Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) announced the acquisition of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, which currently has productions in London’s West End, on Broadway, and touring North America.
Dear Evan Hansen features a book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson (Fosse/Verdon), a score by Grammy®, Tony® and Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman), and direction by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal).
The musical joins the MTI catalogue which features additional shows by Pasek and Paul including Edges and Dogfight.
Drew Cohen, President and CEO of MTI worldwide, remarked, “We are incredibly proud to represent Dear Evan Hansen, a show whose development process I had the privilege of witnessing first-hand. The compelling and relatable story complemented by an outstanding score has won the hearts of audiences and enthusiastic fans of all ages around the world. Audience members and performers alike empathise with the well-drawn characters, their relationships, and the issues they face. MTI customers from theatrical organisations everywhere have been eagerly asking about the availabilty of this Tony and Olivier award-winning Best Musical for years, and we are delighted that Dear Evan Hansen is now officially joining MTI’s family of shows.”
“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,” producer Stacey Mindich said. “We are excited to continue to spread the message even more globally, and invite new audiences to experience the journey of this timeless story.”
Declared “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history” by the Washington Post’s Peter Marks, Dear Evan Hansen opened at the Music Box Theatre in New York City to rave reviews on 4th December 2016, where it has broken all box office records and struck a chord with critics and audiences alike. It went on to win six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the Drama League Award for Outstanding Musical Production, two Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards. The London production, currently playing at the Noël Coward Theatre, opened in November 2019, and went on to win three Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best Musical, and Best Original Score.
The Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of Dear Evan Hansen, produced by Atlantic Records, was released in February 2017, making an extraordinary debut on the Billboard 200 and entering the chart at #8 – the highest charting debut position for an original cast album since 1961 – and went on to win the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The show’s now-iconic blue polo and arm cast are part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
The show is currently playing on Broadway, London’s West End, and across North America on a National Tour.
While the show is not yet available for licensing, theatres are encouraged to visit the MTI show page www.mtishows.co.uk/dear-evan-hansen to follow updates about licensing announcements.
