Do you imagine a future where that doesnt have to be what we do, like tape it and make it? SL: Even though the show isnt explicitly this, it feels like its from Evans point of view, I think, in a lot of ways. Im in my 50s. You have to up the game. Were talking right now to Stacey Mindich and Steve Levenson, the producer and book writer of the hit show on Broadway, Dear Evan Hansen. When we get back, well talk about where theater is going as we move forward in the digital age. Approachable. Yes, he did a horrible thing, but it has become so apparent for me in knowing the script by heart now that SM: But its all been deeply pleasurable. Broadway - August 3, 2017. I was so happy to be in that room telling the story about people rising above the lies and finding unity together. SL: Absolutely. Yeah, I often called it, Twitter, a hellscape. That process has taken us a long time. It went from off Broadway, and then you developed it over time, and added to it. 5 terms. Ben Platt in "Dear Evan Hansen." "Dear Evan Hansen" has been criticized because Ben Platt is a 27-year-old playing a student. You dont know theyre happy. Then a week later, two of them divorced. New York, NY, Linda Ray Sometimes, lessons were learned, and youre like, Oh.. Its like somebody without skin. There is feeling like Its disturbing how real it feels. Is that true? Treacly and manipulative, "Dear Evan Hansen . SM: For me, I like to think of it in a less logistical way. Dear Evan Hansen. The eponymous Evan has been tasked by his therapist with writing pep talk letters to himself to help him visualize success: "Dear Evan Hansen, Today is going to be a great day." SL: Yes, absolutely, its just never-ending. Stacey and Steven, welcome to Recode Decode. Benj and Justin and I were just talking recently about how when we were in high school, we assumed that everybody was having more fun than we were, but now if youre a high school student, you have proof every day that everybody is happier than you are. Its never a bad idea to wait. SM: The comic Jared Kleinman, who together with Alana are also, theyre our great chorus. Whats been interesting to me is there is something about these characters in this world that, especially young people, really want to engage with. What were you going for to create that feeling of being on the phone or being assaulted by media? They may have started finding us because Ben Platt was about to come out in the second Pitch Perfect movie, or because Pasek and Paul had a following of millennials who were very adept at social media. See more ideas about monologues, acting monologues, dear even hansen. I know Hamilton didnt put things online, like a ton of stuff. DEAR EVAN HANSEN Stripe Collection Polo . Ive had people say, Im Heidi, or, My nephew is Evan, My nextdoor neighbor And so he is just one of those absolutely, utterly relatable authentic characters. Some of them are still about something fantastical, but theyre so much more rooted in reality. I dont know how old you are, but it was mind-blowing, and I went a dozen times. It's easy to see why they cut it down for length and time and also to make it vague enough that Connor could've written it just as easily as Evan. He goes back to school. SL: Yes, and Cynthia is still, I think, struggling and fighting and searching for a way to get through to him, whereas Larry has by the time the show started just written him off, and so has Zoe. SM: The whole business of theater is about putting butts in seats. In the wake of the election and people feeling all sorts of feelings and trauma, there was Social media actually did become a refuge for a lot of people, and a place to feel. What do you think of what he did, because hes a fictional character but hes not? Steven and the authors and then Michael crafted this story. I was just talking to him about the phenomenon of Hamilton and what its like, and as he pointed out, Hamilton ultimately is just the show thats going to happen at 8pm tonight. But the lies are precisely what happened. You do feel in this thing. JustANumberToYou. Can I please speak to ?. I do feel like people are hungering for something that is ephemeral and something thats just here and now, because everything else is permanent and online. But then they were still sweatyand just, uh, very warm as well. Thats the big, like, thats number one: be yourself. Universal Pictures. I wouldnt want to lose that. Letter #5: Connor Murphy to Evan Hansen. | Smule Social Singing Karaoke app Its not what I would have done when I was a kid. You may know me as the director of the hit off- off- off-Broadway musical, Dear Mark Zuckerberg, but in my spare time I talk tech, and youre listening to Recode Decode, a podcast about tech and medias key players, big ideas in how theyre changing the world we live in. CPAC used to be a barometer. It is an awful, awful thing he does. Evan, in an effort to assuage their terrible grief, finds himself inadvertently claiming that he was his friend. Where else do you actually have to put your phone away? I think thats what Evan taps into is, even though what he says isnt true, theres something that feels true about it. All right, Ill follow you. If youre not that private, thats why you have that many and stuff like that. I just did an interview with Alison Bechdel. Heres whats actually happening. They might after hearing this. We werent going to do a very big thing about it right at this moment, but we did that. I dont know, if you dont live in Silicon Valley, but I, like, oh my God, her. SL: There are always people who thought he suffered too much for what he did, so it ultimately comes down to me to some of the Theres a song, Words Fail, that Evan sings. Cynthia Murphy, who is the other mom, Connor Murphys mom, is equally as relatable, and I think it takes us part of her journey to really come to understand her and her fortitude, because she goes through the grief, the absolute horror, the last thing that any mother or father ever, ever, ever wants to go through, and yet shes so admirable because she keeps finding ways to lift herself up and to keep life going. I want to continue to have that experience that I saw A Chorus Line 28 times, not on VR. Its fantastic. TikTok isnt really limiting kids time on its app. Its about a high school student with a social anxiety disorder and a problem with the internet. SL: There is something about Hamilton being a prime example of, there is something so old-fashioned about it, and yet something that is drawing people to it that I think has to do with seeing actors right there in front of you, seeing them sweat, seeing them spit, feeling like you were having this visceral experience in this room, and theres something quite special and intimate about that. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor. I remember going on social media that night, the night of the election, people saying, Get in touch with me if you need somebody to talk to. It was actually genuine. Final Scene and Finale by Dear Evan Hansen OBC - Karaoke Lyrics on Smule. It could have happened 100 years in the future. Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a high school student suffering from extreme social anxiety whose desperate desire for acceptance leads him into a web of lies following the tragic death of a . Of course he is the ringleader of that and the instigator, but there is some complicity. They mistakenly believe that it is a letter that Connor meant to write to Evan. Do you not put stuff online? Its super hard for them to do anything good online. He is somebody in a world of connections who is completely disconnected and desperate to connect, and also terrifying to connect too. But they want to continue the relationship. Certainly, if the show continues to do well, its something well entertain, but right now More likely, youll go out and do shows all over the country? I dont have time, but I will catch you later. I think Steven in less words than more actually captures that in Heidi. The power ballad that closes act one of Dear Evan Hansen, it marks the moment when Evan, a socially anxious teenager, delivers a heartfelt speech about a friend, Connor, who has recently met with tragedy.Shaking with emotion, Evan recalls a time that Connor helped him, and he . Dear Evan Hansen, Today is going to be an amazing day and here's why: because, uh, because today all you have to do is just be yourself. How Trump uses it is fascinating. One of the most compelling musical films that relates to neurodiversity and social anxiety is Dear Evan Hansen, a 2021 adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical about an isolated high school senior who becomes the motivational force behind a campaign for mental health awareness following the suicide of a fellow student.. . One of the things that I think is really striking is despite this awful situation, youre very kind to their characters. Dear Evan Hansen Monologue. Not anymore. Or even knowing phone numbers, but thats another thing. The most iconic track from the musical remained, while some of the new songs are used to flesh out supporting characters. Good to know. We have friends calling friends. SL: Sorry, I dont think its retro. Its a musical about a high school student with social anxiety disorder and social media problems. Steven, youve hit the meme exactly at the right moment, which is Did you think about that before? She is surrounded by friends, but really, she doesnt have many. Suddenly, sharply, nothing. In 2020, the Oscars stage saw a "swirling cyclone" of Swarovski Crystals thanks to Jason Sherwood, production designer for the 92nd Academy Awards. The first performance was in July 2015. I do think youre right about books. Dear Evan Hansen is a musical.The music and lyrics were written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Steven Levenson wrote a book based on the musical). The teens are doing revenge porn like Evan. I hope it goes Is it coming to San Francisco? When you do that, you can make silly mistakes that give you a laugh, and horrible mistakes that ruin your life. Today in the red chairs are Stacey Mindich and Steven Levenson, the producer and book writer of Dear Evan Hansen. Its a musical about a high school student with social anxiety disorder struggling to connect with people around him, including his crush, Zoe, and her social outcast brother Connor. Is it this one square mile abroad or whatever? Its also a lot about the impact of the internet on teens and everyone. He uses it as an art. Im going to keep pushing this because you got to see something in the new VR. SL: Larry and Cynthia and Zoe, who is their daughter and Connors sister, are all really And Evan Hansen probably more who really SL: Yes exactly. SL: They must be cyclical, but it feels like there are a few things going on, but one of them being the pervasive irony and sarcasm, for lack of a better word. Spoilers for the show and a trigger warning for discussion of ableism and suicide after the jump. SL: Thats the thing. This is a very current show, and also just like you said, a traditional story of loneliness. SL: From the beginning, we decided we wanted this to be a contemporary musical. Again, it just gives credit to Stevens real knack for credible, authentic characters, because I think that is so true of so many men. - The third letter in "Sincerely, Me". Take a phone vacation. Its impossible. Also, don't worry if . The 13 most cringeworthy moments in 'Dear Evan Hansen' from the lack of chemistry between Evan and Zoe to the odd portrayal of mental health. When Dear Evan Hansen premiered on Broadway in 2016, it drew near-universal praise from New York's theater critics. Shes trying to reach people. People want to feel something. I think it did happen with Hamilton for sure. I think thats how the world feels to someone like Evan. Book sales are going up, and Kindle and eBooks are really being bought by middle-aged people. I mean, of course its the heart of Any show with heart does resonate, and obviously, it becomes a phenomenon. I love her because shes amazing. The family needs this story just as much as he does. Its the experience.. His life is compounded by the fact that he has social anxiety, although I think we have found that people look at him and bring their own problems to him. Thats super interesting. I want to finish up on what do you hope where to go, where it happens, because you definitely, youre very current. Because she wants to use it for that, she wants to use it for advantage. We have a contact list from our website of multiple thousands and thousands and thousands of people that most shows dont have. They look happy as ever. That requires a series of readings, workshops and developmental productions outside of Broadway to really see what you have and to learn from audiences and all of that. Hamilton absolutely is similar, and I also think that there is something in a world where everything is digital. It feels like somewhere, thats the solution to the fake news is to reach people in their core. I said yes. SM: It did, but for me, immediately, when you tell me that there is a boy who is in trouble, me being who I am at this part of my life, I immediately said, Well then, there has to be a mom. It within moments became a multi-generational piece. And especially with the pain. SM: It is the beauty of the show, I think, and the reason why people do want to talk about it when they leave the theater, that you can interpret it the way you want to. September 21, 2021. I always say about Alana, if you ask her, she has a million friends. Its so funny when youre looking up things, like, What is that, or what is that? I was at a party the other night, and someones like, What do you think happened in his first night? If only we had a device that we can search and find things out, but then I remember dinner parties where you just didnt know. That was really where we began, was with that phenomenon, and I think what the three of us all found interesting was instead of parodying that or satirizing that, trying to look at what is underneath that impulse, and why do people feel the need to connect in that way, whats propelling that on a human level. I saw it recently, and its about isolation. Why do you think this resonated? Offended by the "girly" clothes worn by his daughter's elementary school art teacher, one parent has taken aim at . Teens can still click right on through the new screen time limit. It was that and Angels in America were very big deals. It must be seen to be believed." ADAM FELDMAN, TIME OUT NEW YORK. I was a journalist first. There is haptic touch. Dear Evan Hansen, Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why: because because today, all you have to do is just be yourself. Ive met Alana a hundred times. Theres just nowhere except the theater where you really do. She has a very bitter sense of humor. Like, she would introduce herself and then youd be like, Sorry, I didnt hear you. You can only reach so many people. That was me in high school. Maybe they didnt tell the lie. Giving a speech at Connor's memorial assembly, Evan soon shoots to fame, the Connor Project growing after his speech is put online, many people empathizing with Evan's words. When youre trying to get to what Evan does, it is an awful thing he does. SL: Thats a really good question. We happen to have the same director also, but Rent paved the way for skipping some in between, and Next to Normal paved the way for Fun Home. Fun Home, I remember the season of Fun Home was just starting, and I was watching it so closely because I knew if they could tell that story, then there was so much hope that we could tell our story. He'll just hold on. Theres always an outsider, and theres often a story with a moral tale that has a lie, and then the truth comes out, and the catharsis of that, and the redemption and the forgiveness is what makes audiences feel very good. I heard this interesting statistic the other week, which feels related somehow, that young people are buying more books. What begins as a little white lie becomes a way of comforting this family. I think each one really leads the theater world to be a beauty, to do more and to be more honest. What do you hope to accomplish, each of you? So feeling like I was telling you earlier that Dave is working on a VR version of Othello. Im thrilled Othellos going to get to people, so Im not adverse to that idea. Oh very much, so no matter what you do People bringing, its like an old Seinfeld episode, remember? If you have the good fortune to become successful, you do become something more, but the essence of it is sitting in that theater. SL: I think storytelling is going to continue to evolve into different forms and formats. Theres not a night where I dont shed a tear sometimes at a song, Im surprised, that never made me cry before. I call it sometimes movies are three-text movies or no-text movies, because Im not going to be able to text until Im done with this movie. Its difficult to do because Theres always like an Uber joke or a Twitter joke, but thats it. What happens to theater going forward then? But the idea that we need to get Theres no more offline communities, and were not connected offline anymore. He lacks friends. We actually do. On our stage at the end of Act One, in our Act One finale called You Will Be Found, the projections which basically is the internet goes viral. And interesting. SM: I will say, though, that there has been a wonderful conversation going on these eight years about this, because Steven and Benj and Justin are from one generation. I was expecting that. Theres a line in the show about how he didnt even cry at the funeral so that when he does crack at the end of Act One, its an incredibly potent, emotional moment. Do you feel like you should have Evan online? SM: Heidi Hansen, yeah, Evans mom. Also, dont worry if your hands are going to get sweaty for no reason and you cant make it stop no matter what you do because no, theyre not going to get sweaty. I recommend it. Im only mentioning VR because its different than film or television. People bring whatever they have themselves or they know about to him, but hes lonely and isolated. Everybody wants to go. You cant keep doing that. I can only tell you the funny story that we all just do things too quickly, and we make silly mistakes all the time. Just, uh, you knowbe true to yourself. I brought my son, whos 15. Rent was one of those choices, and Angels in America I would say, probably, are two shows that the conversation had to continue after. Then last in this section, one of the things thats interesting because you did hit a meme with fake news and things that we think we get so excited about something thats real and genuine. It is a conversation starter. I think she is an incredible depiction of contemporary motherhood, whether youre a single mom or not, busy, under pressure, trying hard, absolutely love your child, but in the daily rush of things doesnt always get everything right. You are instructed to turn your phone off, and so it is an hour or two hours where you get into a story in a way that you cant anymore when youre watching television or even in a movie theater, because you can be rude like that in the movie theater. We felt like we actually hadnt seen a lot of theater doing that. It is the need to leave the show, and call. I think what took so long from launch to the Music Box Theatre was actually eight years but it was crafting of what we call our underlying rights. Just weaponize. As much of a blessing as it is, we want the people who love our show and loved it first to be able to come. Are you private? The only thing I knew about Dear Evan Hansen before this point was that the main character had a broken arm. Today is going to be an amazing day and heres why: because, uh, because today all you have to do is just be yourself. The musical premiered in July 2015 in Washington, DC, debuted on Broadway in 2016, and later won six Tony Awards in . Kara Swisher: Hi, Im Kara Swisher, executive editor of Recode. SL: Exactly. Likewise, the character whose death triggers the events of the musical, Connor Murphy, can be viewed both as a redeemable character or a villain. Then at the same time, when you have this going, this fake news and where it leads to, how do we get back to community? It turns out to be false, or an advertising or a marketing thing. YouTube seems to be. My very last question which I ask everybody, and maybe here well do it a little differently. She has a lot of wisdom from all of those years of pain and family therapy, a jaundiced view of the world. Oh my God. Explain to me how long a show takes to get through? SM: Were struggling and learning. There is nothing else. Sometimes when you say I love you to your child, it means 10 things. Social media proved its relevance outside of establishing the modern setting as the speech goes viral all over the internet, an important plot point expressed beautifully across the digital . "Even when the dark comes crashing through, when you need a friend to carry you and when you are broken on the ground, you will be found." -You Will Be Found, 'Dear Evan Hansen'. A speech Evan writes about Connor then goes viral. But also confident that's important and . How did this become a phenomenon? Im sorry, theres just no other way to put it. SL: Yes. Hailey Bieber, Selena Gomez, and the Easter egg-ification of the Hollywood feud, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to two life terms for murdering his wife and son. Listen to Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, Ben Platt & Kaitlyn Dever on Apple Music. Dear, Evan Hansen. Whats happened is theres dozens of shows. Its a beautiful song that Benj and Justin have written. Then your other extra characters are also very interesting, like the girl who SL: Alana, who is our voice of social media in a lot of ways. When you were like that before, you didnt see it, and now you see the entire thing and what everybody else is doing. Above photo: VOX teen reviewer Sydney with her mom Lisa at the April 28, 2019 performance of "Dear Evan Hansen" at Atlanta's Fox Theatre. YouTube is the beginning. She just goes about it perhaps the wrong way. You feel like youre there. Summary. SL: Its a very weird net of thing where people are really, really responding to that idea of you will be found, which is actually when Evan is saying it in the musical, its not true. Weve talked a lot about the show itself, but lets talk about doing theater now. Its great to talk to you. That problem, its the plot point. This has been a bad year. SL: Everyone in the show is doing things for the right reason. To me, having seen the misery and the depths to which this character falls, I feel by the end that he has paid a terrible price, and he has come out on the other side and realized what he has done. Whats the worst social media thing youve done? All of those people are actually real people too that we asked just among our fan group to send us videos of themselves. Support our mission, and make a gift today. SM: I think if we want people to relate to the show, then the idea really is that I always said, If every mother in that audience doesnt ultimately want to hug Evan, then were not doing the right thing. We want everyone to essentially be kind and feel a warmth about our show. Do you want to take a little plug, Steven? Now its all about Trump. Only, I think, every other person who comes there feels that they can relate to the eight characters on the stage. I hope that the show makes people more present hopefully with the people that they are in the room with. That is an event. Texting is even Theres not a thought that doesnt go down. People have said to me, theyre sure he has Aspergers or something else. Theres been some shows that have been real touchdowns, like Hamilton and some others that have been really Theres a new, I cant remember the latest one, but theres a bunch that Maybe its The Grand Hotel, one that seems fantastic in some ways. Thats what was strong about this, was it? Will you support Voxs explanatory journalism? How did you glom on to this idea, because at the center of most shows, its the human heart essentially, but this really does the trends of the day do matter here in terms of whats happening to us is becoming a lack of interconnectedness? You didnt have the answer, which was, I was like, Remember when you didnt have the answer, and you just argue, you get drunk, and that was it? That was the entire thing. If Dear Evan Hansen addresses these problems and anxieties, it also explores, presciently, how easily experience can be faked online and how persuasive those fakes can be. I talked about mistakes. Evan Hansen, an awkward, lonely high school senior, struggles with Social Anxiety Disorder. See you, rather. It actually took me a couple of years of watching the show every night to really understand her plight. The thing I feel about the relationship between the show and whats happening in the world is, I remember we had rehearsal the day after the election, and showing up to rehearsal, everyone was so depressed.
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