The musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ which touched hearts with its deep empathy and comfort, is officially returning for its second season this August!
Having earned both commercial success and critical acclaim, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ (Hosted by Clip Service, Produced by S&Co / Producers Seol Do-kwon and Shin Dong-won) is set to raise the curtain once again in August.
After the massive response from audiences and critics during its 2024 Korean premiere, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ returns to the stage with an even more expanded production and a deeper interpretation.
Starting from the inner struggles of modern individuals, the story expands to explore family, relationships, and society, delicately capturing the emotions we all feel today. Through characters with different wounds who find connection and comfort in one another, the musical leaves a lasting impression with the message that we are never truly alone.
‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is hailed as a work that changed the landscape of modern musicals following its explosive Broadway premiere. It swept major awards globally, winning six Tony Awards at the 71st ceremony, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book, and Best Actor in a Leading Role. It also took home the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. With 48 nominations across 15 award ceremonies and 26 wins, its quality and influence are undeniable.
The 2024 Korean production was created as a non-replica version. The story follows Evan Hansen, a high school student struggling with social anxiety, whose life takes a turn after a lie starts a chain of events. While staying true to the original’s focus on social issues like youth mental health, the influence of social media, and the lack of communication within families, the Korean creative team focused on implementing a more multi-dimensional range of emotions and sentiments.
Director Park So-young vividly portrayed isolation and the cracks in relationships, convincingly reconstructing the themes of “family” and “growth” to capture modern loneliness and human connections through sophisticated direction. The production was praised for its successful localization, featuring dialogue that resonated with Korean sensibilities and a stage that visually maximized the experience of communicating via social media (SNS) and virtual spaces. It was noted for completing a contemporary stage language that reflects the reality of being digitally connected while lacking genuine offline communication.
Completed with S&Co’s distinctive staging, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ earned rave reviews from audiences, calling it “a story essential for modern society” and “a time to reflect on oneself and heal wounds.” It also won the Best Musical (400+ seats) and Producer awards at the 9th Korea Musical Awards.
Reflecting on the first production, Producer Shin Dong-won shared, “It was a happy time where I cried and laughed the most.” He added, “I believe many people deeply empathized with the message of the work, and that empathy led to these meaningful results.”
Looking forward to the August return, he promised, “We will not lose sight of the essence of ’empathy’ and will prepare thoroughly to provide sincere comfort and a sense of connection, reminding audiences that they are not alone and that ‘we are together,'” signaling a return with an even deeper production.
Expected to bring deep empathy and comfort once again, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ opens on August 1st at the Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater. The cast announcement and first ticket opening are scheduled for this month.
