Educational Study Guide
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STUDY GUIDE A digital tool kit for integrating theater arts into standards-based curriculum, featuring: • Historical Background • Student Activities • Production Notes • Links to Rich Media • Artists’ Insights • Resource Directory • Suggested Lessons StageNotes Producer’s Edition DEAR EVAN HANSEN A NEW MUSICAL Stacey Mindich Mickey Liddell Hunter Arnold Caiola Productions Double Gemini Productions Fakston Productions Roy Furman Harris Karma Productions On Your Marks Group Darren Bagert Roger & William Berlind Bob Boyett Colin Callender Caitlin Clements Freddy DeMann Dante Di Loreto Bonnie & Kenneth Feld FickStern Productions Eric & Marsi Gardiner Robert Greenblatt Dear Evan Hansen, Jere Harris and Darren DeVerna The John Gore Organization Mike Kriak Arielle Tepper Madover David Mirvish Eva Price Zeilinger Productions Adam Zotovich Ambassador Theatre Group Independent Presenters Network AND The Shubert Organization Today is going to be a great day, and here’s why: EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Wendy Orshan and Jeffrey M. Wilson IN ASSOCIATION WITH Dozens of schools have booked tickets for your show on Broadway! Arena Stage Second Stage Theatre Molly Smith, Edgar Dobie Carole Rothman, Casey Reitz Just imagine how thrilling it will be to welcome thousands of students – their teachers and parents – to the Music Box Theatre! We know that your story will resonate with them, as it is BOOK BY MUSIC AND LYRICS BY so apropos to teenage life today, and hopefully, by sharing your STEVEN LEVENSON BENJ PASEK & JUSTIN PAUL story, you will inspire them to reflect upon and share their own. SCENIC DESIGN BY PROJECTION DESIGN BY COSTUME DESIGN BY LIGHTING DESIGN BY SOUND DESIGN BY DAVID KORINS PETER NIGRINI EMILY REBHOLZ JAPHY WEIDEMAN NEVIN STEINBERG VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS & We want them to make the most of their theater experience, so HAIR DESIGNER MUSIC DIRECTOR MUSIC COORDINATORS ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS BY DAVID BRIAN BEN COHN MICHAEL KELLER JUSTIN PAUL we’ve created this study guide to give them a glimpse into your BROWN MICHAEL AARONS ADVERTISING PRESS REPRESENTATIVE DIGITAL MARKETING MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS world and how it was created, as well as to provide teachers with SERINO COYNE DKC/O&M SITUATION INTERACTIVE ROSE POLIDORO follow-up activities and discussion prompts for the classroom. We CASTING BY PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER COMPANY MANAGER TARA RUBIN CASTING JUNIPER STREET JUDITH SCHOENFELD KATRINA ELLIOTT realize that each classroom is unique, so we hope that teachers will LINDSAY LEVINE, C.S.A. PRODUCTIONS feel free to pick and choose the sections that are most relevant ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS GENERAL MANAGER ADRIENNE CAMPBELL-HOLT JAYNE HONG 101 PRODUCTIONS LTD. and appropriate for their students and curriculum. So as not to RACHEL WEINSTEIN leave out the adults, we’ve also included a page for parents and MUSIC SUPERVISION, ORCHESTRATIONS & ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS BY teachers with links to articles that relate to many of the topics ALEX LACAMOIRE CHOREOGRAPHY BY and themes covered in your show. DANNY MEFFORD DIRECTED BY So, get ready, Evan. The students are coming with their MICHAEL GREIF exuberance and energy, and they eagerly await your story. Originally presented by Arena Stage – July 9, 2015 to August 23, 2015 New York premiere at Second Stage – March 26, 2016 to May 29, 2016 It’s time to step into the sun.... Original Cast Recording Available on Atlantic Records. Sincerely, Me A LETTER THAT WAS NEVER CAST OF CHARACTERS FROM THE NOTEBOOK OF BOOK WRITER STEVEN LEVENSON MEANT TO BE SEEN, A LIE THAT WAS NEVER Evan Hansen (17) Smart, sincere, and cripplingly Cynthia Murphy (40s) Connor and Zoe’s mother. MEANT TO BE TOLD, A self-conscious, Evan prefers to hover in the background, a To Evan, she seems to be the perfect mother, nurturing, available, supporting player in his own life, too afraid to step forward into the and willing to talk about anything. To her own children, it’s a bit LIFE HE NEVER DREAMED spotlight and risk ridicule or, what might be worse, no one noticing more complicated. HE COULD HAVE. EVAN him at all. Larry Murphy (40s) Connor and Zoe’s father. HANSEN IS ABOUT TO Heidi Hansen (40s) Evan’s mother. Overworked Though often tense and taciturn, Larry shows a different face to and stretched too thin, Heidi loves her son fiercely, but fears they the world, representing for Evan the dad he always wished for: GET THE ONE THING have begun to grow apart. She is prepared to do anything to repair strong, confident, and, more than anything, reliable, someone to be the damage. HE’S ALWAYS WANTED: A counted on. Zoe Murphy (16) Sensitive and sophisticated, Zoe CHANCE TO FINALLY FIT IN. Jared Kleinman (17) Droll and sarcastic, couldn’t care less about the status games and popularity rites of Jared claims to be forced by his parents to hang out with family high school. Funny and bright, she feels a terrible ambivalence friend Evan, for whom he ostensibly has nothing but disdain. about her brother’s death, finding it difficult to forgive him for all he Jared covers his own obvious insecurities with a well-practiced did, and forgive the part of herself that finds relief in the fact that braggadocio and a know-it-all arrogance. he’s gone. Alana Beck (17) Alana is an incredibly genuine Both deeply personal Connor Murphy (17) An angry, disaffected person. Everything she does comes from a place of deep loner, Connor has been a troubled kid for as long as anyone can honesty and tremendous feeling. All of the characters in and profoundly remember, an enigma and a source of endless consternation to his this musical put up masks of sorts. For Alana, it’s a façade long-suffering parents and sister. of cheerfulness. She is always ready with a smile, a note of contemporary, Dear encouragement. This hides the loneliness underneath. Evan Hansen is a new American musical about life and the way we live it. MUSICAL NUMBERS Mike Faist as Connor Murphy ACT I ACT II “Anybody Have a Map?” ......Heidi, Cynthia “Sincerely, Me” (Reprise) .....Connor, Jared TABLE OF CONTENTS “Waving Through a Window”. Evan, Company “To Break in a Glove” ........Larry, Evan Introduction ..................................4 Reflect on Social Media .......................19 “For Forever” ................Evan “Only Us” ..................Zoe, Evan Cast of Characters. .5 Compare Music & Lyrics .......................20 Musical Numbers ..............................5 Examine Songs ..............................21 “Sincerely, Me”. Connor, Evan, Jared “Good for You” ............. Heidi, Alana, The Journey to Broadway. .6–7 Discuss Scene Dialogue .......................22 Jared, Evan “Requiem.” ................. Zoe, Larry, Cynthia In Conversation with Steven Levenson. .8 Evan & Connor, Act II .........................23 “You Will Be Found” .........Company Composing with Pasek & Paul. .9–10 Take Action & Be Creative .....................24 “If I Could Tell Her” ...........Evan, Zoe (Reprise) Direction from Michael Greif ...................11 Empower: Inside Post It Forward ................25 On Movement from Danny Mefford ..............11 Write to Inspire ..............................26 “Disappear” ............... Connor, Evan, Alana, “Words Fail”. Evan Jared, Cynthia, Larry, Making Music by Alex Lacamoire ...............12 Understanding Social Anxiety ..................27 Zoe “So Big/So Small”. Heidi Eye for Scenery by David Korins. .13 Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help .................28 Focus on Projection by Peter Nigrini ............14 Help a Friend in Need ......................29–31 “You Will Be Found” .........Evan, Company “Finale”. .Company Costuming Today by Emily Rebholz .............15 Resources for Teachers & Parents ..............32 Spotlight on Ben Platt .........................16 Education Standards for Lessons ...............33 To listen to the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Dear Evan Hansen, visit Spotify. Consider Music ..............................17 Production Resources ........................34 Analyze Choices .............................18 4 5 THE JOURNEY TO BROADWAY bensplatt @BenSPLATT Just me and mom. Dear Evan Hansen Say what you want about it, but in my alacmoire @DearEvanHansen Dear Evan Hansen Will opinion, there’s nothing as exciting and Recording with the mad-talented Shuttle from D.C. to Off- awe-inspiring as a really good piece of new @benSPLATT. A good day Broadway’s Second… musical theatre. indeed Just Started Trending TOP TREND @pasekandpaul Cooking up something new this week bensplatt First day of school at @benjpasek @pasekandpaul @DearEvanHansen! Today was one of those creatively Excited to announce that I’m a little excited to fulfilling days that can come once in a @BenSPLATT will play be at @2stnyc as you decade. Inspired & buzzing from being title role in our new show can see. around such wonderful people @DearEvanHansen premiering at @ @washingtonian arenastage!!! The Notorious RBG showed up at the premiere of @arenastage’s @DearEvanHansen. SEPTEMBER 2014 DEVELOPMENTAL READING NOVEMBER 2014, DEMO RECORDING MARCH 2015 2015, INJULY REHEARSAL AUGUST 2015 AUGUST 2015 MARCH 2016 MAY 2014, DEVELOPMENTAL READINGMAY 2014, DEVELOPMENTALJULY READING @BenSPLATT annakendrick47 @DavidKorins Well @DearEvanHansen is going to @pasekandpaul Congratulations to this man These 2 superstars checking in BROADWAY so if you need me I’ll be in the New songs are brewing at on the Opening Night of (bright & early) on load in of @ corner crying and peeing uncontrollably. #dearevanhansen rehearsals #DearEvanHansen. Just when