West End musical Dear Evan Hansen definitely lives up to the hype and will take Britain by storm
I SENT Bizarre’s Rod McPhee to see if Dear Evan Hansen lives up to the hype as it opened in London.
It’s easy to see why this was a phenomenon in the US – and why it seems guaranteed to take Britain by storm too.
It’s the heartbreaking tale of a shy teenager struggling to connect with the world who suddenly attracts friends, a surrogate family and a girl who loves him for who he is.
But he can only get all that if he pretends he was best mates with a fellow pupil who kills himself. So he spins a web of lies in which he eventually gets caught.
Sam Tutty is sensational as Evan, capturing all his frailties and tugging the heart strings with an angelic voice.
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And the score is one long pop songbook sweeping you from one scene to another, tossing in a few laughs among the tears.
The web of lies idea is a well- used plot line, but this show puts a modern spin on it by tackling the thorny issue of suicide, while much of the action is played out in projections of pages, emails and Just Giving appeals.
The only potential downside is that the show is as American as apple pie – and might not be to everyone’s taste.
TEN FACTS ON SHOW THAT'S EVAN SENT
IT’S only just arrived in the UK but expect to hear plenty more about stage musical sensation Dear Evan Hansen, which is a huge smash in the US thanks to its catchy soundtrack and moving storyline.
I’ve pulled together the ten things you need to know about the show before you hear the songs all over the radio . . .
1.The story is based on a real incident that happened at composer Benj Pasek’s high school, where a loner pupil died of a drug overdose and Benj watched as his classmates suddenly all wanted to be associated with the boy.
2. The music comes from Benj and his songwriting partner Justin Paul, who gave us the anthems in 2017 smash hit movie The Greatest Showman.
3. It was first shown in 2015 in Washington DC but within a year it transferred to Broadway, before a US tour last year.
4. In 2017 it won SIX Tony Awards – the Broadway equivalent of an Oscar – including Best Musical and Best Actor. It won a Grammy in 2018 for Best Musical Theatre album.
5. Broadway lead Ben Platt has seen his star soar thanks to the show. This year he got the lead in new Netflix drama The Politician.
6. The lead actor in the West End production is Sam Tutty, 21, who grew up in Sussex and Hull. He is a graduate of the Italia Conti stage school.
7. Sam recorded YouTube clips of himself singing the Dear Evan Hansen songs long before he was cast, with one commentator saying he would be great in the lead role.
8. This year the show reached its milestone 1,000th performance at its home in the Music Box Theatre on Broadway.
9. This is its West End debut and, apart from one trip to Toronto, the first time the show has been staged outside the US.
10. There are inevitable rumours of a film version and Ben Platt has said he’d love the lead role – but maybe Sam is now the front runner.
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