DEAR EVAN HANSEN

“Dear Evan Hansen” is the story of those who feel invisible. The performance tackles topics we want to discuss but often don’t know how to address. It touches on today’s important issues regarding teenagers’ mental health, depression, social anxieties, and addictions in the world of social media. Yet, it is also a warm tale about the strength of friendship and building good relationships, with a simple message: #youarenotalone.

“If I were to disappear tomorrow, would anyone even notice?” No one. Evan is certain of that. The mere thought of school and contact with peers is unbearable. That noisy crowd, awkward attempts at starting a conversation, and the absence of a place to escape… As part of therapy, he writes a letter to himself. It was meant to be motivating, but something went wrong again, and then it only got worse. The letter ended up in the hands of a classmate, Connor. It infuriated him greatly because Evan also mentioned his sister, Zoe.

A few days later, Connor commits suicide, and his parents find Evan’s letter with him and conclude that the boys must have been friends. The attempt to correct the misunderstanding overwhelms Evan, especially since, at last, what he says matters to someone. He plunges into a story of friendship that never really existed…

The musical “Dear Evan Hansen” premiered in July 2015 in Washington and quickly became a phenomenon among young people. Music and lyrics were written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (of “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman”), with the script by Steven Levenson. The performance won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. In 2021, the musical was adapted into a film by acclaimed director Stephen Chbosky. Audiences have come to love it for songs such as “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” and “For Forever.”

On the stage of the Musical Theatre in Poznań, the musical “Dear Evan Hansen” was brought to life by Paweł Szkotak, with Dariusz Tarczewski as musical director, Paweł Orłowski as vocal director, Karol Drozd handling choreography, and Natalia Kitamikado responsible for stage design and costumes. The performance is complemented by lighting design by Paulina Góral and projections by Karolina Jacewicz and Mateusz Kokot, with Tomasz Zajma as sound director.

Ableton Programming by Scott Wasserman and Enrico de Trizio.