows about adolescent angst (Rent, Next to Normal), has created a first-rate, resonant production.(It’s worth pointing out that Team Evan Hansen includes Hamilton alumni David Korins as the set designer and Alex Lacamoire as the musical supervisor and orchestrator.) And the eight-member cast offer some deep and credible performances, led by the extraordinary Ben Platt…
Full review on DC Theatre Scene
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