Defending Evan Hansen (Don't miss today's Weekly Blast!)Titular troubled teen deserves a better break
Shalom!This week, The Broadway Maven looks at The Rocky Horror Show and Dear Evan Hansen. And we hold our second-ever Sondheim boot camp!• On Sunday, January 29 at Noon ET and Monday, January 30 at Noon and 7 pm ET we’ll have a FREE class exploring the camp horror stage and screen classic The Rocky Horror Show. Register here.• On Sunday, January 29 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm we’ll have a three-hour Intermediate Sondheim boot camp. $12. Register here.• On Tuesday, January 31 at Noon ET we’ll have a FREE class about the Broadway smash hit Dear Evan Hansen. Register here.• This Weekly Blast includes:A) an ESSAY defending the character of Evan Hansen (included here FREE in this preview edition);B) a SURVEY about familiarity with Rocky Horror;C) a YouTube GEM with a very popular YouTuber commenting on Dear Evan Hansen;D) a REVIEW of a lively site with discussion boards about Broadway; andE) a LAST BLAST (FREE as always) about La Cage Aux Folles and The Addams Family.Since Dear Evan Hansen debuted on Broadway in 2016, the titular character has been widely condemned online as a schemer and a manipulator, a liar and an abuser. While Evan has all those qualities, focusing on his personality flaws misses much of the point of the show. Evan’s mental illness (never quite defined, but certainly he has social anxiety disorder at the very least) as a serious impediment to his ability to think clearly, and he thus deserves some sympathy for his ever-deepening web of lies. More importantly, though, the show’s theme is not “Don’t be like Evan.” To me (and this is underscored by the show’s social-media-obsessed set), Dear Evan Hansen is about the ways the modern media environment can take small things and explode them, and the difficulty of extricating oneself from the persona the Internet has given you. And let’s be fair: Evan is a dynamic character. Some viewers don’t find the ending satisfying, but clearly he has learned from his ordeal. That’s good enough for me.
The 1975 Broadway musical that spawned a film adaptation, all from the mind of Richard O'Brien, The Rocky Horror Show, has transformed into a cult classic in modern society. How did it get this way? Join the Broadway Maven as we analyze the music and discourse surrounding the show and discuss: - How the story was developed - Whether the material is suited for all ages - Why the music is more simple than other shows - Why it became a cult classic
Dear Evan Hansen is the hit 2017 musical from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul about mental health, the role of family in development, and forgiveness. When the suicide of high schooler Connor Murphy shocks the community, Evan Hansen is mistakenly held as the last true glimpse of what Connor may have been like. This musical has received high praise for its signature tune, "Waving Through a Window" as well as catchy melodies in "Sincerely, Me" and deep, complex emotions as in "Requiem." It won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Musical. YouTuber MickeyJoTheatre will be joining the class to share his expertise about the show.
The Intermediate Boot Camp will explore less-well-known Sondheim shows like Assassins, Pacific Overtures, and Passion; analyze some of Sondheim’s best lyrics, and introduce students to Sondheim’s three axioms of creating musical theater.
For your Rocky Horror homework, watch the video below about bolder high school shows. Are there any shows schools will never put on? Explain your answers in the comments. For your Dear Evan Hansen homework, watch the video below and explain in the comments how the music makes you feel and why. For your Intermediate Sondheim Boot Camp homework, watch the video below with 100 of Sondheim’s best lyrics. Which are your favorites? Explain your answers in the comments.
Note: links to register for ALL classes are ALWAYS available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.• Sunday, January 29 The Rocky Horror Show (Noon ET, FREE) • Sunday, January 29 Intermediate Sondheim Boot Camp (1:30 pm to 4:30 pm ET, $12) • Monday, January 30 The Rocky Horror Show (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE) • Tuesday, January 31 Dear Evan Hansen (Noon ET, FREE) • Sunday, February 5 Oklahoma! (Noon ET, FREE) • Monday, February 6 Oklahoma! (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE) • Sunday, February 12 Carousel (Noon ET, FREE) • Monday, February 13 Carousel (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE) • Sunday, February 19 South Pacific (Noon ET, FREE) • Monday, February 20 South Pacific (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE) • Sunday, February 26 The Sound of Music (Noon ET, FREE) • Monday, February 27 The Sound of Music (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE) Note: Students may attend up to 12 FREE classes a year. After that it’s $5 a class.Reminder: ALL-ACCESS Passholders do not need to sign up or pay for anything. Just show up!
LAST BLAST: La Cage Aux Folles and The Addams Family both revolve around the same basic plot device: an unusual family must pretend to be normal to accommodate the dating preferences of one child. In La Cage, the family involves two men co-parenting Jean-Michel, who wants his drag queen parent to recede into the background when his conservative future in-laws come to dinner. Instead, the flamboyant Albin pretends to be the mother, and hilarity — and life lessons — ensue. In Addams Family, Wednesday’s boyfriend is coming over with his parents, and the titular death-oriented family must pretend to be normal. Hilarity ensues — although to be fair, not as much hilarity as in La Cage. The Broadway Maven, David Benkof, helps students further their appreciation of musical theater through his classes, his YouTube Channel, and his Weekly Blast. Contact him at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.
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