SINGAPORE – Nearly a decade after its Broadway debut in 2016, the musical Dear Evan Hansen is far from fading into theatre history.

Written and composed by award-winning American songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, it follows the story of teenager Evan Hansen, who struggles with social anxiety, insecurity, depression and his relationship with his mother. Then, the tragic death of a schoolmate shocks the community. 

The latest production of Dear Evan Hansen, featuring a British cast, is showing at Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Theatre till Nov 16.

The musical made its debut in Washington, D.C. in 2015 before heading to Broadway, and won seven Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Original Score for Pasek and Paul. The pair also won the Best Musical Theatre Album at the 2018 Grammys.

They tell The Straits Times over Zoom from New York that when they began writing for Dear Evan Hansen in their 20s, they “never imagined the global reach it would eventually have”.

Paul notes that the timing of its popularity over the years – parallel to the explosive growth of social media – lent even greater resonance to its themes of loneliness, mental health and the desperate human yearning for connection. 

Adds Pasek: “With social media becoming a dominating force in young people’s lives, there’s a real sense that they feel more isolated and more alone than they’ve ever felt.”

While the 40-year-old composers say it is hard to pick a favourite number from the musical, they both agree that Waving Through A Window is especially significant to them. 

Pasek explains that the song – a metaphor for watching life from the sidelines, feeling unheard and longing for acceptance –  helped them define the emotional direction for the entire Dear Evan Hansen score. 

“We basically threw out all the songs once we wrote it,” he says, adding that it became their North Star.