Different stages, new beginnings

Ben Platt leaves hit musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’

photo+by+Theo+Walden+and+Getty+Images

photo by Theo Walden and Getty Images

Story by Amanda Garmon, staff writer

Tears, laughter, applause.

If you are really interested in the realm of musical theater, there’s no doubt that you’ve probably at least heard of the notable hit Broadway show, “Dear Evan Hansen,” written by Oscar-winning Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who also wrote of the iconic movie “La La Land.”

“Dear Evan Hansen” brings necessary attention to the struggles of being a teenager in our modern social-media-obsessed world and has impacted its audiences by allowing them to see anxiety, depression and suicide through a different eye. The musical was nominated for nine Tony awards and won six of them including best musical.

The show stars Ben Platt as the high school senior Evan Hansen with a broken arm. Evan suffers from social anxiety and feeling isolated from everyone else; he feels no one cares that he exists or notices him. His mother, feeling disconnected from her son, desperately encourages him to try to talk to people and make friends, which poses a big challenge for Evan. She also suggests that he follow his therapist’s orders and write positive letters to himself to help his disorder.

In the beginning of the musical, Evan heads off to school on his first day of grade 12. Soon after, things go downhill, as he encounters chaotic adversity and consequences for creating lies after a classmate’s death.

He makes a mess out of the lies, causing conflict with many people. Later, he comes clean and tells the truth about his classmate, confesses to his mother how he really broke his arm and is able to eventually move on from all of these events positively.

“Dear Evan Hansen” brought Ben Platt to the world of fame very soon after it hit the stage. Platt’s popularity soared and he became even more of a heartthrob to the rest of the world.

After playing his role in this show for almost a year, the actor has recently announced he is leaving the show this November due to vocal rest. All people who are relatively fanatic about the musical are pretty devastated but are anticipating other projects he may participate in.

Platt will be replaced by Noah Galvin and Taylor Trensch. Audiences find it hard to imagine anyone other than Platt playing the role of Evan Hansen, but they are excited to witness the different, new version of his character. Through whatever may happen, the musical will surely continue to take audiences’ breaths away because of its memorable charm and charisma.