‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Star Laura Dreyfuss on Theater in the Social Media Age

'Dear Evan Hansen' Star Laura Dreyfuss on Theater in the Social Media Age Leigh Nordstrom "It's an exciting time for theater," says Laura Dreyfuss on a recent afternoon, shortly before her call time at the Music Box Theatre. Ever since "Dear Evan Hansen" opened on Broadway in December and became the hardest theater ticket in town to obtain, downtime for the young actress has become a rarity. The show tells the story of Evan Hansen, played by Ben Platt, whose life spirals drastically in the aftermath of a little white lie and a death of a classmate in Evan's high school. The production boasts music by Benj Pasek and Justin Pau, the duo behind "La La Land," and has garnered unusual pop culture attention — perhaps buoyed by the success of a little show called "Hamilton." Dreyfuss, who plays the sister of the deceased classmate — and love interest to Evan — is first to recognize the Hamilton effect. "I feel like 'Hamilton' kind of raised the bar," she says, "and made everyone realize 'Oh, theater can be really good if we, like, want it to be.'" WWD: How did you get into acting? Laura Dreyfuss: My oldest sister was an actor before I was, and she's 10 years older, so I grew up watching her do it. Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Read More... Fashion 3