My Ramblings on Dear Evan Hanson

Holy Smokes…..I freaking loved this show! Let me start off by saying, I knew little to none about this show except that it did very well on Broadway. I really thought it was just another coming of age show that would be mediocre. BOY WAS I WRONG!

Let’s Discuss My Night At the Theater….

First, we had to switch our days and seats around. We are season ticket holders for the Playhouse Square Broadway Series. Normally we are in the bleeders but not this time folks. We had fourth row seats in stage right with the inside aisle…EEK!

The only time I have every had this good of seats for a musical was when Pam and I won free front row seats to see In the Heights. (LOVED)

Personally I am not a fan of the first row or so. I feel that it’s just too close, you cant see much and miss out on a lot.  However , the seats we had for this show were perfect since the cast was small and set was more minimalistic. I did not feel like we were missing anything.

So what did I love about this show?!?!

*The MUSIC. The songs were soooo good! They were consistent and catchy and felt very comfortable and conversational. The use of soft and, gentle sounds contrasting with the loud more powerful tones or harmonies made for an to the incredibly emotional experience.

*The CAST was fantastic. I often feel like there is always one or two actors that are not pulling their weight but not for this performance. Each person was on point. The singing was beautiful! Oh and the range of these performers was impressive. To sing that low to that high is not an easy feat and gave the chance to show of their skill sets for sure. For having such a small cast, the power in the few chorus songs was also awesome.

I don’t know if it is because we were so close, and we could see it all without our theater glasses, but the emotion that I felt from the actors was overwhelming. When they cried and laughed, I believed every second of it. I honestly felt I was on their journey. I was embarrassed, anxious and sad with Evan as well as broken hearted with many of the other characters. I felt their pain. I could feel their struggles. Pam and I joked that the lead actor must be in a constant state of red eyes and runny noses for the amount of crying he does 7 days a week for the show.

On a side note, I have to give props to Evan’s mom which was executed amazingly by the understudy for our show. She was one of my favorite characters. As a mother, I am constantly worried about how I will screw up my kids and what  they will end up like. I worry about the choices that I am making and how it impacts them. How would I respond if my child were truly unhappy? What would I be able to do to help them? It really hit home for me.

The CASTING was great as well as the characters looked like normal people. This helped to make the show so much more believable. They looked the part they played which helps with buy in as a show goer.

*The STORY….BRING YOUR TISSUES PEOPLE! I see why this show is continuing to do so well after it’s 2017 Tony Award. It is 100% relatable. This was evident by all of the sounds of sadness in the audience, the tears being wiped away, the noses being blown.

The themes touched on throughout the show are something that everyone understands. It is about feeling like you are not seen and that you do not matter.  There is not one person that will watch this that has never felt invisible, unimportant or not enough.  We have ALL been there at some point in our lives!

As I mentioned above the story is relatable to everyone and it is SOOO relevant, especially when you consider the current narrative in this country regarding being bullied, lonlinesss and suicide.

The show also touches on how the grass is greener on the other side. I have always thought it interesting that no matter where you look and how amazing it seems, there is another set of problems that you never know until you live it. You really never know what is happening.

I would HIGHLY recommend this show to anyone. It is a message everyone should see. And it could be just what someone needs.

After the show…

After the show since the night was beautiful, Pam and I went around the front of the theater which is not our normal route. We took in the lights and energy of Euclid Avenue. There were several little patios open for a drink and we tried out the Republic which I never even knew was there. We enjoyed it. Overall I could not have asked for a more perfect night!

Let me know what you thought of this show in the comments!