Dear Evan Hansen wins best musical, Oslo wins best play

New York

DEAR Evan Hansen, a daringly unflinching exploration of loss, lies and loneliness in a high school community, on Sunday won the 2017 Tony Award for best new musical, completing its journey from improbable idea to theatrical triumph.

The challenging and cathartic show, about an anxiety-wracked adolescent whose social standing improves when he insinuates himself into the grieving family of a classmate who has killed himself, picked up six awards over the night, including a best leading actor Tony for the twitching and tender, talk-of-the-town performance by 23-year-old Ben Platt in the title role.

The production faced a challenge from the Canadian-born Come From Away, about a Newfoundland town's welcome of diverted travellers after the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001. That show took a key prize when Christopher Ashley won best director in a musical over Michael Greif, th…