Early this year, thousands of people posted videos of themselves singing on TikTok, hoping it could mark the start of their big break.
And, for one of them, it did.
In January producers of a UK version of Broadway sensation Dear Evan Hansen launched a nationwide hunt for undiscovered talent ahead of a tour later this year.
The multi award-winning musical, which first opened in 2016, follows Evan as he goes viral.
So it’s possibly not a surprise for that to be a key part of the auditioning process.
Director Adam Penford launched the search with - of course - a video saying his team was looking for the "next generation of talent".
Hopeful actors uploaded audition tapes of themselves singing You Will Be Found - a pivotal song from the play - in the hope of bagging a real-life audition.
Producers say fewer than 2% of the 2,000 who applied were invited to audition.
From that final 36, Sonny Monaghan was the chosen one and was recently revealed as the understudy for the lead role.
Sonny, from East Sussex, tells BBC Newsbeat there was no way he'd have missed the opportunity.
"Evan's a role I've always wanted to play since I started doing musical theatre," he says.
His final video took 11 takes.
"I just had to make sure that what I put up was at a high enough standard for myself to be like, 'yeah, that's more than good enough to get seen'," says Sonny.
He'll be understudy for former Book of Mormon and Newsies star Ryan Kopel, who plays the lead role of Evan.
While Sonny hasn't been to drama school, he did study musical theatre at college and has also had professional acting roles before. He also has an agent.
"I wasn't getting seen for the show," he says. "And I knew I was right for it."
While he was hoping his agent would help him get in the room, he says the TikTok auditions gave him a chance to take more control of that process.
There’s been some criticism of producers for only casting one person found via TikTok, and when the call originally went out some branded it as exploitative and a publicity gimmick.
"I understand the viewpoint," says Sonny. "Like, 'this must have just been some huge marketing thing'.
"It obviously had that element to it anyway. We knew it."
Director Adam Penford previously told Newsbeat the production team's goal was "to democratise the process" and give those without a drama school background or an agent a chance to be seen.
"If there's somebody who we feel could be in with a chance for performing in the show, they'll be invited to join the professional auditions," he said.
The production company did also use traditional casting methods for professional actors, and says it was open about this from the start.
But it insisted that "every single person stood a chance of being cast, with or without an agent".
"There were definitely those who recorded who were not suitable for the parts on offer but rightly saw it as an opportunity to be seen by a professional casting team," a spokesperson said.
For actors like 19-year-old Thomas fa*ge, from Birmingham, there are no hard feelings.
After posting his audition on TikTok, he was one of the 36 people invited to audition again in person but didn't end up making it through.
"The fact they've given people like me and people who just happened to post a video on TikTok the opportunity to even audition and be in the room with real producers or real directors is incredible," he says.
It was University of Chester student Thomas’s first professional audition - he doesn't have an agent and at the time told Newsbeat even getting that far had been "beyond [his] wildest dreams".
As he reflects on the casting announcement a few months down the line, he says: "The advertisem*nt they put out never stated that it'd be guaranteed a role.
"It's giving people like us opportunities that we wouldn't normally get. And for that, I'm completely grateful."
Producers say they were "genuinely thrilled" by how many people auditioned on TikTok and that there was "so much talent on show".
Would they cast this way again?
"For the right project, we’d absolutely consider using TikTok again as a way to discover new talent," a spokesperson says.
"Asking for TikTok submissions feels considerably more accessible to many."
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FAQs
Eventually, he admits the truth about the letter, and it's over. No more lies. Zoe stops her relationship with him, and he patches things up with his mom who he'd had a really rocky relationship with since Connor's suicide. After graduating, Evan takes a year off and works at Pottery Barn to save up money for college.
Who was the star of Dear Evan Hansen? ›
Ben Platt and Rachel Bay Jones received praise for originating the roles of Evan Hansen and Heidi Hansen, and won the Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical respectively. The musical has received acclaim, particularly for Platt's leading performance, the lyrics and book.
Who played Evan Hansen in The West End? ›
The original West End cast has starred Sam Tutty as Evan. Ben reprised the role for the film version of the musical, which was released in the UK in October 2021.
What happens at the end of Dear Evan Hansen? ›
At the end of the musical, Evan has finished high school and was taking a gap year. We learn that he finally accepted himself, but that is it. As a sucker for stories that tie everything together, this left me quite unsatisfied. Evan's lie affected everyone around him, including his relationship with his mother.
What is Evan Hansen diagnosed with? ›
Evan Hansen played a variety of sports, was the captain of his football team, and is remembered by those who knew him as easy-going, hard-working, and happy. During his life, he suspected he may have CTE and his family donated his brain to the BU CTE Center, where he was diagnosed with CTE Stage I.
Why did the Dear Evan Hansen movie flop? ›
Unfortunately, Platt's charm simply did not translate onto the big screen in the movie adaptation of “Dear Evan Hansen.” Directed by Stephen Chbosky, this film absolutely flopped. It failed to maintain a paced plot and didn't properly develop the beloved characters that have so much depth on stage.
Why was Dear Evan Hansen controversial? ›
The answer lies in one place: the character of Evan Hansen. Through his and Connor's characters, the show attempts to represent mental health struggles, but many critics felt that this portrayal fell on its face. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times even called it “manipulative.”
Does Jared have a crush on Evan? ›
He never speaks to Evan again after that. However, in the Dear Evan Hansen novel adaptation, they meet again one last time about a year later after Jared heads home from college for winter break. It's hinted (and possibly confirmed by Will Roland) that Jared has a crush on Evan.
Is Dear Evan Hansen based on a true story? ›
Loosely based on a true story, Dear Evan Hansen draws inspiration from the personal involvement of its composer, Benj Pasek, in a mishap that unfolded during his high school years in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
Why does Evan Hansen wear a cast? ›
Evan is walking into the first day of his senior year of high school with his arm in a cast, the result of a fall from a tree during his summer job.
Kaitlyn Dever plays Zoe, Connor's 16-year-old sister and Evan's love interest. Evan befriends Zoe by inventing things that Connor supposedly wished he could tell her despite their difficult relationship, helping her see her late brother in a new light.
What happened to Connor in Dear Evan Hansen? ›
Connor suffered from depression and anxiety from a very young age, but couldn't get help. He fought with his parents and sister and was constantly angry. He ends up commiting suicide later in the story.
Does Zoe forgive Evan? ›
One of Evan's final songs, “Words Fail,” is the pinnacle of this internal problem — Evan is given the opportunity to rationalize and to explain his actions. The writers try to justify his deeply exploitative choices, going so far as to have a final reunion between Zoe and Evan in which Zoe forgives him.
Why is Evan Hansen's arm broken? ›
Before the musical took place, Evan climbed a tree and "accidentally let go of a branch", breaking his arm as told in For Forever. However, this was later found out to be a lie right before For Forever (Reprise)-Evan actively let go of the branch in a failed suicide attempt.
What is the saddest part of Dear Evan Hansen? ›
"For Forever" is particularly heartbreaking because Evan describes his perfect day hanging out with Connor. We know this didn't happen. But it's clear from Evan's wavering voice that he desperately wishes it did. The song goes from heartbreaking to soul-crushing with the reveal of how Evan really fell.
Do Connors parents find out Evan Lied? ›
Inevitably, his lies eventually become too much and Evan confesses to Connor's family.
Do they find out the truth in Dear Evan Hansen? ›
During an argument between Cynthia and Larry, Evan comes clean. Devastated, Connor's family keep the truth hidden out of fear Evan will harm himself also still seeing him as a second son, and Zoe and Evan break up ("Words Fail"). Evan admits to his mother that his fall from the tree was a suicide attempt.
Why does Evan Hansen lie? ›
It is made clear, from the very beginning, that Evan doesn't want to lie. He does it because Connor's family, particularly his mother, need to believe in a reality in which their son/brother wasn't completely isolated prior to his death.
