The Broadway performance of  “Dear Evan Hansen” follows the story of Evan, who is starting his senior year of high school. Right as the show starts, it is clear that he does not have many friends and struggles in some social situations. However, one encounter with a kid named Connor would soon change his life. They met in a computer lab where Evan was printing a letter to himself that was assigned by his therapist. Then, Connor found it, and put it in his pocket and proceeds to sign Evan’s cast and leave. Evan, confused by this encounter, goes home paranoid because he realized Connor took his note and was scared of what might happen. After a few days, Evan received news that Connor had taken his own life. After this, his life began to spiral into a series of lies, as Connor’s parents believed that Evan and he were friends since they found Evans’ note in Connor’s pocket and Evans’ caste had their son’s name on it. After this, everyone assumed they were friends and wanted to hear Evan’s input on the situation. He then panicked and began to fabricate lies and emails to prove that they were friends. Throughout the play, the viewer can see him change and become more distant and rude due to the lie that consumes him. Nearing the end of the play, Evan and other students decide to set up an online website to raise money for an orchard where he and Evan would “hang out.” Shortly after, Evan cannot bear the guilt and he tells Connor’s parents the truth, leaving them more lost than when the situation started. The play ends with the characters about a year after the event with the whole situation being in the past and everyone having moved on.

Acting: Wow, that’s all I could say after watching this performance. There was not a single person on stage who I thought was not giving it their all. When an actor was crying I would cry, and when someone said something funny everyone was laughing. The relationships between the actors felt like they had known each other since they were little kids, and the parents made it seem as if they were the actor’s actual parents. Each person also did a great job representing their character which made it even more realistic. Overall, the acting was 10/10.

Songs: After watching this, it is safe to say that I will be listening to it when I am in the car. The music was beautiful and everyone did an amazing job. However, there were some times when it sounded a bit forced, but overall it was phenomenal! 9/10.

Dancing: One aspect that I love about plays is the coordinated dancing that goes along with songs, but not much of that was done throughout the show. While there were a few dances within the show it was not like other performances such as Hamilton. Regardless, the show was still wonderful and the audience was still intrigued. 8.5/10

Props/ Stage decor: While this topic may sound random, it can really add to the feel of the play. Throughout the performance, there were large screens that symbolized a computer screen. When an actor would go onto a social media platform, videos and ads would pop up on the screens,  allowing the audience to see what the actors were seeing. This added a more immersive experience for the audience and allowed more things to happen on stage. As for props that were used by the cast members, there was not a whole lot to it. This is not bad, in fact, it meant that it was easier to distinguish where the actors were. Both these categories get 10/10.

After watching this performance, it was hard to decide on what rating it would receive. While almost everything was near perfect, there were just a few things that threw it off for me. For example, whenever there was a funny moment it was suddenly followed by a sad scene, leaving my emotions all over the place. But, I would recommend this play to anyone who enjoys musicals because this is one of my favorites. The message associated with this is sweet, reminding everyone that they matter and no one should be forgotten. 9.5/10!