Dear Evan Hansen

  Dear Evan Hansen,

     Today was an amazing day, and here’s why. Because I just got back from the Music Box Theatre
in New York City, New York. I just got back from seeing one of my most favorite Broadway shows
of all time, Dear Evan Hansen. I just got back from stagedooring after the show, and getting cast
members’ signatures, and the chance to interact with them.

    It was Wednesday at about noon. We turned the corner and there, in front of us,
was the Music Box Theatre. Home to many amazing and notable shows, but for the past year,
it had hosted Dear Evan Hansen. Just seeing the outside of the theater wowed me. With its giant
posters announcing Ben Platt, Rachel Bay Jones and many other stars, being outside of this
legendary place was incredible.

  But even better: I was going to go inside and watch them perform.

   My mom and I waited in the line for the matinee. Seeing it at this time meant that we wouldn’t
get to watch some of the more popular cast members, but it was more affordable. Once we got inside
we waited for about half an hour to be seated. During this time, we made small talk with the
merchandising stand operator, who, once opened, I bought my (now favorite) Dear Evan Hansen
shirt from.

   Once we were allowed inside, we sat down in the second to last row, all the way on the end of the
isle. Normally these wouldn’t be very good seats, but the theater was so small that any seat was a
good one. We waited for half an hour more, and spoke to the usher. He talked to us about that morning’s
rehearsal, how good the understudies were, and other things of that nature. A little bit before the show’s
start, I spotted a pile of at least fifty playbills sitting behind me. My mom asked if we could take an
extra or two, and he was fine with it! So I grabbed two more.

    Soon after that the lights dimmed, and the first actor walked out onto the stage: Michael Lee Brown,
the understudy of Ben Platt, who was playing the title role of Evan Hansen. Then the character’s
mother, Heidi Hansen, played by Tony winner Rachel Bay Jones, walked out, and was met with wild
applause.

   As the show went on we were introduced to the small and intimate cast; besides from the two
already listed, that included Michael Park, Nick Sacks, Laura Dreyfuss, Colton Ryan, Kristolyn Lloyd,
and Jennifer Laura Thompson.

  Those two and a half hours were some of the best of my life. I got to hear songs that I have
memorized, ones I’ve acted out for months, live and in person. I got to see how the actors connected,
how they showed their emotions. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, but, most importantly, it made me reflect.

    After the show and the rounds of applause, I rushed out onto the street, Playbill and sharpie in hand.
I ran over to the railings around the stagedoor to wait for the talented people I had just watched on
stage to emerge. Stagedooring is a popular tradition with theatre goers. You go out to a stage door
after the show is over and wait for the actors to come out, so you can get objects (such as Playbills)
signed. After waiting there for about an hour, a few cast members came out. I got four of their
signatures and had conversations with all of them. Not only were they amazing on stage, but they were
also very kind off.

All in all, I had an amazing time seeing my first Broadway musical, and hopefully will go
back soon to see another!