There are plays that you go to watch for fun and there are the plays you go to think about life, one of my 14-year old sons tell me on the way home from Dear Evan Hansen.
So was the play ok?
Yes. It was good. Just Evan was really cringe.
Cringe?
Like he tried too hard to be someone he wasn’t.
(Like maybe so many of us did in the 90’s growing up.)
My 14 (on their way too quickly becoming 15) year old twins are currently watching the 2nd season of Ted Lasso and it’s about some really dark and lonely feelings. Dear Evan Hansen seemed like it would address these same feelings but felt like it would land closer to their age. I bought the book and did some pre-reading before we went to the musical together-I had a media invite and this time they were invited too. Dear Evan Hansen the book is about high school from a teenager’s point of view and yes there is sex, suicide, swear words and all the usual angst. I think the musical is recommended for 12+.
How are Ted Lasso and Evan Hansen similar I ask? (To the chagrin of my teens I’ve been a Language Arts teacher at one point on my timeline.)
Tonight they humor me: We all just want to ultimately belong?
We want to belong so badly that some of us feel we need to stretch our truths or feel inadequate when we are shunned or ostracized. The guys and I go on to talk about the pandemic and how isolated that made everyone feel. How I thought it was cool that we are seeing more male characters in plays and media show emotions like crying where I don’t remember seeing that much growing up. We talk about suicide and feeling bad and how we’ll always be there for each other. We talk about how powerful truth is. We circle back.
So is cringe bad?
No, just hard to watch.
Maybe just a little too close to the truths we all have inside.
And yes, this musical might feel a little long for some of us who are used to Netflix 20 minute shows with breaks. But the set is really unique, the characters are well-played and the music is good.
The last scene felt like it ended Dear Evan Hansen perfectly.
(after reading the book I was surprised that I think enjoyed the musical so much better.)
I think this one will live in our heads for a bit.
And I’m really thankful my teens were able to join me on this press watch.
(PS. Dear Evan Hansen is only in Seattle for a short-run it and will be here until March 12th when it heads to Spokane and beyond for it’s final tour)
(PPS another show with a short run in Seattle that my guys enjoyed was Cirque Du Soleil. This one we attended while we were still in that should-we-really-be-doing-this part of the pandemic so we’ll have to go again next time it comes to town)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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