The vocal performances in the film were recorded almost entirely live on set, specifically to ensure that Ben Platt's vocals sounded as genuine and authentic as possible when he sang on screen.
The stage musical has its origins in an incident that took place during Benj Pasek's high school years at Friends' Central School.
Ben Platt and Colton Ryan are the only two members of the original Broadway cast (Ryan being an understudy in that production) to return for Stephen Chbosky's film.
The musical's ending was altered for this film to, according to Ben Platt, "make Evan more accountable for his actions than he was on stage."
Although "Anybody Have a Map?" and "Good For You" were cut, you can hear them instrumentally played by the Westview High School marching band at the pep rally scene early in the film, right after the "Waving Through a Window" sequence.