Tony winner Ben Platt will lead a U.K. premiere of Mark Sonnenblick's Midnight at the Never Get at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, with David Cromer at the helm. The production will begin July 11 ahead of a July 20 opening night, with the run continuing through September 12.
Priority booking for Menier supporters begins March 2, with general sales beginning March 11.
Get a first look at Platt singing the score's "Mercy of Love" in the video above.
The work is set in the New York City of 1965, when Trevor Copeland and Arthur Brightman's queer romance is illegal. The two get to act out their love in a secret nightclub act. The work previously had a developmental run in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 2017, and at the 2016 New York Musical Festival before making an Off-Broadway bow via York Theatre in 2018. A filmed performance streamed in 2021 via Virginia's Signature Theatre.
The book, music, and lyrics are by Grammy and Golden Globe winner Sonnenblick, who has since gone on to become a writer of songs in Netflix's smash hit film KPop Demon Hunters, including the Grammy-winning "Golden." The project is conceived by Sonnenblick with Max Friedman, and Sam Bolen, the latter of which also starred in the previous productions. Cromer's upcoming production will be a new staging. Max Friedman was at the helm of the Off-Broadway run, and Matthew Gardiner directed at Signature.
Platt is best known for creating the title role of 2016's Dear Evan Hansen, which earned him a Tony Award. The performance catapulted the actor, son of Broadway producer Marc Platt, into near instant fame. In the years since, Platt has split his career between the screen—with credits including Pitch Perfect, Run This Town, Theater Camp, and The Politician—and the recording studio, releasing albums Sing to Me Instead, Reverie, and Honeymind. He returned to Broadway in 2023 with a Tony nominated turn as Leo Frank in the revival of Jason Robert Brown's Parade, and with a concert residency that re-opened the Palace Theatre in 2024. He's set to star opposite Rachel Zegler in a series of 25th anniversary concerts of Brown's The Last Five Years at the London Palladium, California's Hollywood Bowl, and Radio City Music Hall in NYC.
Further casting for the upcoming London run is to be announced.
The production will feature scenic design by Scott Pask. Menier is producing in association with Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, and ATG Productions.
"I’m thrilled to be undertaking my first full run on the London stage at the Menier as it transforms into the nightclub setting of The Never Get," says Platt in a statement. "It’s truly wonderful to work with Mark, who is not only a genius songwriter, but who has also become a true friend. It’s a very special piece, my first wholly original musical since Dear Evan Hansen, and we look forward to working with the generationally talented David Cromer to create this singular experience."
"This show means a tremendous amount to me and it’s a gift to collaborate with Ben again—he’s a once-in-a-generation performer," adds Sonnenblick. "I can’t wait for audiences to experience his performance in the beautifully intimate theatre at the Menier. It’s also a huge privilege to work with the brilliant David Cromer as we realize the piece afresh for its U.K. premiere."
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