Music Theatre International has added the Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen to its licensing catalog, continuing a relationship between the theatrical licensor and Evan Hansen songwriters Justin Paul and Benj Pasek that began with the acquisition of the pair's song cycle Edges, written while the duo were still students at the University of Michigan. MTI is also the licensing home for their Dogfight and James and the Giant Peach.
With Broadway, West End, and touring productions of the musical still active, Dear Evan Hansen is not currently available for licensing, but interested theatres can visit MTIShows.com to sign-up for notifications on changes to this situation.
Featuring a book by Tony winner Steven Levenson (Fosse/Verdon, tick, tick...BOOM! on Netflix), Dear Evan Hansen centers on its title character, a teenager who feels invisible until a tragic event shocks his community and thrusts him into the center of a rapidly evolving controversy. The musical opened on Broadway in 2016 following a pre-Broadway tryout at Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage in 2015 and an Off-Broadway production at Second Stage the following year. The work won six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Orchestrations for Alex Lacamoire, Best Original Score for Pasek and Paul, Best Book of a Musical for Levenson, and Best Musical. The work has since toured the U.S., played London's West End, and made the jump to the big screen with a 2019 film adaptation.
"After living our lives virtually for so long throughout this pandemic, the themes of connectivity and community woven throughout Dear Evan Hansen seem to resonate now more than ever," says producer Stacey Mindich. "We are excited to continue to spread the message even more globally, and invite new audiences to experience the journey of this timeless story."
For more information, visit MTIShows.com.
