Evan Hansen

Evan Hansen is the titular character and main protagonist of the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. A bullied 17-year-old high schooler with social anxiety and depression, who lives with his single mother Heidi Hansen after she divorced from his father Mark Hansen ten years before, he attempts to find the acceptance and love he has been lacking in his life. On his journey to be found, he discovers the consequences of risking it all for the chance to be heard. The character of Evan was originated on stage by Ben Platt, who won the Tony Award for Best Actor for his performance and reprised it in the 2021 film adaptation of the musical. In the show, he appears in a total of 11 musical numbers. The character's signature song is "Waving Through a Window," which is sung early in the musical's first act as his "I Want" song and has become an anthem for those hoping to make a connection while in a state of isolation and depression. Character overview Inspiration The musical, as well as the character, are said to have been inspired by an incident that happened during Benj Pasek's high school years. Stacey Mindich, who produced the Broadway, national tour and West End productions, explained "A student in [Pasek's] class died tragically of a drug overdose. It was someone who had been sort of a loner, didn't have a lot of friends or status at school, but suddenly in the wake the death, Benj watched as everyone wanted to claim that they had been friends with him and claim that they had been a part of this person's life..." Author Steven Levenson, during a panel event at the 2019 New York Comic Con, added "It was someone who had been sort of a loner, didn't have a lot of friends or status at school, but suddenly in the wake [of] the death, Benj watched as everyone wanted to claim that they had been friends with him and claim that they had been a part of this person's life."