An often controversial story, Dear Evan Hansen first premiered in 2015 followed by considerable runs on Broadway and the West End. The stage musical has music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, with a book by Steven Levenson. The story follows a younger boy named Evan Hansen, who is currently a high school senior. Evan is dealing with social anxiety and whilst completing a project set by his therapist, ends up in a complex illusion of truth. The show has received praise since it opened, winning the Best Musical at the 2017 Tony Awards as well as Best New Musical at the 2020 Olivier Awards. Currently in the UK, Dear Evan Hansen is available for amateur drama group licensing to perform following a 2024/5 UK tour.
‘Requiem’ is the fifth song in Act 1 of Dear Evan Hansen and is my personal favourite in the show. This song is performed by Zoe, Cynthia and Larry Murphy as they sing about Connor: contemplating what his death has meant to each of them individually. Throughout the song, Zoe Murphy takes the majority of the lines whilst Cynthia and Larry help to harmonise throughout, as well as having their own verses. The word ‘Requiem’ itself refers to an act of remembrance. In this context, it refers to the Murphys’ struggle to grief and not sure how to do this, or whether they should remember.
Context:
At this point in the story, Connor Murphy has committed suicide resulting in his family grieving. Cynthia and Larry Murphy find a letter, written by Evan, on Connor when he died. They assume, as the title says “Dear Evan Hansen”, that Connor wrote this to Evan: assuming Evan was friends with Connor. Due to a misunderstanding, this leads to Evan agreeing to this allegation. Evan is later invited round to the Murphys for dinner. Whilst there, Evan continues telling false information about Connor: making out that he cared more than we are aware of.
Evan agrees to give more letters from Connor to the Murphy family, making these up with his friend Jared during ‘Sincerely Me’. Each family member reacts differently to these letters, depending on their relationship with Connor. This leads into ‘Requiem’ where the three Murphys sing about these relations.
Character Development Through the Lyrics:
Zoe has the most complex feelings towards Connor’s ‘fake’ letters, resulting in her singing the majority of ‘Requiem’. She starts by asking herself “Why should I play this game of pretend, remembering through a secondhand sorrow?”. Through this, Zoe is contemplating why she should grieve her brother through these letters rather than her own knowledge of what Connor was like. This is further discussed through “such a great son and wonderful friend” as Zoe considers whether she truly knew her brother as the ‘fake’ letters suggest a different character. In this way, Evan is manipulating Zoe into believing her brother was a good person. This is a part of Dear Evan Hansen which has always been slightly uncomfortable, considering the trajectory of Zoe and Evan’s relationship. Zoe finishes this verse by asking her “don’t the tears just pour?”, asking herself whether she should be crying or showing a sign of sadness towards her brother’s death considering Connor was not particularly kind to Zoe.
Zoe continues to discuss whether she should be hiding, living in gloom or crying. She contemplates “tell me what for?”, showing her resistance to the idea of grieving a brother who she did not get on with. This is followed by asking herself and the audience whether she “should I play the grieving girl and lie? Saying that I miss you”. This suggests that Zoe doesn’t understand how she feels about Connor’s death and whether she should be feeling a certain way. Zoe then decides that she will “sing no requiem”, suggesting that she will not be remembering her brother tonight and will not grieve his death. Zoe continues to contemplate her feelings towards Connor’s death, as the song continues. It is clear that Zoe is the key character in this song, being uncertain of what to do about her feelings.
Larry joins in with ‘Requiem’ after the initial chorus. Compared to Zoe, Larry sings more solidified in his emotions: making clear statements instead of asking questions. Larry starts by mentioning “I gave you the world, you threw it away”. This line suggests some anger that Larry feels towards Connor’s death, opening up the idea that he offered him everything he wanted and that was not good enough. Larry continues to sing “leaving these broken pieces behind you” suggesting that he is frustrated or annoyed at Connor’s death as he has left situations ‘broken’.
Following this, Larry continues to sing that he believes “Everything wasted, nothing to say”. This continues to show the anger stage of grief as Larry is frustrated with how everything he did for Connor was not enough and now, they can not discuss this further. Larry finishes his verse by singing “so I can sing no requiem”. In this context, Larry is suggesting that he can not and does not want to remember Connor at this moment, as he is angry and annoyed by his death. We later find out more about Larry and Connor’s relationship, helping to add more weight to this emotional part of ‘Requiem’. This anger is further discussed as Larry sings “Why should I have a heavy heart?” suggesting he has yet to accept his son’s death.
Cynthia is the final Murphy to take part in ‘Requiem’. She begins her verse by suggesting that the new ‘fake’ letters allow her to “hear your voice” and “feel you near”. This is complex knowing that these words are fabricated by Evan and Jared, rather than a true reflection of Connor’s inner feelings. Cynthia continues to say “Within these words I finally find you”, a devastating line knowing that the information is fake. This shows that Cynthia has found comfort in the letters, compared to Larry and Zoe who feel different emotional feelings around their own grief.
Following this, Cynthia continues to sing that she believes Connor is “still here”. She is showing that she believes the letters show that Connor is still with her, past his own death: evoking strong emotional disagreement from the audience. Cynthia finishes her verse by singing “I will sing no requiem”. Compared to Zoe, Cynthia is suggesting that she does not need to complete an act of remembrance as Connor is still with her: through the letters. Her overall outlook of the situation is more optimistic than Zoe and Larry’s views, showing a clear divide within the family dynamics. This is further emphasised by Cynthia mentioning that she can see Connor’s light and that she will “keep you with me”.
Relation to Themes:
The main themes seen throughout Dear Evan Hansen relate to mental health, identity and connection. Though ‘Requiem’ does not necessarily refer to all of these themes, it has strong connotations for some of them: mainly connection. Through Connor’s ‘fake’ letters, the Murphy family are able to develop connection to each other and their dead relatives. This shows different stages of grief for each of the family members which are uniformed in the song ‘Requiem’. By having the trio sing together, they are able to discuss their own connections and gain a deeper understanding of the grief they are now feeling towards Connor’s death. Similarly, ‘Requiem’ indirectly explores identity, as each Murphy family member reflects on who they are in the wake of Connor’s death. However, the song primarily focuses on the grief and loss felt by the family members: dealing with the grief in different ways. Through ‘Requiem’ we are able to see how each character is coping and this gives thematic insight into the Murphy family.
Why is ‘Requiem’ the emotional peak of Dear Evan Hansen?
‘Requiem’ represents the emotional peak of Dear Evan Hansen as it focuses primarily on Murphy’s grief following the wake of Connor’s death. This emotional scene gives the audience an experience which is raw and complex: focusing on multiple perspectives simultaneously. Each family member represents a different stage of grief and through the harmonies and layered vocals, emotional intensity reinforces the shared pain and personal reflection they are experiencing. ‘Requiem’ portrays the key themes of grief, connection and shaping identities, making the song the pivotal moment within Dear Evan Hansen.
Max
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