SEARCH FOR A WAY TO BE FOUND.
♪ YOU WILL BE FOUND ♪
WELL THE SHOW HAS NOW BEEN
TURNED INTO A BOOK.
AND JOINING ME NOW JUSTIN PAUL
AND BEN PASSIC WHO WROTE THE
MUSICAL AND THE PLAYWRITE AND
THE PERSON THAT WROTE "DEAR EVAN
HANSON."
THANK YOU ALL.
SO THIS THING HAS CAUGHT ON
FIRE.
IT'S CAUGHT ON FIRE.
MY FRIEND DEBORAH WAS THE FIRST
PERSON I KNEW TO SEE IT.
SHE IS LIKE I'M NOT GOING TO
TELL YOU A WORD OTHER THAN TEARS
STREAMING DOWN MY FACE.
GO SEE IT.
DON'T LISTEN TO ANYTHING ABOUT
IT BEFORE YOU GO SEE IT.
JUST BE SURPRISED.
IT REALLY GRABS PEOPLE.
AND THIS STORY WAS BASED
ACTUALLY ON A HIGH SCHOOL
EXPERIENCE OF YOURS?
>> YEAH.
THERE WAS A STUDENT WHO PASSED
AWAY MY HIGH SCHOOL AND I
REMEMBER A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HIM WELL
AFTER HE DIED KIND OF CLAIMED
HIM AS A FRIEND AFTER HE PASSED
AND IT WAS THIS REALLY
INTERESTING PHENOMENON OF WHY DO
WE NEED TO BE A PART OF A
TRAGEDY THAT WE DON'T REALLY
FEEL LIKE IS OURS?
AND WE WANT TO CLAIM IT BECAUSE
MAYBE WE FEEL A LITTLE BIT ALONE
AND WANT TO BE PART OF A
COMMUNITY.
WHEN I MET JUSTIN IN COLLEGE, WE
BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT ALSO THE
PHENOMENON OF WHAT WE WERE
NOTICING WITH PEOPLE CLAIMING
9/11.
>> PEOPLE SORT OF WHO WERE, YOU
KNOW, MAKING UP STORIES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE GENUINELY
INVOLVED IN THAT TRAGEDY.
AND GENUINELY AFFECTED AULL OF S
BUT PEOPLE WERE MAKING UP
STORIES THAT THEY KNEW SOMEONE
THAT PASS ED AWAY AND WE WERE
FASCINATED BY THAT AND SORT OF
CELEBRITY DEATH CULTURE AND HOW
PEOPLE ONLINE ARE POSTING THEIR
STORY OF HOW THEY KNEW THAT
PERSON.
AND ALL THESE THINGS POINTING TO
OUR NEED TO FEEL PART OF SOME
LARGER SOMETHING.
A MOVEMENT OR TO BE PART OF THIS
COMMUNAL GRIEF IN THAT CASE.
POKING AT THAT ISSUE.
>> IN THE SHOW, IT'S PART OF
YOUR PROTAGONIST ATTEMPT TO GET
OVER HIS CRIPPLING SOCIAL
ANXIETY.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND SO IT IS USED AS A TOOL
FOR COMFORT, FOR CONNECTION.
WHICH IS SOMETHING EVERYONE
WANTS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE
ADOLESCENT YEARS WHEN YOU KNOW
THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE FEELING THE
WORST AND MOST AWKWARD.
>> YEAH.
WE WANTED TO LOOK AT SORT OF
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE'RE PRESENTED
WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL A
LITTLE BIT OF A WHITE LIE AND
THEN SUDDENLY WE CAN BE PART
OF -- LIKE HOW MUCH -- HOW OFTEN
DO WE EMBELLISH STORIES?
SAY WE'RE PART OF SOMETHING AND
THEN IT GIVES US A COMMUNITY.
IT GIVES US FRIENDS AND A
FAMILY.
>> WE SAY ALL THE TIME.
PEOPLE TELL LIES EVERY 11
SECONDS.
I MANY YOU HAVE TOLD AT LEAST
THREE IN THE LAST TWO MINUTES.
SERIOUSLY.
THEY SAY YOU LIE ALL THE TIME.
BUT CERTAINLY WHEN YOU'RE AT
THAT TENDER AGE AND FEELING
LEAST SECURE, LEAST CONFIDENT --
>> I THINK WITH SOCIAL MEDIA,
IT'S REALLY MADE IT EVEN WORSE.
WE'RE SO AWARE OF EVERYONE
ELSE'S PERFECT LIVES AND WE'RE
SEEING EVERYONE'S POSTS.
WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT A PART OF
THIS PERFECT WORLD THAT EVERYONE
ELSE IS A PART OF.
IT ADDS TO THE SENSE OF
ISOLATION AND A SENSE OF
LONLINESS AND REAL DESIRE AND
NEED TO NFIND COMMUNITY AND
CONNECT.
>> I'M NOT ON INSTAGRAM.
IT'S JUST TOO VAIN, I THINK.
BUT IT DOES -- SOMETIMES IT
MAKES YOU FEEL DEPRESSED.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S PARADOX, TOO, OF, YOU
KNOW, WE'RE LIVING IN THIS AGE
WHERE WE'RE ALL SO CONNECTED.
WE'VE NEVER BEEN AS CONNECTED AS
WE ARE AND YET WE FEEL SO ALONE
AND WE FEEL SO ISOLATED.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EVAN
VERY MUCH IS DEALING WITH.
>> AND SO THIS SCARINESS OF
WRITING A BOOK, RIGHT, HOW DO
YOU TAKE A HIT SHOW AND TURN
INTO A HIT BOOK ON SOMETHING
THAT HAS -- I MEAN SERIOUSLY.
IT'S GOT LIKE A CULT FOLLOWING.
WE'LL PICK IT UP THERE.
AND ALSO, HOW DO THESE TWO GUYS
>>> WE'RE BACK NOW WITH THE
CREATORS OF THE HIT BROADWAY
SHOW "DEAR EVAN HANSON."
SO, VAL, YOU GET APPROACHED TO
WRITE THIS BOOK BASED ON THE HIT
SHOW AND YOU'RE THINKING WHAT?
>> GET ME OUT OF HERE.
I REALIZE THAT IT WAS A
PHENOMENON.
I SAW THE SHOW.
I WAS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING
REALLY SPECIAL.
I SHOULDN'T DO THIS.
I'M ONLY GOING TO MESS IT UP.
I ALSO SUFFER FROM ANXIETY.
EVAN, THE PROTAGONIST OF THE
STORY HAS SWEATY HANDS.
I HAVE SWEATY HANDS.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I HELD ON TO.
LIKE THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION I
FELT TO THIS STORY.
AND THAT'S HOW I GOT MYSELF
THROUGH IT.
AND I LIKE WENT DEEPER INTO THE
ANXIETY.
WHICH I THINK SERVICED --
SERVICES THE NOVEL.
>> THAT'S THE THING.
THE PLAY, THE BOOK STARTED A
CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN WANTING
TO HAVE FOR A WHILE ABOUT
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ESPECIALLY
AMONG TEENAGE BOYS.
AND, YOU KNOW, TEEN SUICIDE.
AND WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH
SUICIDES AND A RASH OF THEM IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THE POINT IS HAVING GETTING
PEOPLE TO HAVE AN HONEST
DIALOGUE.
>> YEAH.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO US IN THE
STORY THAT, YOU KNOW, IN BOTH
THE MUSICAL AND THE BOOK THAT
SUICIDE IS NOT SOMETHING WE
GLAMOURIZE OR SOMETHING -- IT
DOESN'T SOLVE ANYTHING FOR THIS
CHARACTER.
IT DOESN'T HELP ANYTHING.
IT MAKES THINGS MUCH WORSE FOR
HIS FAMILY.
AND SO WE WANT TO SHOW THAT IT'S
NOT CONSEQUENCE FREE.
>> YOU GUYS MET IN YOUR MUSICAL
THEATER PROGRAM IN COLLEGE?
>> WE'RE REALLY COOL LIKE THAT.
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT NOW, YEAH.
>> BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU HAD THE LAST LAUGH.
NOT ONLY HAVE YOU WRITTEN "DEAR
EVAN HANSON" BUT YOU NOW ARE
OSCAR WINNERS THE TWO OF YOU.
>> IT'S CRAZY.
PERHAPS YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE
MOVIE "LALA LAND."
TELL THEM WHAT DID YOU.
>> YES.
WE GOT TO BE PART OF THE
CREATIVE TEAM.
WE BEAUTIFUL.
♪ CITY OF STARS ♪
>> THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
YOUR TALENT IS REALLY -- I MEAN,
HONESTLY, I'M CURIOUS HOW YOU
COME UP WITH THAT.
WHAT CREATIVE PLACE DO YOU TAP
TO COME UP WITH THAT KIND OF
MUSIC?
>> WE'RE RELYING ON FANTASTIC
COLLABORATORS AND WE GET TO SIT
IN A ROOM AND GET TO BLUE SKY
AND DAYDREAM AND GET TO REALLY
PULL FROM THE GREAT WRITING OF
THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH.
>> ALSO, LIKE WITH SOMEONE LIKE
RYAN GOSS LING SINGING, YOU HAVE
TO TRY TO, WE HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIM TO NOT
SOUND LIKE A DORK.
SO WE HAVE TO WRITE SOMETHING
>> WE HAVE TO STEP UP OUR OWN
GAME.
>> THAT SETTLES IT.
IF I EVER SING ANYTHING, I'LL
HAVE YOU WRITE IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TELLING
THE STORY AND FOR BEING HERE.
EXCITING.
EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE IS
GOING TO GO HOME WITH A