Dear Evan Hansen

by Steven Levenson

  “ Thrillingly modern and moving. Dear Evan Hansen takes on challenging subjects—death, grief, class, mental illness, social media, social anxiety—with unapologetic trust in the power of contemporary pop music to tell complex stories onstage. It must be seen to be believed.”

  —ADAM FELDMAN, TIME OUT NEW YORK

  “Extraordinary. A fresh, intricately plotted book by Steven Levenson, and a banquet of ballads of anguish and confusion, which somehow avoid sentimental exploitation, by Pasek and Paul. It is the heart of a superbly crafted and performed show that is unafraid of complexity and ambiguity. Dear Evan Hansen is the first great American musical about social media—a democratizer, comforter, amoral facilitator of witch hunts and general pox Americana that has upended everything from family mealtime to who gets to occupy the Oval Office. It is a show that seems to understand in a way that others do not, have not, might not soon again.”

  —CHRIS JONES, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

  “Dear Evan Hansen is a heart-scorching musical. It is cathartic and real and very funny. This musical reaches a generation that can seem jaded or desensitized, having come of age with access to the entire world’s pain and tribulations in the palm of their hand.”

  —SUSANNA SCHROBSDORFF, TIME MAGAZINE

  “A dazzlingly reminder of the power of live theater.”

  —JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ, DAILY NEWS

  “A modern masterwork. Dear Evan Hansen is absorbing, wrenching, heartbreaking, and at the same time exhilarating. This is a show that captures your attention immediately, enchants you with its characters and songs, pulls you through emotional turbulence, and leaves you cheering and wanting to go back for more.”

  —STEVEN SUSKIN, HUFFINGTON POST

  “Watching Dear Evan Hansen is like falling down a rabbit hole that leads back to high school. Steven Levenson’s book for this bittersweet musical captures both the humor and the pathos of a hopeless misfit who achieves popularity through no fault of his own. And the introspective, gentle score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul becomes the language of Evan’s troubled thoughts and unspoken yearnings. The lyrics and score seamlessly merge with the dialogue of Levenson’s book. In song after song, the lyrics go beyond the spoken thought and reach for the unspoken feelings hiding behind the words without a hint of sentimentality.”

  —MARILYN STASIO, VARIETY

  “Stunning and original and profound. Songwriters Pasek and Paul have written one of Broadway’s most exciting and catchy new scores. Each tune sounds fresh and authentic to its character. Steven Levenson has done wonders crafting a story filled with characters and dialogue that expertly avoid the cliché. Levenson finds surprises along the way while never failing to explore his characters’ often-conflicting emotions. Bravo!”

  —DAVE QUINN, NBC4

  “The cacophonous echo chamber of social media, with all its attendant rewards and perils of instant recognition or scathing judgment, is given forceful shape in the original Dear Evan Hansen, a musical of piercing intimacy. It is a smart, soulful depiction of teen solitude graced by both gentle humor and raw feeling. The score beautifully captures the peaks and valleys of adolescence, in the thoughtful lyrics and in the music, and Steven Levenson matches the musical components beat for beat in his terrific book.”

  —DAVID ROONEY, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

  “Dear Evan Hansen is an important (and seriously delightful) addition to the twenty-first-century musical. It is superb—original, sensitive, provocative, endearing. Everyone is a fully developed person in Steven Levenson’s smart book, and the clever, sympathetic songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have a singer/songwriter pop intimacy that challenges expansive vocal ranges without seeming to show off.”

  —LINDA WINER, NEWSDAY

  “That rare show that connects and enlightens all of us. Pasek and Paul’s score, so seamlessly woven into the story line, captures character nuances with the emotional eloquence of our finest dramatic plays, inducing tears and laughter in equal measure.”

  —ROMA TORRE, NY1

  “Devastatingly powerful. The musical boasts a darkly textured and deeply nuanced book by Steven Levenson and provocative songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul that are drenched in feeling and fearless commitment. It never sentimentalizes its subject, but feels constantly truthful.”

  —MARK SHENTON, STAGE (LONDON)

  “Leaving a new musical with a great song or two running through your head is a rare but exciting thing. Leaving with about ten great songs running through your head is pretty much unheard of. But that’s the power of Dear Evan Hansen. It’s not simply that the songs are tuneful. It’s that they have a way of instantly piercing your heart and burrowing into your consciousness, while also illuminating character and propelling the plot (no small achievement!). Credit librettist Steven Levenson for creating such a believable young character in Evan, from the anxiety meds to the self-deprecating dialogue. And don’t be surprised if, to one degree or another, you see yourself in Evan. “On the outside always lookin’ in / Will I ever be more than I’ve always been?” he sings in the show-stopping “Waving Through a Window.” It’s Evan’s confessional, but it might as well be an anthem for outcasts, loners, and misfits everywhere.”

  —MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

  Dear Evan Hansen: Book is copyright © 2017 by Steven Levenson;

  Music and Lyrics are copyright © 2017 by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

  The Foreword is copyright © 2017 by James Lapine

  Dear Evan Hansen is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc.,

  520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156

  All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights, including but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the author’s representative: John Buzzetti, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, 11 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10010, 212-586-5100.

  The publication of Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, through TCG’s Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

  TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution.

  ISBN 978-1-55936-880-3 (ebook)

  A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

  Book design and composition by Lisa Govan

  Watercolor by Emily Rebholz

  First Edition, April 2017

  To Whitney and Astrid.

  —STEVEN

  To Mary, Annie, Maceo, and the Llanerch Diner.

  —BENJ

  To Asher, Emerson, Mom, Dad, and Tyler.

  For always believing.

  —JUSTIN

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Foreword

  By James Lapine

  DEAR EVAN HANSEN

  Production History

  Characters/Set/Note

  So
ngs

  Act One

  One

  Anybody Have a Map?

  Waving Through a Window

  Two

  Waving Through a Window (Reprise)

  Three

  Waving Through a Window (Reprise #2)

  Four

  Five

  Six

  For Forever

  Seven

  Eight

  Sincerely, Me

  Nine

  Requiem

  Ten

  Eleven

  If I Could Tell Her

  Twelve

  Disappear

  You Will Be Found

  Act Two

  One

  Two

  Sincerely, Me (Reprise)

  Three

  To Break in a Glove

  Four

  Only Us

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Good for You

  Eight

  For Forever (Reprise)

  You Will Be Found (Reprise)

  Nine

  Words Fail

  So Big/So Small

  Finale

  About the Authors

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  So many people have contributed to the development of Dear Evan Hansen, but we owe a special debt of gratitude to David Berlin, John Buzzetti, Adrienne Campbell-Holt, John Dossett, Clive Goodwin, David Korins, Alex Lacamoire, LP3, Joe Machota, Michael McGoff, Danny Mefford, Alexis Molnar, Peter Nigrini, Wendy Orshan, Emily Rebholz, Judy Schoenfeld, Nevin Steinberg, Jack Viertel, Japhy Weideman, and Jeffrey M. Wilson, as well as Arena Stage, Second Stage Theatre, and the Shubert Organization. We will be forever grateful to the tremendous ensemble of actors that make up the company of Dear Evan Hansen—Laura Dreyfuss, Mike Faist, Rachel Bay Jones, Kristolyn Lloyd, Michael Park, Ben Platt, Will Roland, and Jennifer Laura Thompson—all of whom have devoted every ounce of themselves to bringing these characters and this world to life, always with courage, humor, and a boundless generosity of spirit. Special thanks to Michael Greif, whose artistry and intellect are only matched by the capaciousness of his vision and the extraordinary depths of his empathy. Finally, none of this would have been possible without the unwavering devotion of Stacey Mindich, who believed in this musical even when we didn’t, and who urged us, always, to keep going.

  FOREWORD

  By James Lapine

  How a musical is made is a bit of a mystery, even to those of us who write them.

  At the end of the day, creating a musical is a marriage of writers who come together to speak with one voice, to marry words to music. In a successful musical there is a seamless flow where characters sing effortlessly and the story carries you along in such a way that you often don’t make the distinction between dialogue and song. To have any hope of succeeding, the collaborators first have to choose a story with characters that by their very nature have to express themselves in song.

  The young creators of the extraordinary Dear Evan Hansen—book writer Steven Levenson and composer/lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul—have not only met this challenge but have done so from an original idea with important overtones. For those of you who have seen the show, or maybe are only familiar with it from the cast recording, to now read Dear Evan Hansen is a wonderful guide to how a musical is constructed and an opportunity to discover how dialogue and lyrics live and breathe independent of music. And for those of you who know nothing about this piece, this book in and of itself will still be a very satisfying read.

  The eloquence and economy of the opening stage direction gives us a hint of this show’s originality. It does not begin with the traditional “opening number” but rather a monologue in the form of a letter. What follows is a masterful structure—both in storytelling and dramatic momentum, and in the dance between song and dialogue—that brings us a story that manages to be both funny and deeply moving. Reading Dear Evan Hansen without the support of music—that ineffable force that speaks more to our heart than our head—one can still marvel at the musicality of the dialogue and lyrics which stand impressively on their own terms.

  We laugh when Jared says: “Literally, nothing I tell my parents is true and they have no idea.” Those of us of a certain age come to learn that our parents knew more about our youthful lies than they ever let on; and as we matured we began to discover and sometimes painfully face our parents’ lies as well. The search for “truth” and “self” lies at the center of Dear Evan Hansen. The story of Connor’s death is the common denominator that brings these seven characters together with Evan at the center. “Everybody needed [this story] for something.” A central lie sends these characters on their journey together.

  Dear Evan Hansen is set in our current world of “fake news,” “alternative facts,” and faceless and unaccountable internet/Twitter chatter. With laser focus and simplicity, the authors bring clarity to the basic human impulse to be heard and seen, to be understood, and, ultimately, to love and be loved. The layers of this inspired show will subtly unveil themselves when you read this work:

  “You will be found . . .”

  “What if ev’ryone knew? / Would they like what they saw?”

  “You think you’re going to turn around all of a sudden and start telling everyone the truth? You can’t even tell yourself the truth.”

  Dear Evan Hansen lodges in your head long after you’ve seen it or heard it or read it. It feels like a pure expression from young writers at a crossroad of coming to terms with who they are and what they want to say about the world. Its honesty and truths haunt and ultimately open us up to ask the same question, no matter what our age or crossroad: What are the lies we tell ourselves?

  New York City

  March 21, 2017

  JAMES LAPINE is a playwright, librettist, screenwriter, stage director, and filmmaker. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, with Stephen Sondheim, for Sunday in the Park with George, and received the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Into the Woods, Falsettos, and Passion.

  PRODUCTION HISTORY

  Dear Evan Hansen had its world premiere at Arena Stage (Molly Smith, Artistic Director; Edgar Dobie, Executive Director) in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2015. It was directed by Michael Greif. The scenic design was by David Korins, the costume design was by Emily Rebholz, the lighting design was by Japhy Weideman, the sound design was by Clive Goodwin, the projection design was by Peter Nigrini; the music director was Ben Cohn, the music supervisor and orchestrator was Alex Lacamoire, the choreographer was Danny Mefford, and the production stage manager was Judith Schoenfeld. The cast was:

  EVAN HANSEN

  Ben Platt

  HEIDI HANSEN

  Rachel Bay Jones

  ZOE MURPHY

  Laura Dreyfuss

  CONNOR MURPHY

  Mike Faist

  CYNTHIA MURPHY

  Jennifer Laura Thompson

  LARRY MURPHY

  Michael Park

  JARED KLEINMAN

  Will Roland

  ALANA BECK

  Alexis Molnar

  Dear Evan Hansen had its New York premiere at Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) on May 1, 2016. The cast and creative team remained the same as the Arena Stage production, except the sound design was by Nevin Steinberg, and:

  LARRY MURPHY

  John Dossett

  ALANA BECK

  Kristolyn Lloyd

  Dear Evan Hansen opened on Broadway at The Music Box Theatre on December 4, 2016. The producers were Stacey Mindich, Mickey Liddell, Hunter Arnold, Caiola Productions, Double Gemini Productions, Fakston Productions, Roy Furman, Harris Karma Productions, On Your Marks Group, Darren Bagert, Roger & William Berlind, Bob Boyett, Colin Callender, Caitlin Clements, Freddy DeMann, Dante Di Loreto, Bonnie & Kenneth Feld, FickStern Productions, Eric & Marsi Gardiner, Robert Greenblatt, Jere Harris and Darren DeVerna, The Jorn Gore Organization, Mike Kriak, Arielle Tepper Madover, David Mirvish, Eva Price, Zei
linger Productions, Adam Zotovich, Ambassador Theatre Group, Independent Presenters Network, and the Shubert Organization. The executive producers were Wendy Orshan and Jeffrey M. Wilson. The cast and creative team remained the same as the Second Stage Theatre production, except wigs and hair were designed by David Brian Brown, and:

  LARRY MURPHY

  Michael Park

  CHARACTERS

  EVAN HANSEN, seventeen

  HEIDI HANSEN, Evan’s mother, forties

  ZOE MURPHY, sixteen

  CONNOR MURPHY, Zoe’s brother, seventeen

  CYNTHIA MURPHY, Connor and Zoe’s mother, forties

  LARRY MURPHY, Connor and Zoe’s father, forties

  JARED KLEINMAN, seventeen

  ALANA BECK, seventeen

  SET

  A blank, empty space, filled with screens.

  NOTE

  A forward slash “ / ” indicates a point of overlapping dialogue.

  SONGS

  Act One

  Anybody Have a Map?

  Heidi, Cynthia

  Waving Through a Window

  Evan, Company

  For Forever

  Evan

  Sincerely, Me

  Connor, Evan, Jared

  Requiem

  Zoe, Cynthia, Larry

  If I Could Tell Her

  Evan, Zoe

  Disappear

  Connor, Evan, Alana, Jared, Cynthia, Larry, Zoe

  You Will Be Found

  Evan, Virtual Community, Company

  Act Two

  Sincerely, Me (Reprise)

  Connor, Jared

  To Break in a Glove

  Larry, Evan