Character guide
Evan Hansen
from Dear Evan Hansen
Evan Hansen is the anxious, isolated teenager at the center of Dear Evan Hansen, the 2016 musical about grief, connection, and the lies we tell to feel less alone.
- Show
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Broadway premiere
- 2016
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Pasek & Paul
Evan Hansen on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 2021 film
Ben Platt originated Evan Hansen on Broadway in 2016, won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and reprised the role in Stephen Chbosky's 2021 film. Some of the film's criticism was aimed at his age: Platt was 27 playing a 17-year-old.
The film changes Evan's arc. It cut nine stage numbers, including Anybody Have a Map?, To Break in a Glove, Good for You, and Disappear, and adds an ending in which Evan posts a confession video and reconnects with Connor's real friends. It also addresses Evan's fall from a tree as a suicide attempt.
Who is Evan Hansen?
Evan is a socially anxious high schooler who struggles to connect with his peers and his own family. After a tragedy involving a classmate, a small, unplanned lie about their friendship spirals into something much bigger, pulling Evan into a web of grief, guilt, and unexpected belonging that he never intended to create.
The character resonates because his flaws come from a very relatable place: the desperate wish to matter to someone. Watching Evan get swept up in a situation that spins beyond his control, and having to reckon with the consequences, gives the show its emotional core.
Playing Evan Hansen on stage
As the title role, Evan Hansen is a lead part that requires a tenor with an expressive, contemporary pop-rock sound and the ability to convey nervous, halting speech patterns alongside soaring emotional numbers. The role is a demanding one physically and emotionally, since Evan is rarely off stage and carries much of the show's tension internally.
Actors taking on the part have to walk a careful line, making Evan sympathetic even as his choices grow more complicated, which is part of what has made the role such a talked-about showcase for young performers since the musical's debut.
Evan Hansen: frequently asked questions
What show is Evan Hansen from?
Evan Hansen is the title character of Dear Evan Hansen, which opened in 2016.
Is Evan Hansen a lead or supporting role?
Evan Hansen is a lead role and appears in nearly every scene of the musical.
Who wrote the music for Dear Evan Hansen?
Dear Evan Hansen features music and lyrics by the songwriting team Pasek and Paul.
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