Calling all musical fans! If you love old classics like Wicked and Legally Blonde, and newer hits like Hamilton and Waitress, but need something new, Dear Evan Hansen is for you. Written by Pasek & Paul, this musical deals with topics from friendship to suicide to parenthood. The story centers around Evan Hansen, a socially awkward senior in high school struggling to fit in. When his classmate Connor Murphy commits suicide, and has a note from Evan in his pocket, things spiral out of control. There are funnier, lyrically-clever songs, (Sincerely, Me), songs that make you need a tissue (So Big/So Small), and songs that will inspire you (You Will Be Found).
The cast is led by Ben Platt as Evan Hansen. Ben Platt has also starred in the Pitch Perfect movies as Benji, Jesse’s strange-but-lovable roommate who dabbles in magic. Laura Dreyfuss plays Zoe, Evan’s crush, and she previously starred on Glee as Madison McCarthy. Tony Award nominee Jennifer Laura Thompson plays Zoe’s mother. The musical opened at the Music Box Theatre in December 2016 to widespread critical acclaim. The album is available on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify. Give it a listen, and then have the songs stuck in your head the rest of the day.