Dear Evan Hansen is a musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, “who invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn”.
The musical opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in December 2016 and will close on September 18, 2022, after the show’s world premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., in July 2015 and an Off-Broadway production at Second Stage Theatre from March to May 2016.
Upon opening, the show received critical acclaim. At the 71st Tony Awards, it was nominated for nine awards, winning six, including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Actor for Ben Platt, and Best Featured Actress for Rachel Bay Jones.
A film adaptation was directed by Stephen Chbosky and co-produced by Marc Platt, the father of Ben Platt, who reprised his performance in the title role. It was released on September 24, 2021. It was a box-office disappointment and received negative reviews from critics. This along with soft ticket sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic became the leading factors that would cause both the Broadway and West End productions to close.