成人X站

SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

A letter: ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ the movie

Sep 24, 2021, 2:27 PM | Updated: Sep 30, 2021, 7:04 am

YouTube video

Dear Evan Hansen, The Movie,

I’m sorry I didn’t like you as much as you wanted me to. I tried, I really, really tried. As you know, I’m a sucker for a good Broadway musical and, heck, you won a ton of Tony’s — the biggest smash hit since “Hamilton.” I know you suffer from crippling anxiety, from the sense that you’re just not good enough. But you know what? You’re right. You’re no “Hamilton.” You’re not even “In The Heights,” the movie.

It’s not that you’re all bad. You have a very nice cast, bolstered by legit actors like Amy Adams and Julianne Moore, along with a few fresher faces, too. And every one of them can really sing quite well. It’s true your lead Ben Platt is a little old to play a teenager but he did originate the role on Broadway to great acclaim, so I’m fine with a stage actor not being replaced by a flashier movie star for a change. You even dared to make some changes to the , dropping some songs and adding others, diminishing some roles even as you expand others.

But at your core, you suffer from the same faults as your predecessor. You’re just too needy. And even worse, you use your neediness as a shield to deflect criticism. “Don’t you think teen suicide is important?” you taunt. “Isn’t mental illness and depression worth our attention?” you challenge your critics. “And isn’t social media the worst?” you throw at your naysayers.

“IT SURE IS HARD TO BE A TEEN!” you want to scream at us. But because you’re so sensitive and unsure of yourself, instead of a scream, you can only blurt it out in near-whispers, in oh-so-quiet songs of lament, one after another, after another.

Like Evan Hansen himself, you, “Dear Evan Hansen” the movie, you use a tragedy as a justification for manipulating people into liking you, even worse, loving you! Your very earnestness is, perhaps unintentionally, exploitative.

I understand you’re unsure of yourself, but your fake persona allows for the worst kind of self-aggrandizement. “I am an important film because I am dealing with Serious Social Issues,” you seem to insist. Unfortunately, the subject matter is far too heavy for such a shallow, lightweight vehicle as yourself.

I know it’s hard, but be honest. Only then, as your song says, will you be found.

Sincerely,

Tom Tangney, Not Yet A Movie

Listen to the Tom and Curley Show weekday afternoons from 3 鈥 7 p.m. on 成人X站 Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.

Associated Press

Texas man indicted for fatally shooting Afghan refugee who had helped US troops defuse bombs

HOUSTON (AP) 鈥 The brother of an Afghan refugee who helped U.S. forces defuse bombs during the war in Afghanistan expressed frustration Thursday that it took more than three months for the Texas man accused of fatally shooting his sibling over a parking dispute to be indicted in the case. When Abdul Rahman Waziri, 31, […]

1 hour ago

...

MyNorthwest Video

Video: Jake & Spike Risk Their Lives to See the Blue Angels

Jake and Spike climb onto the roof at 成人X站 Newsradio to watch the Blue Angels arrive in Seattle for Seafair weekend. Listen to the Jake and Spike Show every weekday from 12pm – 3pm on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

1 hour ago

This image from police body camera footage provided by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office shows sheri...

Associated Press

Colorado deputies disciplined for helping federal immigration agents

DENVER (AP) 鈥 Two Colorado deputies have been disciplined for violating state law by helping federal agents make immigration arrests, and their sheriff says officers from other agencies have done the same. One of the deputies, Alexander Zwinck, was sued by Colorado’s attorney general last week, after his cooperation with federal immigration agents on a […]

2 hours ago

In this photo provided by Lin Chao, 'fire clouds' form near the Bright Angel Trailhead at the South...

Associated Press

‘Fire clouds’ over Arizona and Utah wildfires are creating their own erratic climate

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) 鈥 Two wildfires burning in the western United States 鈥 including one that has become a 鈥渕egafire鈥 on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon 鈥 are so hot that they鈥檙e spurring the formation of 鈥渇ire clouds鈥 that can create their own erratic weather systems. In Arizona, the wind-whipped wildfire that […]

2 hours ago

FILE - U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra speaks at the Linen Building in Boise, Idaho, June 26, ...

Associated Press

2026 race for California governor goes into new gear and directions with Kamala Harris out

LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 After months of uncertainty, the race to become California’s next governor started Thursday. Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision Wednesday to bypass the 2026 contest pushed the campaign into a new phase, lacking its biggest potential star and the presumptive early favorite. Harris’ formal exit opens the door for additional candidates […]

2 hours ago

Microsoft Redmond...

MyNorthwest Staff

Microsoft financials surge, posts strong Q4

Microsoft has reported strong financial results for the fourth quarter.

2 hours ago