Industry NewsFrom Tony Winner to Recording Artist: Dear Evan Hansen’s Ben Platt Signs Contract with AtlanticThe Tony-winning star has joined the major record label just weeks before his departure from Broadway.
By
Olivia Clement
September 07, 2017
Ben Platt
Marc J. Franklin
Tony winner Ben Platt has signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records. As previously reported, the star of the Tony-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen is set to depart the show November 19.
Ben Platt
Matthew Murphy
“I am beyond proud to be joining the Atlantic family, amongst a roster of legendary artists,” Platt said in a statement. “It has been a longtime dream to create original music; I am so excited to be working on this debut album and even more excited for the day I can share it with the world.”
Details surrounding the aforementioned solo album have not yet been announced.
“As brilliant and captivating as Ben’s performances have been on stage and on film, they represent just one aspect of his extraordinary musical gifts,” added Atlantic Executive Vice President and Head of A&R Pete Ganbarg. “He is one of the most compelling, authentic artists I've met, with a storyteller’s intuition and an emotive, genre-crossing voice. All of us at Atlantic are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with Ben and are looking forward to what we know will be a fantastic body of work.”
Atlantic was behind the release of Dear Evan Hansen cast recording, which entered the Billboard 200 chart at no. eight—the highest charting debut position for an original cast album since 1961. Fresh off the show’s multiple Tony wins in June, the cast album also shot to the top spot on iTunes.
Platt’s departure from Dear Evan Hansen this fall marks the conclusion of a long journey with the show, having been involved with the acclaimed new musical since its early developmental stages. Prior to Dear Evan Hansen arriving on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre, Platt played the title role in the world premiere at Arena Stage and during the show’s Off-Broadway debut at Second Stage Theatre.
Platt was the original Elder Cunningham in the Chicago production of The Book of Mormon and later reprised the role on Broadway. His screen credits include Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2.
Test your knowledge of Dear Evan Hansen with Playbill’s Name That Tune video quiz:
