ABSTRACT
Dear Evan Hansen can be said to have many predecessors that paved the way for it to become a commercial success; the musical, however, owes the majority of its success to a show that came nearly two decades prior. It seems fitting then, that the general public’s first exposure to Dear Evan Hansen was through social media. A demo of “Waving Through a Window,” one of the show’s many songs, was posted to Arena Stage’s website in advance of the out-of-town tryout in 2015 for ticket buyers to sample before securing their seats. Producers like Mindich have realized the power that social media holds in ensuring their show’s success. The widespread nature of social media places the power of critique in the fandom’s hands and out of the critics.
