MTI Acquires Rights for DEAR EVAN HANSEN

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 on Broadway, in London's West End, 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, Dogfight and James and the Giant Peach.

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 Broadway audiences and enthusiastic fans of all ages around the world. Audience members and performers alike empathize with the well-drawn characters, their relationships, and the issues they face. MTI customers from theatrical organizations 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 theater history" by the Washington Post's Peter Marks, Dear Evan Hansen opened at the Music Box Theatre to rave reviews on December 4, 2016, where it's 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 show launched its First North American Tour at the Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado in October 2018; it relaunched on December 7, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and will go on to visit more than 30 cities across the US and Canada in the 2021/2022 season. The show's newest production, the 2020 Olivier Award-winner for Best Musical, has reopened in London at the Noël Coward Theatre in October.

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 the country on a National Tour. For tickets and additional information about performances, please visit https://dearevanhansen.com/.

While the show is not yet available for licensing, theatres are encouraged to visit the MTI show page https://www.mtishows.com/dear-evan-hansen and click "follow" to be alerted about upcoming news and licensing announcements. International restrictions apply.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy