The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Dear Evan Hansen
William and Catherine attended a special performance of the Broadway and West End musical hit, Dear Evan Hansen. The performance was held in benefit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's royal foundation which works on projects like Heads Together, Early Years and Heads Up.
Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of high school student, Evan Hansen, who struggles to connect in a hyper-connected world. It touches on mental health, suicide, family, friends social media and the impact one person can have in their community. The coming of age story has been credited with starting important discussion on mental health and the role social media plays in mental health.
The show originally opened on Broadway in 2016 and has now expanded to the West End and a National Tour. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met with the cast after the show where they remarked on their incredible American accents and their impressive vocal ranges. They went on to discuss the importance of representing Mental Health in popular culture and how the show did a wonderful job confronting the issue without becoming too overwhelming for an audience.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have championed mental health since launching Heads Together in 2017. Mental Health is a subject that is still stigmatized in the majority of cultures around the world and discussing mental health openly is believed to be the best way to overcome the stigma and help the most amount of people who may struggle with mental illness.
The partnership between a West End show that confronts such topics and the Royal Foundation seems a natural fit to keep breaking down the stigma of the mental illness. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's next announced engagement will be on their three day tour of Ireland from 5th March to 8th March. xx