I'm watching the Michelle Carter doc on HBO. She's the girl who convinced the boy via text to end his life and was convicted. In seeing and hearing her back story, much of if plays like Dear Evan Hansen. It has influenced how I feel about the show and makes me more uncomfortable with it. With DEH flopping in Toronto, I wonder if more people are feeling an ick factor about the show that the original leads help conceal.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
Given that the show seems to be doing extremely well on the US tour ( and in NY, obviously) I think your theory is completely implausible. What you describe as the “ick factor “ is more, I think, a book which clearly centers around an intended moral ambiguity. It’s nothing new. Toronto is likely a one off.
CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.
This is why I think Dear Evan Hansen does more harm than good as a show. Because threads like this will exist. It's insane to me that these two stories could ever slightly correlate, but you could definitely twist it so they do.
DEH centers around a boy whose failed suicide attempt leads to him profiting on the successful suicide of his school bully. The popularity he gains through this leads to a lessening of his "anxiety" (unsure what to call it, as it's never classified to the audience, even though the character is on medication). There are definite parallels, but not extreme ones.
A big difference though is Evan suffers no consequences for his actions, but does gain a great new sense of style.
joined:3/31/06
joined:
3/31/06
Posted: 7/10/19 at 12:44pm