Dear Evan Hansen (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (5,598)
See it if you care about, or understand teenage angst
Don't see it if no reason not to, great show and a very important topic
See it if you want a show with heartfelt topics, great writing, memorable songs, innovative set & really good acting. Many songs gave me goosebumps!
Don't see it if you don't want to think or feel any type of emotion. I don't have anything I would change about this show...but I did see it with Ben Platt.
See it if you want a great inspiring story with wonderful music
Don't see it if you dont like musicals
See it if you want to hear a great songs, very talented cast, and be touched emotionally by a story that is quite relevant today
Don't see it if you prefer big dance numbers and can't really pay attention to the lyrics of the songs
See it if You want to see "high school reality" as per my 18 year old granddaughter. Teenage angst shown at it's best. What a show w/lots of tears.
Don't see it if You don't want to get into teen suicide and lying. Definitely not for young kids.
See it if You like a great play.
Don't see it if Sadness.
See it if you want a show that will make you laugh and cry, that will hit you at your core and remind you what it's like to be human and to struggle
Don't see it if it's hard to watch a show about suicide and mental health, particularly with teenagers; also, be open to morally ambiguous protagonists
See it if you like to see an outstanding Broadway musical! I was lucky to meanwhile have seen it 3 times and still love every minute of it!
Don't see it if you don't like musicals. Or you just suffered a loved one's death and can't deal with a show with teen suicide even if the end is hopeful.
Critic Reviews (53)
"'Historic' is an adjective I’ve rarely used to describe a performance, but a review that does not invoke it for Ben Platt’s incandescent turn in the ravishingly bittersweet 'Dear Evan Hansen' would be doing it less than justice...Under the crackerjack stewardship of director Michael Greif, the cast of eight guides us with a gentle deftness...The delight here is that Pasek, Paul and Levenson do understand how to make this seemingly unmusical idea sing, and sing grandly."
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"Platt's performance...is as profound and heartbreaking a portrayal of a 17-year-old as one might ever hope to see. It is the heart of a superbly crafted and performed show that is unafraid of complexity and ambiguity...This plot, which rarely strains credulity, brings up a veritable plethora of people in pain, and Pasek and Paul have penned a banquet of ballads of anguish and confusion, but they somehow avoid sentimental exploitation."
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"It’s not simply that the songs are tuneful. It’s that they have a way of instantly piercing your heart and burrowing into your consciousness, while also illuminating character and propelling the plot (no small achievement!)...Credit librettist Steven Levenson for creating such a believable young character, from the anxiety meds to the self-deprecating dialogue. It also doesn’t hurt that Platt possesses, on top of a powerhouse voice, a seemingly limitless reserve of charm."
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"A smart, deeply felt and altogether extraordinary new musical...Pasek and Paul have crafted a haunting soft rock score that is neatly integrated into Levenson’s captivating book. Greif presents a tight and compelling production built around finely-textured ensemble acting and a seamless visual design of shifting panels and floating video imagery. Platt is giving one of the most vulnerable and shaded performances you’ve ever seen."
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"Trensch claims the role in a unique way - adding nervous tics and vocal inflections that allow us to see a different if nonetheless equally compelling star turn...Happily, the rest of the cast stayed on and the performances have deepened believe it or not...But let’s not forget the humor, which has only become more pointed and rich...'Dear Evan Hansen' will touch you in ways you probably never expected."
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"Ben Platt is stripped down to his emotional skivvies for us voyeurs to judge, gawk at, and pity. His breathtaking performance in the show's title role is just one of the reasons Pasek, Paul, and Levenson's new musical moves audiences to their feet before the lights even come down...This musical offers a truly 21st-century story...The composers strike a balance between substance and popular appeal with memorable melodies and character-driven lyrics."
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"With Taylor Trensch...the character is decidedly less lovable and that's a very effective take. Trensch is certainly a fine actor and singer, and audiences are sure to admire the strength he brings to the role...This Evan has constructed thicker protective barriers; not just between him and the other characters, but between him and the audience as well...This realistic approach that requires the audience to work harder to feel empathy is a daring move."
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"The whole sorry story is treated by the authors with a remarkable double vision, keeping us engaged with Evan as he careens ever closer to disaster...The songs similarly combine real feeling with sharp-eyed observation as they briskly move the story along...Greif's staging is both well-paced and nuanced, never losing sight of the heartbreak at the story's center; he has also assembled a cast of performers who wear their characters like old clothes."
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