Erik Altemus, seen on Broadway in Pippin and Off-Broadway in The Fantasticks, has released the first chapter from his new visual album Desideratum.

The first single, “Backroom Parties,” dropped July 7, and is available to stream on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon, and Pandora.

Shot by Broadway Style Guide’s Simon English, the video for “Backroom Parties” features fellow Broadway performers Colin Cunliffe, Lora Lee Gayer, Mike Schwitter, Tess Soltau, Joey Taranto, and Morgan Weed, with choreography by Ljuba Castot.

Watch the exclusive video premiere above.

Altemus wrote and conceived the five-track EP of original music that will roll out in installments over the next several weeks. Each visual single will offer another chapter in what he describes as “an epic journey of self discovery told through music, dance, and film.”
Work on the project began last August. “I was inspired by the albums Beyoncé and Frank Ocean released at that time and thought, ‘What an incredible way to tell a story.’ Music, film, dance and poetry combined,” Altemus tells Playbill. “I had been making music and writing poetry for years, and the time felt right to commit to creating my own visual album. As an actor, it is so important to remember we are creative artists. It’s easy to forget that when you get caught up in the routine of auditioning, pounding the pavement and dealing with the craziness of our business. I guess I was tired of waiting for someone to give me the opportunity to create, hence Desideratum.”

Further installments of Desideratum will be released July 26 and August 11.

Visit erikaltemus.com.

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