Opening Up: Dear Evan Hansen - "Does Anybody Have a Map?"

*NOTE: Spoilers for Dear Evan Hansen (Stage Musical)

As I did before upon the release of In the Heights (2021), I have decided to dedicate this entry of Opening Up to a stage-to-screen adaptation. Dear Evan Hansen (2021) is the latest Tony-winning musical to make its way to theaters, and does so with the familiar changes. Songs are cut, stories are altered, and the world becomes something wholly different. For a show like DEH, it makes sense given that it started as a fairly abstract and minimalist production, not really having much of a set besides digital screens portraying some cryptic representation of the characters’ internal turmoil. It’s arguably the most interesting thing that is definitely going to be lost in translation, though it has a few accomplices missing with it.

Among them is the stage musical’s opening song “Does Anybody Have a Map?” With the release of the tracklist, it has become clear that the more recognizable “Waving Through a Window” has become our introduction to this world. Given that the story has always been sold as the journey of character Evan Hansen, it makes sense (especially when streamlining a story) to cut down on characters who don’t have the intrigue to make for a two hour experience. Removing songs like “To Break In a Glove” is no different than removing “Inutil” from In the Heights and making Kevin Rosario a more minimal character. What works on stage doesn’t always appeal on film, and it appears that director Stephen Chbosky feels like this is the case.

This is especially compelling given that most movie musicals have started almost verbatim with their stage adaptations. The opening number is an introduction to this world, and every songwriter has done exhaustive work to make it representative of the bigger story. That raises certain questions about Dear Evan Hansen. What exactly is lost by removing “Does Anybody Have a Map?” from the greater texture? How does the story change?

Before diving into the song, I want to explain how it secretly fits into the bigger foundation of the series. Yes, Evan is considered the protagonist and has the biggest showstoppers, but at five points we hear from the parents. They are each given prominent songs that build character, create an understanding of Evan’s world outside of himself. “Requiem” finds the Murphy family reminiscing on the death of Connor. “To Break in a Glove” is the first song in Act II and finds a conversation of regret and insecurity around parenting. “Good for You,” while a bigger ensemble number, starts with Evan’s mom venting her frustration at Evan not appreciating her sacrifices. It is telling that the final song that isn’t a reprise goes once again to her with “So Big/So Small,” which recounts the day that Evan’s father left the family, ending in a moment of how much she loves her son.

Together, they create a richer dynamic to Evan’s story. Every other song deals with the exploration of his journey, both social and internal. That appears to be what the film wants to center around, removing the larger context of supporting characters. Without this, “Does Anybody Have a Map?” is a poor foundation, as there’s no reason to care about anyone not named Evan. With that said, adding these five songs makes for an interesting rewrite of the show. It’s almost surprising then that the people who get to open this world aren’t Evan but the parents who watch on as they hope their children are capable of taking care of themselves.

The song follows a brief introduction that establishes the Hansen family dynamic. Evan is writing letters for therapy while his mother, Heidi, tries to encourage him. It’s already clear that Evan is socially awkward and Heidi has a job that requires her to be away from home during key hours. It shows the personal struggles that both will face throughout the show from a dimly lit stage, desperately trying to see each other. 

An interesting decision for this song is that Evan doesn’t have a singing line. He has a brief exchange that starts the song before it shifts fully to Heidi. The first sung lines may as well be the thesis for the entire show, “Can we try to have an optimistic outlook, huh?/Can we buck up just enough to see the world won’t fall apart?” It’s the type of advice that a mother wants to bestow on a child, especially one with anxiety like Evan. She clearly cares, having him in therapy and writing letters to hopefully grow a sense of empathy. She tries to find ways to get him to strike up conversations, such as signing his cast for an arm he broke (the story detailed in “For Forever”). As she says “I’m proud of you already,” there’s an insecurity in her voice that suggests how hard she wants this wisdom to stick with Evan and actually make a difference.

As she ends the conversation, she sounds exasperated, sarcastically declaring “Another stellar conversation for the scrapbook.” Up to this point, there’s already plenty implied about Heidi’s role in Evan’s life, notably how much she tries to be supportive and loving but doesn’t quite break through in a meaningful way. As the bridge leading to the chorus, the energy rises as she declares “I’m kinda coming up empty” before declaring:

Does anybody have a map?

Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?

I don't know if you can tell

But this is me just pretending to know

So where's the map?

I need a clue

'Cause the scary truth is

I'm flying blind

And I'm making this up as I go

Section 1 of the song has introduced the emotional component of the show, establishing a dynamic that helps us understand Evan and Heidi both as individuals and as a family. Whereas this perspective could easily qualify as satisfactory for an opening song, what follows reflects on how wide the net is going to be cast. In Section 2, the perspective shifts to the Connor family, notably introducing most of the very little time that the audience will spend with Connor prior to his death, giving a sense of how he actually was versus how the world came to perceive him. 

An interesting parallel is that whereas the Hansen’s are dysfunctional in a quiet and distant way, the Murphy’s are in more direct and vocal ways. For starters, there are four members to the family, already antithetical to Heidi’s single mother status. Also, Connor has a sister whereas Evan is an only child. There is more playfulness during this section even if the vague animosity fits the same ideas as the Hansen’s as far as interpersonal relationships.

Mother Cynthia helps to establish context for the story with her first spoken line “It’s your senior year, Connor. You are not missing the first day.” During the remaining exchange, father Larry accuses him of being high, sister Zoe agreeing in a flat and annoyed tone. In the penultimate exchange before Cynthia begins singing, she tells Connor “I don’t want you going to school high, Connor” before he responds “Perfect, so then I won’t go. Thanks, Mom!”

To the audience, this is a comical exchange. However, in the brief moments of knowing the Murphy’s, it’s clear that they are equally dysfunctional. Everyone’s relationship with Connor is very clear, and even his sarcastic and rebellious nature reflects a person willing to deflect from any deeper engagement with his problems. We don’t actually know much more about Connor throughout the show, just this symbolic fallen hero. He is a tragic figure that becomes sympathetic not through redemption, but through causing those around him to question their own relationships with him.

Like how Heidi sang “Another stellar conversation for the scrapbook,” Cynthia sings “Another masterful attempt ends with disaster.” She is more direct, more willing to give in to the negative. It’s already showing the parallels between the families that help the story to feel more universal. Every line she sings features some self-effacing commentary on how much she thinks the family is failing. Meanwhile, the supporting cast is leaving the breakfast table, already arguing about what their day will look like. Larry complains the interstate is already jammed while Zoe is mad that Connor finished the milk. 

So far the song has established the six main characters in ways that already make them familiar. These two families each have their own set of issues, but it’s clear that they don’t handle them in the same way. Whereas Evan is more introverted, handling it through therapy, it’s clear that Connor has no interest in talking to anyone about his problems. He just lets them build, hoping to run away from them while everyone grows annoyed. Cynthia also gives up easily, creating a complex portrait given what’s about to follow. Is this the only moment in Act I where we get an honest view of the Murphy’s? While Act II eventually features a family outburst, it’s clear that Connor’s struggles were rooted in a conflict that was already there.

The real question coming out of this section is a simple one. Would Connor Murphy as a character work without this song? Would the Murphy’s be more interesting if it wasn’t revealed until Act II that they were dysfunctional? Maybe as a reveal, it would be shocking, but it would feel dishonest to what the story is ultimately going for. Dear Evan Hansen wants to comment on the small ways that we all connect to each other. Making Connor’s only screentime be as this abstraction of every character would make him almost pointless. There needs to be that idea implanted in the audience that he was imperfect, that every character is flawed. 

Shifting the opening song to “Waving Through a Window” threatens to remove a lot of that weight. While Connor still gets moments to exist as an actual character, they’re largely ignored without “Does Anybody Have a Map?” There is no sense of parallel, no sense of greater connection between people that are seemingly so different. The song is more than an introduction, it is creating subtext that is necessary for what follows. 

This becomes clear in the moment following Cynthia’s verse where she begins singing before Heidi enters. Once again, they’re asking “Does anybody have a map?” Does anybody have a clue on how to fix their problems? The vocals at first are at odds with each other before they become more in harmony, reflecting that they share similar frustrations with their lives. They are each raising teenagers who don’t fit the standard model. They just want to have happy families, and they aren’t exactly succeeding. While their arcs are different, key components are made clear. There is dysfunction. There is a want to fix everything.

Depending on how it’s viewed, this could be viewed as the opening song or a prologue to the actual show. Either way, it’s essential to understanding every character that would otherwise be missing. I have not personally seen the film and cannot comment on if the changes enhance the story or detract. With that said, I do oppose the changes to In the Heights regarding Kevin Rosario, but very little of it alters my enjoyment of the bigger story. With that said, the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical didn’t change its opening number, altering the structure in a way that is geared more at the teenage characters than the more universal family dynamic. They’re still there, but without many of the more emotional character building moments.

Is this a bad thing? Not exactly. There were always going to be major risks in adapting Dear Evan Hansen to the big screen. It wasn’t designed to be a literal adaptation, at times becoming interpretive and metaphysical. What works on stage doesn’t on film, so it’s yet to be seen if the right calls were made. For now, it’s questionable if what’s missing changes the very read of the film. Based on everything covered here, one could suggest that this is true. If nothing else, it removes a fun song that does a lot of heavy lifting and replaces it with more boring and conventional dramatic moments that won’t hit as effectively.