[title]
Although fans of Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things will have to wait at least a year for the new, final episodes of the series to drop, Broadway goers will have a chance to catch one of the show's main actors on the stage as Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson in the '80s supernatural drama, is set to star in Dear Evan Hansen.
View this post on Instagram
The 19-year-old actor is scheduled to take on the role of Jared Kleinman, Evan Hansen's "slightly inappropriate 'family friend,'" in the Tony award-winning musical beginning July 19.
"Words could never express how truly honored I am to be a part of this company," Matarazzo said in an official statement about the news. "This show has taught me so much about myself and to be able to participate in any capacity, let alone on Broadway, makes me want to melt. I am ecstatic to be back on stage and eternally grateful for the opportunity."
This isn't Matarazzo's first Broadway rodeo. The celebrity actually made his debut back in 2011 in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and then returned to the stage in 2014 on Les Misérables, but this is clearly Matarazzo's first main Broadway gig since his role on Stranger Things has afforded him new levels of notoriety.
The casting news feels even more relevant given the fact that the popular musical announced the upcoming end of its Broadway run this fall, on September 18. According to Playbill, at closing, "the production will have played 1,678 regular performances and 21 previews performances, making it one of the 50 longest-running shows in Broadway history."
It feels just right for Matarazzo to then add his unique sparkle to the production right before it wraps up for the foreseeable future.