Van Dean

Van Dean (born August 1974) is a Tony Award[1] and Grammy Award[2] winning producer and the Founder and President of Van Dean Productions, LLC. His work as a producer spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, concerts, films, and benefit projects.[3] He is the Founder and President of Center Stage Records.[4]

Education and Early Career

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Van grew up in Trumbull, CT and attended Trumbull High School. He earned his B.S. in Producing for Electronic Media from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.[5] Following graduation, he worked as a programmer for a decade before entering the entertainment industry in 2005. He produced his first two shows, The Mistress Cycle and Saint Heaven, under the banner of his first production company, Van Hill Entertainment, with then producing partner, Hillary Cutter.[6] Van produced his first Off-Broadway show, ROOMS: A Rock Romance,[7] in 2009 and his first Broadway show, Catch Me if You Can, in 2010.[8]

Productions

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Filmography

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  • Midsummer in Newtown (Producer)
  • From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook (Producer)
  • Broadway Kids Against Bullying: I Have a Voice (Executive Producer)
  • Artists for the Arts: With a Little Help from My Friends (Co-Producer)

Awards and Nominations

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Show Award Category Result
Caroline, Or Change Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Nominee
My Fair Lady Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Nominee
The Color Purple Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Winner
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Winner
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominee
Drama League Award Distinguished Revival of a Musical Nominee
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominee
Anastasia Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominee
Drama League Award Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical Nominee
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Broadway Musical Nominee
Jagged Little Pill Tony Award Best Musical Nominee
Drama League Award Outstanding Production of a Musical Nominee
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Broadway Musical Nominee
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominee
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominee
Drama League Award Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical Nominee
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominee
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Musical Nominee
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominee
Matilda Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Nominee
Tony Award Best Musical Nominee
Drama League Award Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical Nominee
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Broadway Musical Nominee
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Winner
Evita Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominee
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominee
The Best Man Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Play Winner
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Revival of a Play Winner
Tony Award Best Revival of a Play Nominee
Catch Me If You Can Tony Award Best Musical Nominee
Bonnie & Clyde Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominee
Chinglish Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play Nominee
ROOMS a rock romance Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical Nominee

Center Stage Records

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Van founded Center Stage Records in 2024. The label, operating out of New York City and London,[10] releases cast albums from Broadway to the West End, solo albums by major musical theatre artists, and concept albums.[11] Center Stage Records launched with the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of How to Dance in Ohio.[12] This release joins the nearly 200 titles brought over from the Broadway Records catalog.[13]

Prior to founding Center Stage Records, Van co-founded Broadway Records in 2012.[14] He was President of the label for 12 years. Among the hundreds of albums released by Broadway Records, Van produced albums including The Color Purple (Grammy Award-winner).[15]

Benefit Work

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Van produced From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook in 2013. The Newtown, CT concert included students from the community and Broadway performers. Funds from the event benefited United Way of Western Connecticut's Sandy Hook School Support Fund.[16] Van was integral in the formation of NewArts (previously the 12.14 Foundation), an organization created in 2013 to provide an artistic community for healing in Newtown, CT.[17] With NewArts, he co-produced local productions of Seussical The Musical,[18] A ROCKIN' Midsummer Night's Dream, and 101 Dalmatians: The Musical.[19] He also collaborated on Liberty Smith, The Lion King Jr, School of Rock (Youth Production), The Wizard of Oz, Newsies, and Matilda. Van co-produced the 2016 feature documentary film, Midsummer in Newtown, in conjunction with A ROCKIN' Midsummer Night's Dream.[20]

In 2018, Van produced From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Parkland, USA[21] and in 2016, From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Orlando.[22]

Van was a Producer of "What the World Needs Now is Love," a single to benefit the Orlando community in the wake of the Pulse nightclub tragedy.[23] Broadway Records released the single. Funds were directed to the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida and the Trevor Project.[24]

With Broadway Records, Van released "I Have a Voice," a single to raise awareness about the anti-bullying efforts of www.NoBully.org[25].[26]

Van also produced the new Broadway United music video of "We are The World" to spread a message of community.[27]

Van is on the board of The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "Van Dean – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  2. ^ "Van Dean | Artist | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  3. ^ "Van Dean – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  4. ^ Higgins, Molly (January 10, 2024). "Broadway Records Founder Van Dean Launches Center Stage Records". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Deni, Laura (May 21, 2006). "THE BUSINESS OF THEATRICAL PRODUCING". Broadway To Vegas. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Deni, Laura (May 21, 2006). "THE BUSINESS OF THEATRICAL PRODUCING". Broadway To Vegas. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  7. ^ Sierra, Gabrielle (February 10, 2009). "Photo Flash: ROOMS: A Rock Romance". Broadway World. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "Van Dean". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Culdwell-Block, Logan (May 16, 2024). "Figaro: An Original Musical Sets 2025 London Concert World Premiere". Playbill. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  10. ^ Abourizk, Michael (January 10, 2024). "Van Dean launches Center Stage Records". Broadway News. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  11. ^ Higgins, Molly (January 10, 2024). "Broadway Records Founder Van Dean Launches Center Stage Records". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Stewart, Zachary (January 19, 2024). "You Can Now Stream the Original Cast Recording of How to Dance in Ohio". TheaterMania. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  13. ^ Higgins, Molly (January 10, 2024). "Broadway Records Founder Van Dean Launches Center Stage Records". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  14. ^ Purcell, Carey (May 30, 2018). "How One Man Turned His Love For Theater Into A Grammy-Winning Company". Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  15. ^ Higgins, Molly (January 10, 2024). "Broadway Records Founder Van Dean Launches Center Stage Records". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  16. ^ Gioia, Michael and Andrew Gans (January 29, 2013). "Set List Announced from Star-Studded From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Voket, John (August 19, 2022). "Curtain Closing On NewArts; 12.14 Foundation Organizers Winding Down Innovative Nonprofit". The Newtown Bee. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  18. ^ Francke, Colleen (August 15, 2013). "Newtown Hears A Who, 'Seussical' Successfully Staged". The Newtown Bee. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "Rehearsals Underway For 'Rockin' Midsummer Night,' '101 Dalmatians' Musicals". The Newtown Bee. July 25, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  20. ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (January 26, 2017). "Review: 'Midsummer in Newtown' Revisits the Pain of Sandy Hook". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  21. ^ Cox, Gordon and Rebecca Rubin (April 3, 2018). "Broadway Stars to Stage Benefit Concert for Parkland". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  22. ^ Vine, Hannah (July 26, 2016). "Photos! From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Orlando". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  23. ^ Lee, Ashley (June 15, 2016). "Broadway Stars Join to Record "What the World Needs Now Is Love" as Orlando Charity Single". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  24. ^ Fierberg, Ruthie (June 20, 2017). "How the Broadway Community Showed Love and Strength 1 Year Ago". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  25. ^ https://www.NoBully.org
  26. ^ Quinn, Dave (December 12, 2016). "Watch Over 70 Broadway Kids Come Together for Emotional Anti-Bullying Charity Single". People. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Lambe, Stacy (June 27, 2018). "Anthony Rapp, Chita Rivera and More Broadway Stars Cover 'We Are the World' (Exclusive Premiere)". ET. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  28. ^ "OHMTEC Board". Hammerstein Museum. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
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