Waving Through a Window: “Dear Evan Hansen”’s Message to Society

By ADDISON PARENTI Staff Writer

It was Dec. 2019 when I went to see acclaimed Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen” for the first time. The show, which is based on a book by Steven Levenson, follows high schooler Evan Hansen as he navigates the fallout of his lie regarding a classmate, Connor, who has committed suicide. As I prepared for the show, I knew it was “going to be a great day, and here’s why:” I was enchanted by the intriguing sound of the music.

Little did I know, there was a deeper meaning to the songs, to each lyric and melody. In hindsight, my 11-year-old mind didn’t have the ability and capacity to grasp the larger message behind “Dear Evan Hansen.”

It was only when I saw how the songs connected to the story that I realized that the writers had hidden messages in the songs. When listening to “Good For You” before seeing the show, for example, I never paid attention to the greater

by RACHEL ARONSON

Pinewood

MICHAEL SHTROM Copy Editor